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A review by pheelmphree
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz
5.0
An important and relevant book. My inner nerd was always embarrassed I had never read it because of its enduring and esteemed reputation, only increasing after Horwitz’s sudden death just over a year ago. Horwitz detailed his exploration of Civil War memory through his travels in key areas of the old Confederacy. Since this book is nearing its 25-year anniversary, I think I feared it would be a dated read. Not so. This book is even more applicable in today’s environment of BLM awareness, efforts to remove Confederate memorials erected many decades after the war (and which largely served to intimidate African-Americans), and the ongoing debates over Lost Cause fact and fiction.
I can say some parts of Horwitz’s narrative can’t escape becoming dated. The Richmond he described from the mid/late 90s is not the one I recognize today. I love Richmond, based on my handful of times hanging there. Great restaurants, cool bars, creative breweries, excellent museums, awesome outdoor space, cool people. It was the Confederate capital, and a mandatory destination for anyone even casually interested in the Civil War. But the changes places undergo and what’s remembered by different groups are central to this book. I know it will influence how I’ll perceive Richmond on my next visit.
Written as a witty and humorous travel book, but occasionally sad, Horwitz dove into subject matter rooted in Civil War legacy that continues to flavor how people perceive and behave today, often with little direct knowledge of the history influencing them. A great read.
Horwitz’s obituary from the Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tony-horwitz-pultizer-prize-winning-journalist-and-author-dies-at-60/2019/05/28/adc64b72-8157-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html?outputType=amp
I can say some parts of Horwitz’s narrative can’t escape becoming dated. The Richmond he described from the mid/late 90s is not the one I recognize today. I love Richmond, based on my handful of times hanging there. Great restaurants, cool bars, creative breweries, excellent museums, awesome outdoor space, cool people. It was the Confederate capital, and a mandatory destination for anyone even casually interested in the Civil War. But the changes places undergo and what’s remembered by different groups are central to this book. I know it will influence how I’ll perceive Richmond on my next visit.
Written as a witty and humorous travel book, but occasionally sad, Horwitz dove into subject matter rooted in Civil War legacy that continues to flavor how people perceive and behave today, often with little direct knowledge of the history influencing them. A great read.
Horwitz’s obituary from the Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tony-horwitz-pultizer-prize-winning-journalist-and-author-dies-at-60/2019/05/28/adc64b72-8157-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html?outputType=amp