A review by jcpdiesel21
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

3.0

Okay, but a bit drier than anticipated; certain expectations tend to be formed with a back cover blurb announcing that the material is "hilariously funny." Horwitz provides interesting insight into how the Civil War and its repercussions continue to affect us as a society through his experiences within ten Southern states, and I had to keep reminding myself that this book was published nearly 20 years ago as these issues are just as prevalent if not more so today. I was struck in particular by the complicated tale of Michael Westerman in Kentucky as well as the various attitudes and practices associated with educating today's youth about the Civil War within Alabama's schools. Horwitz's account of his time spent with reenactor buff Robert Lee Hodge mostly fell flat and did not provide the intended humor for me, but I liked discovering the vital work that reenactors do in bringing history to life for regular folk. I wish that the book had come to more of a summation on its topic instead of being presented as a scattered collection of thoughts and encounters, which would have made it more satisfying as a whole.