Books › Confederates In The Attic
Confederates In The Attic
Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War
First published 1999 · 559 pages
A wry, road-tripping exploration of America's unresolved history, blending eccentric encounters with sobering cultural reflections.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like riding shotgun on a bizarre, deeply revealing road trip through the American South. The pace is steady, matching the rhythm of a traveler pulling over for historical markers and striking up conversations in local diners. Horwitz balances a wry, self-deprecating tone with genuine journalistic curiosity, creating an atmosphere that is simultaneously absurd and unsettling. You are immersed in a mood of lingering ghosts and stubborn myths, where the past feels uncomfortably present. The prose is sharp, conversational, and highly observant, effortlessly weaving historical facts with vivid character studies of hardcore reenactors and neo-Confederates. It is a perfect read for those who love immersive, slightly eccentric travelogues that peel back the layers of American identity to reveal the messy, unresolved heart of the nation's history.
- Mood
- reflective
- unsettling
- nostalgic
- surreal
- Tone
- wry
- inquisitive
- empathetic
- journalistic
- absurd
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- historical memory · the persistence of the past · regional identity · obsession and subculture · mythmaking
- The writing
- Engaging, observant, and conversational, blending sharp reportage with self-deprecating humor.
- The arc
- Moves from lighthearted curiosity about eccentric hobbyists to a sobering realization of deep-seated cultural divides.
- Who it's for
- Readers fascinated by American subcultures, history buffs, and fans of immersive, character-driven travelogues.
Content notes
- racism
- racial slurs
- discussions of slavery
- Ku Klux Klan mentions
About the book
Propelled by his boyhood passion for the Civil War, Horwitz embarks on a search for places and people still held in thrall by America's greatest conflict. The result is an adventure into the soul of the unvanquished South, where the ghosts of the Lost Cause are resurrected through ritual and remembrance. He joins "hardcore" reenactors; witnesses Klan rallies and calls for race war; finds that Andersonville Prison's commander, executed as a war criminal, is now exalted as a martyr and hero; and takes a marathon trek from Antietam to Gettysburg to Appomattox in the company of an eccentric pilgrim. Written with Horwitz's signature blend of humor, history, and hard-nosed journalism, this book brings alive old battlefields and new ones —classrooms, courts, country bars— where the past and the present collide, often in explosive ways.
Description from Open Library.
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