"Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the..." Topic

…Unfinished Civil War

Of possible interest?

"For all who remain intrigued by the legacy of the Civil War – reenactors, battlefield visitors, Confederate descendants and other Southerners, history fans, students of current racial conflicts, and more – this ten-state adventure is part travelogue, part social commentary and always good-humored."
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Amicalement
Armand

This was first published in 1999 and gained quite a bit of attention then. It is funny, but not terribly accurate when describing the reenactment hobby, concentrating on the extreme eccentrics who populate almost any hobby.

I've read "Confederates in the Attic" twice. I actually enjoyed the part of the book that dealt with the journey that the author took with diehard Confederate reenactor Robert Lee Hodge. (Hodge described their trip as "The Civil Wargasm.")

For those who aren't familiar with the book, the author and Hodge visited sites and battlefields and did things like sleep on the ground at Antietam. For me, it's hard to imagine going on an immersive trip like that without a guide who is totally dedicated and knowledgeable. Hodge might be an example of eccentric reenactors, but I thought he was a pretty likeable guy.

To be truthful, my Dad tried to read "Confederates in the Attic'; he didn't enjoy reading about the reenactors himself.

Without getting political, the author respectfully deals with issues that have become more controversial in our time.

My wife liked "Confederates" so much that she sought out other books that Tony Horwitz has written.

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and enjoyed meeting Robert Hodge when the opportunity rose a few years later.

It's a great book. I'm FB friends with Rob. He's a very cool guy.