Rating: 
Summary: Treading a fine line between three stars and a fourth.....
Review: Having read and enjoyed two other Horwitz efforts, Blue Latitudes and Baghdad Without a Map, and being a huge Civil War buff I eagerly opened Confederates in the Attic and began to read. Horwitz, indulging a childhood reverence for the conflict, sets off across the South to visit battlefields, museums, tourist traps, and modern-day Confederates in a quest to delve the secrets of Civil War staying power. As usual, Horwitz displays a deft touch in locating and describing quirky characters with which to enhance his narrative, but, somehow, the admirable objectivity displayed in his other books begins to wane. Perhaps, Horwitz is emotionally closer to his subject matter this time as Confederates in the Attic ultimately becomes a treatise on race relations. Wholly ignoring the explicit Northern objective of maintaining the integrity of the Union as the primary cause for war, Horwitz gradually soft-peddles a left-wing orthodoxy that, while not effectively detracting from the sum total of his work, fails to enhance it. Lincoln, president and Commander-in-Chief, and, thus, final arbiter of Union intent, did not emancipate the slaves until the second year of the war and, then, calculatingly omitted the border states so as not to push them into the Confederacy. Indeed, emancipation was the means to an end; the end being the death of secession. Horwitz seems to have forgotten this and instead must labor under the misperception that Union leaders and soldiers queued up for battle to free the slaves cheered on by a mass of altruistic civilians - a noble, if incorrect view. With this convenient misinterpretation in tow, he turns a corner in an otherwise delightful and informative travel romp and ends up providing more of himself than required. Still, his attempt to remain objective is palpable and, thus, admirable in itself and, indeed, there's plenty more to this book than his subtle ideological leanings, but much comes off as condescending and his selective presentation convenient. A militant black teacher indoctrinating her students to hate in Montgomery merits no comment from Horwitz, but a white homeschooling mother who correctly observes that the Civil War wasn't entirely about slavery earns a subtle dig. Think what you want about homeschoolers, but impartiality this most assuredly isn't. Though racism still rears its ugly head in the South, it certainly isn't a regional phenomenon and the discerning reader may wonder why Horwitz has decided to make it such an issue - indeed, the curtain call of this book. Bibliophiles must learn to look past the personal politics of the authors they read, but when those authors incorporate their views into the books that they write, they then become fair game to ponder. Having read three books by Horwitz, I like the man as an author, but I consider Blue Latitudes, his most recent effort, a much better book for the artful detachment he so successfully displays. I would have preferred Confederates in the Attic had it stayed on course, however it earns four stars from me as a worthy read and because I cannot award three and one-half.
Rating: 
Summary: Very informative and very amusing...
Review: Millions of words have been written about the Civil War, but Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Tony Horwitz, provides some refreshing insights in Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. Traveling through ten different states, Horwitz sets out to answer several ageold questions about The Civil War (or The Late Great Unpleasantness or The War of Northern Aggression-depending on which side you're on). But first and foremost, why can't Southerners put the Civil War behind them? Why do so many of them insist on living in the past? Each chapter is written from a different state and they are informative, disturbing, poignant, and often downright hysterical. Just the chapter names are amusing including "At the Foote of the Master" (about expert Shelby Foote), "Gone With the Window" (about Atlanta's continuing obsession with Gone With the Wind), and "The Oldest Confederate Widow Tells Some." Horwitz traipses through battlefields, camps with re-enactors, seeks out little-known stories, and checks out dusty museums and personal collections. He also talks with dozens of people (both Civil War experts and simple folk) about such topics as slavery, The Daughters of the Confederacy, the Confederate flag controversy, Civil Rights, prisoner of war camps, The Ku Klux Klan, and various Civil War luminaries. The most enjoyable parts of the book involve Horwitz tagging along with some hardcore re-enactors. His romantic vision of a cozy re-enactment weekend (complete with camp fire, hardy stew and good camaraderie) is quickly burst when he's made to remove or discard almost everything he has including his clothes, eyeglasses and food (they're not vintage 1860's). Also, Confederate re-enactors tend to constantly starve themselves to obtain the appearance of emaciated Southern soldiers. Some hardcores even go so far as to soak uniform buttons in urine to achieve the correct "patina." This sounds more like work than fun. Horwitz definitely provides us with some new material, interesting observations, and refreshing insights. In fact, I enjoyed it enough after reading it that I purchased the unabridged book on tape so that my husband and I could listen to it while traveling. I can't think of too many nonfiction books that I've enjoyed more!
Rating:
Summary: Hardcore, totally un-farbed
Review: Tony Horwitz's masterpiece Confederates in the Attic explores the south's -- and his own -- fascination with the Civil War. We're not sure he provides an answer to why the Civil War intrigues so many Americans even today, but maybe those questions are unanswerable. But he comes close. Horwitz travels throughout the south, and through in-depth interviews discovers the multiple motivations that drive this passion. Our favorite parts include the cover of Robert Hodge, the cat-loving Civil War aficionado Sue Curtis, and Melly, the Scarlet O'Hara impersonator who is extremely popular in Japan. One of the book's best features it its subplot, which illustrates the racial conflicts that persist in the south and whether Civil War remembrances can be isolated from those conflicts. As Horwitz says, "[I]s it possible to honor one heritage without upholding the other?" Unfortunately, Horwitz drops this interesting line of questioning by the conclusion, leaving students of history and memory to decide for themselves. Despite this shortcoming, this book is SUPERHARDCORE.
Rating: 
Summary: Great reporting, but poor reflection.
Review: Confederates in the Attic is a fun read. Tony Horwitz takes his reader on a fascinating and comical exploration of Civil War sights in ten Southern states. The wide variety of people Horwitz meets and speaks with makes it perfectly clear what a dominant factor the Civil War still is in the Southern mindset. While I really enjoyed the book, I was a little disappointed that Horwitz spent so little time reflecting on the meaning of, and the reason for some peoples' inability to let go of the Civil War. I loved the chapters about the hardcore reenactors, but I was always left wondering why these men did it. What could possibly be so appealing about barefoot marches, eating rancid bacon, and spooning for warmth through a frigid night? Why do these men so desperately yearn for the time travel of a "period rush"? Horwitz does a first-rate job of reporting what is out there, but unfortunately fails to do much analysis.
Rating:
Summary: A Civil Wargasm that doesn't farb out
Review: It's hard to know what to say about Tony Horwitz's Confederates in the Attic. This is a strange book, by turns humorous and serious, in which Horwitz recounts his efforts to come to grips with the American preoccupation with its Civil War. He admits his own strange fascination - and with the Confederacy at that - especially peculiar for the Yankee grandson of a Russian Jewish immigrant. He starts his journey through a chance meeting with some reenactors who introduce him to this increasingly popular subculture, with its own set of standards regarding historical authenticity. This prompts him to travel throughout the south, visiting sites of significance for the Civil War and interviewing residents to see how the war survives in current opinion and tradition. Some of these interviews are with those who see the tragedy in the war and some are with the Klan types who see the war continuing in the expanded power of the Federal government and the social changes brought about by minorities. The words of our fellow Americans cast an interesting light on the continuing conflicts that seem to be the legacy of the Civil War - or The War of Northern Aggression - depending on the speaker. One late section of the book, the great Civil Wargasm - a beat type road tour where Horwitz and a reenactor friend try to visit every significant Civil War site (even if only for a few minutes) during a marathon few days of driving - is both funny and creepy. Quite an experience. I have already given my copy away to a brother whom I believe will enjoy it as much as I did. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War or the ongoing conflicts it failed to resolve. An original, entertaining and fascinating book.
Rating:
Summary: Great storyteller, compelling subject, wonderful book
Review: Although I don't know more than the average person about the Civil War, I've always had a sneaking suspicion that it is still with us somehow. Tony Horwitz's "Confederates in the Attic" confirmed that suspicion and in a most amusing, touching, and balanced way. A War reenactor friend recommended I read the book. We were talking about the modern-day states rights concerns and he said that the debate had its origins at Fort Sumter. So, I picked up the book thinking it would simply be a survey of what I now know is called neo-Confederate thought. But I was more than a little bit thrilled to find that it was not just a sociological study, but also a travelogue-probably my favorite kind of book. After returning to the States from an extended time abroad, Horwitz's childhood interest in the Civil War-and especially Rebels-was rekindled after a band of hardcore reenactors showed up in his yard on their way to a battlefield. Soon he began to tour the South visiting relevant War sites and interviewing the Confederate descendants that kept that cause's heritage alive. Horwitz's has an amazing gift for storytelling and it shines through in this book. He has an uncanny ability to come across mundanely interesting characters in his travels and to write their stories with an original verve. The book is also balanced. Although he is a Yankee, Horwitz's affinity for the Rebels is evident. But he checks that affinity with a good dose of history and reality. He conveys the notion that the South's resentment of the North is not wholly unjustified, but actually often well placed. At the same time, though, he illustrates the willful naivete that makes Gods of Confederate generals and that forgets the Old South's uglier sides. Horwitz manages to do all this while highlighting not just the tragic, but also the fun and curious stories of the Civil War and its remnants today. Every American should strive to learn a bit more about the War, and this is a great place to start. It's a fun, touching read that demonstrates why that chapter in our history is still important-and indeed still with us-today.
Rating:
Summary: Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished
Review: Horwitz provides the reader with much to consider in terms of culture, history and memory. As a person who has lived in Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia I see the painfilled truth of his observations on race, ethnicity and culture. The issues of the Civil War do indeed linger and Horwitz does well in his treatment of them. A fairly easy read but one which requires adequate digestion, especially so for Southerners such as myself. Well done.
Rating:
Summary: Well written, great premise
Review: This was the second Tony Horwitz book I read (after Blue Lat) and wasn't sure I'd like the subject matter until I started in. I've never really been interested in the Civil War except for the PBS series, and I guess that's where Mr. Horwitz got me, because he was able to pique my interest and write a good book about the south and the civil war and race relations. I lived in far-south Alabama when I was in the Army and even used to drive through a couple of the towns that he visited and he describes the area perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: Wonderful tales of life down south. The book captures a southern mentality that refuses to die about "The North vs. The South." On many occasions I found myself thinking "I can't believe there's people like this out there." The strength of the book is with the random people he meets in coffee shops, museums, roadside attractions and his ability to get them to talk. The few chapters on bigger issues (i.e. murder of the young man in the truck) were a little too macro for what I thought the book was about. But that's just my personal taste. I'd rather have read 100 stories of Joe Schmoe, than bigger political, economical, etc. type issues. Nonetheless, the book is smooth reading and I do feel like I've learned something new. I thought this type of mentality was in the backwoods of swamps, but apparently it's more prominent than most think. More importantly, I now understand this event in history is a part of these people's lives (heritage) and we can't ask them to ignore it. I wasn't too heavy into reading about the Civil War, but since reading this book, I will be revisiting the subject and read about some specific battles. Excellent work.
Rating:
Summary: Must read!
Review: Wonderful book! It is shocking that such fringes of culture exist in this country, and that so many people have turned an innocent hobby of a historical event into a full-time obsession, especially considering the obviously disparate views of historical events. Family and local pride are taken to the extreme. It makes me think that these extremists lack self-confidence and are trying to make themselves feel larger than life by long-dead ancestors who weren't necessarily all that wonderful. The Cats of the Confederacy is hilarious...talk about taking things too far! I also don't think the last Confederate Widow should "count" because she wasn't even alive during the war! It was comforting to read the sections about the high school students being ignorant about the Civil War after reading about these fringe people throughout the book, although the part about the Civil War children (can anyone say Hilter Youth?) was incredibly disturbing. Maybe it's about time that part of the US realized that the war is over and to get on with their lives and learn to take pride in themselves for themselves, not just for ancestors they never even met. Great writing, great book, Tony! Everyone in our book club loved it, and it's our favorite to date!
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