Rating: 
Summary: Mean-spirited,petty,vindictive.Did I mention boring wannabe?
Review: This disappointing,superficial puffpiece began as a short print article in the WSJ on a tiny group of college-age Civil War buff reenactors hurling themselves into passionately eccentric research on the minutiae of the 1860s(jeans weaving, button soldering, shoe stitching, pipes and pocketwatches)in their last undergrad days before taking up the yuppie yoke at some Big Eight accountancy. Horwitz tries and fails in turn at the voices of both Dave Barry and Bill Bryson;after which the book takes a dark, mean-spirited dive from which Horwitz never surfaces again. I met Horwitz while he was researching this effort; he was a pleasant enough tablemate, though my old-fashioned code of ethics precludes drinking with hobbyists young enough, private enough and innocent enough to embrace you as their 'friend', then making them look foolish in next week's morning edition. Horwitz's hackneyed premise of superior, condescending urbanite alarm is a weary steal from the London tabloids of the early 80s, when twentysomething reporters were daily despatched from London by their editors to the wilderness hinterlands,from which to report with smug bemusement on the laughable daily struggles for survival of the hardscrabble working class of smalltown coal miners, North Sea fishermen and rural ambulance drivers, homecare nurses and other non-U sub-humans. In Britain this spiteful, antisocial genre died almost overnight from mass backlash ;that Mr. Horwitz can cynically cash in on the same formula here in the U.S. in 1998 says worlds about his agent's, his editor's, or his own all too accurate low estimate of the American semiliterati. Horwitz has unwittingly written three books in this one thin volume, none of them well: one a simpleminded padding of a short newspaper piece on undergrad history buffs' weekends into several, hm, undemanding chapters; the second a series of shabby, elementary-school betrayals of confidence of same in which Horwitz lets his newfound college-age prey befriend him, shelter him, drink with ! him, then holds their latenight pizza-joint confidences to national ridicule in print; and lastly, and here's what takes Horwitz from the merely puerile to the really repulsive, Horwitz pretends to be not some mere humorless humorist, but an intrepid investigative undercover reporter (as Jon Lovitz on SNL would say, "Yeah, that's it") revealing somehow a Deeper Conspiracy, a simmering Rebellion, grab your gasmasks and find a fallout shelter,Mama--Tony says they's a Klansman in every bush, a Militia killer in every English major handsewing his cadet grey uniform buttonholes, a James Earl Ray in every smalltown community college amer.history prof prepping for next semester's Gettysburg project. Says they's a Dark Side to the South, and somethin's Gotta Be Done before Millions Die Anew in Fratricidal Nuclear Musket Holocausts Because We Haven't Learnt the Lessons of the Wo-ah. The last is a clumsy career move unworthy of a WSJ reporter. Maybe it's a misprint. Repeated endlessly. And he just didn't catch it. In all those galley proofs(Jon Lovitz:" Yeah, that's it. And my wife, Morgan Fairchild--yeeaahhh") What's more amazing still is, as the turn of the century pedlar in the Bowery said after the stray draft-horse crapped in his open wooden barrel of milk-by-the-quart, "What the hell cares what happent. It still SELLS!"
Rating: 
Summary: Right up there with Cold Mountain for the best of the year
Review: Though it seems a shame the author seemed to feel he had to insert politically correct references into the mix, Confederates in the Attic is nevertheless one of the most readable books of the year. It ebbs and flows with wondrous characterizations and a sense of place not often found. When he plumbs the heart of Southern pride, it is a moving experience. A darn good read for those who take their history seriously, but don't mind having it laced with refreshing humor.
Rating:
Summary: Memory and history in conflict in the South.
Review: As a western Kentucky native teaching American history at a prep school in Indiana, my dicussions of the Civil War used to confuse my students completely. "We won at First Manassas," I'd say, and my students would demand "Which side is 'WE'?" Tony Horwitz explores the "ghost marks" of the Civil War in a most humane but insightful way. He shows rare sympathy for all the odd foks he encounters, and readers will be amazed at his tolerance for his "Wargasm" guide, Robert Lee Hodge. Rob sounds like a fascinating fellow, but I could not stomach a mid-summer tour of Virginia battlefields with someone who does not bathe, does not launder his clothes, and grooms his beard with bacon grease. An excellent read that I've already recommended to many colleagues.
Rating: 
Summary: Racists and wackos
Review: Ever the journalist, Horowitz takes us from extreme to extreme in his book Confederates in the Attic. The concept was great, but the execution misses the mark. The book focuses on racists and eccentric (to put it mildly) Civil War re-enactors. The book is disappointing in that it does little to tell a balanced story of the war's lasting legacy in the American South. Horowitz's enthusiasm for the subject did show through, which makes the book readable, but his last chapter effort at putting some perspective on the loose ends that fill the book was too little too late.
Rating: 
Summary: The most interesting book I have read this year.
Review: Right away CITA drew me into the story in ways that I enjoy when reading a book. It was poignant, hilarious, readable and understandable. A very small, and apparently to everyone else unnoticable, error occured from time to time. We in the Heart of Dixie are ALABAMIANS. Should I even be so bold as to point that out? I just had to. But I would buy and read it again.
Rating:
Summary: The Lost Cause in the 1990`s.
Review: Can you believe that I am a brazilian living in Brazil that has become a self-made self-taught Civil War buff ? True. Have visited most of the key battlefields, read dozens of books, and seen tons of documentaries in video. But this book, toppled it all. I just could not stop reading it. Tom Horwitz puts just the right mix of history and its shadows on present days. The "Wargasm" matches exactly my 1997 trip, but with a clear and vivid description of a re-enactor's experience. It made me wish to do it,in a Confederate uniform. One of those books you will never forget. I am going to read it again sometime in the future. It will replay the fun. Thanks,Tom.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Read, dark undertones.
Review: After recently reading Confederates, I found myself between 2 strong emotions. One being the amazement of how well the story flowed from one point to another and the other being the feeling of a connection with other reenactors. Yes, I am a CW Reenactor in the East. I have had the pleasure of knowing about the Southern Guard and have even heard of Rob Hodge before. Some of the stories in the book are right in with what I have been fortunate enough to experience in this hobby, but some seem to be Mr.s Horwitz's interpretation and slanted on Mr. Hodge's impression. Don't take everything you read as fact about the hobby. Another point that seems to be a underlying tone through out the book is the reliance on racism to drive most of the story. Mr. Horwitz tries to tie most stories together with some angle regarding slavery or the Civil Rights movements of the '60s or with racism of today. Granted there are those on the fringe of society that seem to garner some sort of pleasure from making others feel bad about themselves or by by trying to elevate themselves above others. This is on both sides of the problem and is not just part of the Southern Culture, but part of the larger American Culture. As to the book, I found it a good read and saw that there were good points and stories, but I can not recommend the book due to what I feel is a bias against people who live in the South who choose to live differently and choose to take the time to remember and honor their ancestors.
Rating:
Summary: Just average.
Review: What a disappointment. This book was a somewhat interesting read, as I'm both intrigued by the South and a Civil War buff. However, Horwitz's "I'm above it all" tone is unpleasant; his seeming expectation that every Civil War battlefield should remain a pristine, undeveloped sanctuary is unrealistic; his endless criticism of the minute is at first boring, then annoying. (As a native Southern Californian, you'll forgive me for not being shocked that there are mini-malls in the South.) I am sorry that I wasted my money buying a copy of this book, as I will not be picking it up again in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Non-fiction Book of the Year
Review: Rarely do books about the Civil War examine the legacy of the conflict beyond Reconstruction; indeed, as Horwitz points out, few Civil War enthusiasts of the nineteen-nineties care to examine the causes of the war or its meaning, dwelling instead on the "period rush" they get from re-enacting it, or on self-serving political interpretations devised to further fringe agendas. Horwitz is a wonderful writer: supremely companionable, ever on the lookout for the telling detail, and not afraid to feel real affection for the oddballs who populate this book. He is never condescending, and, believe me, there are plenty of opportunities for condescension here. This is simply one of the most hilarious and harrowing books you'll ever read about the mood of America in the nineties. Required reading.
Rating:
Summary: warning - Do not drink coffee whilst reading this book!
Review: I was astounded by a reviewer of this book only giving it 2 out of ten...... Then again, such is the diversity of readership. I couldn't stop laughing through much of this epic. And yet, there were many parts of the book where I was deeply moved and upset. Not as much as when reading direct accounts of the Civil War, but reading about some of the modern-day legacies and the human races' capacity to not learn from histoy's most important lessons. I read with increasing alarm about some instances where the Civil War was used to promote things that it should not (and enough said about those instances - Australia is not squeaky clean in this respect anymore - and hey, I don't live in the U.S.A, therefore shouldn't comment anyway). But scattered throughout the book is just about the most hilarious examples of the wonderful characters that are still around (but only if you can find them!!) Only once did I make the vast mistake of drinking whilst reading - and suffice to say, it weren't no purdy saght. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially to non-Americans (like us) who are planning a "Civil Wargasm" (but not quite to the same extent as the author and his cohorts). In a weird sort of way, I hope not as many people who are planning to "do" a Civil War trip will read this book, as we both want to visit some of these spots, and would not like to stand in line to talk to some of these wonderful eccentrics. But I guess we just have to take pot luck, as I have a feeling this book is going to do very well thank you very much! I would not recommend this book to hard-core historians (unless you have a passion for modern sociology as well as historical fact)or those amongst us who cannot understand nor appreciate a gentle go at the absurdities of life. And that's what appeals about this book - the juxtaposition of gentle whimisical humour with a frank account of some of the not so nice legacies of the Wo-ah. Like the Ken Burns doco, I was somewhat depressed at reaching the end the end of the book, without fully knowing why. But, like the Civil War tapes, this book is only an armlength away, and will survive a few readings yet..... Enjoy! As for me, I'm off to practice bloating in a ditch.....Super hard-core!!!
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