If you had to cram Tony Horwitz’ writing into any category, I guess it’d be safe to call him a “travel writer.” Most of his books involve seem to involve a lot of time spent on the road doing research, and my all-time favorite book of his, “Confederates in the Attic”, is certainly no different. This epic work of journalism goes off in dozens of weird directions as the author explores a unique and curious cross-section of American society: the Civil War re-enactor.
In “Confederates”, Horwitz travels deep below the Mason-Dixon line, through the heart of the American South. Like many Americans, Horwitz shares a fascination with the only major war fought on US soil, and his writing explores how public interest in this conflict has grown over time. But as Horwitz quickly shows his readers, Civil War re-enactors are much more than stereotypical “weekend warriors,” middle-aged men on a mission to get away from their wives and children whilst secretly hoping their valiant actions might reverse the course of history. No, these living historians seem to come from all walks of life— and some of them even come from foreign countries!
Horwitz takes a close, often critical look at an ever-changing region. The South is full of contradictions, and a piece of land where 10,000 men might have died in a single day is now only marked by a single, lonely sign standing alongside the Hardee’s drive-thru. In his writing, Horwitz even examines the thought that our lack of historical understanding might be at least partly responsible for the rise of modern-day revisionists, those people who actively promote the myth that the slave-trading Confederacy represented some sort of idyllic way of life.
I especially enjoyed reading about how this ongoing conflict between historical facts and myths spills over most visibly whenever these re-enactors assemble. While the majority of participants might tend to be older (and heavier) men, those who choose to wear white orthopedic sneakers in lieu of battle-worn combat boots, there actually are a fair number of “hardcore” re-enactors who take pride in embracing the hardships of their ancestors. These men are known to sleep on the bare ground, charge barefoot into battle, or even go all weekend without eating in order to create a more historically accurate experience. Their attention to detail earns them the derisive nickname of “stitch Nazis” from the ever-present “Farby” re-enactors, those laid-back participants who won’t think twice about checking their text messages during a lull in the action. Even today, it’s clear that this battle is still raging…
I first stumbled across “Confederates in the Attic” many years ago, but the book was so enjoyable that I actually re-read it once more, cover to cover, while writing “Bleeding Marlborough,” a short tribute to both historical reenactors and my own hometown. And even though I’ve since moved on to working my way through the rest of Tony Horwitz’ bibliography, it’s kind of cool to see that a 20-year old book can still be so relevant today. You know… kind of like the Civil War still is?