Lynda C. (Readnmachine) reviewed on 4/20/2018 + 1479 more book reviews

If Tony Horwitz' study of modern echoes of the Civil War fails to meet its goals, it's not for lack of trying. Horowitz spent more than a year traveling the modern South, talking to educators, historians, re-enactors, heritage groups, leaders in both black and white communities, and general good-ole-boys. But the book drags on without ever being able to point to one thing â or even several things â that would explain why so many Americans remain unable to let go of the heritage of the Civil War â or even precisely what that heritage is.

Battles over displays of the Confederate battle flag (the familiar âstars and barsâ), maintenance of public memorials, states' rights, and de facto segregation continue to fume in the American south, occasionally flaring into open conflagration. There's both right and wrong on all sides, and it may be that this is what keeps the book from coming to a definitive statement about the issues.

For all of that, it's an informative read. Horowitz clarifies many misunderstandings and outright falsehoods along the way and notes that neither Union nor Confederate supporters had a patent on mudslinging or exaggeration. Perhaps his very inability to take a stand on either side is what allows the reader to consider viewpoints in opposition to his or her own. And for that quality, if for no other, âConfederates in the Atticâ is worth a read.

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