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"When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does."
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (Vintage Dep
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Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (Vintage Dep
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1 journaler for this copy...
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It's how he opens the book and I don't think it could be more true. Between his encounters with those passionate about the issue and the huge interest in the Civil War, I don't think anything has surpassed it even 150+ years later. It's still fresh and while it might be more 'alive' in the South, there is still a large interest here in the north. In Gettysburg, this was reinforced when one of the guides referred to "Serious Season" as the Fall when the historians returned and the large family groups left. "Like many returning expatriates, I found my native country new and strange" While I didn't resurrect a childhood interest in the civil war, I think this applied to my own return to the US as well. There was so much I wanted to learn more about, yet it was all *just* out of reach. "The South is a place. East, west and north are nothing but directions" - Letter to the Editor ... "Poke a pin in a map of the South and you're likely to prod loose some battle or skirmish or other tuft of Civil War history" This was an issue brought up by several guides when talking about the issues and circumstances surrounding Gettysburg. Until that point, no battles had been fought in the north and it has been said that northerners were somewhat aloof to the war. It has been said that Lee had hoped for a quick win and a march on DC, which would have ended the war. I think this concentration of sites in the south is part of what keeps the war alive for so many southerners. It would be interesting to compare school classes of the same age in the north and south and see how CW knowledge ranges. At one point, the author is listening to a rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and comparing its meaning to Dixie. There's something about hearing it live, and in the midst of a study on the Civil War, that brings both to life. I'm not certain I've ever heard Dixie but it comes up in Horwitz' book like "Khe Sanh" comes up in Brian Thacker's-almost an anthem to the trip. "Charleston--Tourist Industry Chatleston--preferred to forget the War altogether" This was probably what surprised me the most since if I think South Carolina and the Civil War, it's Charleston that comes to mind. Had I not done the trip in 1996 and the recent trip to Gettysburg, I think CW alone might bring up thoughts of Charleston. Hair.Bits of wood. Blood-stained clothing. The kindergarten was beginning to feel less like a museum than a saints' reliquary Rather than anything CW related, this brought to mind Hiroshima and the Peace Museum. It's done in a tasteful manner but you can't help but think of the poor children who'd been drafted into service or who were at school when the bomb hit and all that's left are hair, nails or a shadow. His discussion about the falseness of history in the context of Shiloh is an interesting one. While most would hope that the accounts passed on to future generations are accurate, it's impossible to ignore that they're most often told the loudest by the victors. A similar truth is in place in Gettysburg, where it was first decreed that only union soldiers were to be buried while many Confederate soldiers' bodies were sent south, unknown. It's sad, but it's something we can't judge today. It's the same issue as was discussed on the Battlefield tour where the guide mentioned people's fears that the large statues were glorifying the Confederacy. They're telling history, and history is comprised of both sides, or it should be. Later in his discussion on Shiloh, he mentioned how it was within the grasp of pilgrims, but not so much the accidental tourist. This is an odd contrast to Gettysburg, which is similarly not on the way to many places, but draws in excess of 1.5 million people. Manassas was one of the first chapters that really hit home for me and I instantly remembered the line (and the statue!) "there is Jackson standing like a stone wall!" It was a hot August day when Dad, Mom, Jordan and I traipsed around Manassas, but I don't think I'll ever forget that line. I also remember being confused by the double names Bull Run/Manassas, Antietam/Sharpsburg...It's confusing but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. On an amusing note-Japanese tourists and Gone with the Wind. Will never top the day a student told me that his favourite movie was "Gone through the window" I haven't finished this book, and I probably won't. It's PC. What I liked was the mix of history and travelog that made it eminently more readable than other books written mainly for historians. I'm glad I read it when I did. Aother good review. |
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