Its funny, because this book came out in the late 90s (nearly 20 years ago now). A LOT has gone on with attitudes relating to the Civil War, the South in particular, and race relations.....
BUT, author Tony Horwitz deals with a lot of topics in his book that we are dealing with now, in 2017.
Horwitz seems to be diving head first into the Confederacy as he talks to people who still feel a link to it, nearly a century and a half after the Civil War. Many express that they are proud of their heritage, and have linked themselves to Confederate relatives through research.
Racial issues come up several times, from different sides. The author, who is Jewish, absorbs some cheep shots himself as he does his research. A heartbreaking incident goes down in a small Kentucky town that leaves one young man dead.
Colorful characters are all over the book, as Tony meets the last living Confederate widow. He goes to several reenactment events with an acquaintance named Robert Lee Hodge who takes his mimicking of the Civil War lifestyle to the extreme. Hodge shows up a few times in the book, and becomes a main character.
"Confederates in the Attic" is simply an interesting read. I am not sure how to categorize this one, but I really enjoyed it.
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