Tony Horwitz The Civil War - 1207 Words

During his childhood, Tony Horwitz became absolutely fascinated with the Civil War. He had books, and toys, and even a hand painted mural. Over the years, he grew up and his enthusiasm waned until, after returning to the US after being away for work, Horwitz and his wife were woken up one morning by gunfire. The gunfire was caused by civil war reenactors who were volunteering for a TV documentary on the Battle of Fredericksburg. Horwitz, having had been a massive civil war buff when he was little, went to talk to the reenactors. There he was introduced to two types of reenactors. One group were called Hardcores, these were the people who would go all out in their authenticity. As Horwitz stated, â€Å"They swore absolute fidelity to the 1860s† (7). They ate only food that the Civil War soldiers would have eaten such as hardtack and salt pork. They were all on very restrictive diets so that they could achieve the sunken-eyed look of underfed soldiers. They recreationally slept outside in the freezing cold merely for authenticities sake. A farb on the other hand was a hardcores exact opposite. Farb stood for â€Å"far-be-it-from-authentic (10). These were the people that took a far more theatrical (and cushiony) approach to reenacting. Farbs were the ones that took modern food and repackaged it into only slightly more authentic packaging. Farbs were also the people that would slaughter themselves in insect repellant, sunscreen, and, worst of all, fake blood (11). Robert Lee HodgeShow MoreRelatedConfederates in the Attic Essay1133 Words   |  5 PagesConfederates in the Attic As Tony Horwitz illustrates in Confederates in the Attic, the Civil War is far from over. Horwitz, determined to find the answers to this conflict, treks through the South, seeking to explain mans longtime obsession with a war that divided the nation. Talking to historians and Civil War reenactors of all kinds, he finds that people are still divided today when it comes to the war and present issues in society. He collects a vast amount of data, which provesRead MoreEssay on Confederates In The Attic1240 Words   |  5 PagesConfederates in the Attic As Tony Horwitz illustrates in Confederates in the Attic, the Civil War is far from over. Horwitz, determined to find the answers to this conflict, treks through the South, seeking to explain mans longtime obsession with a war that divided the nation. Talking to historians and Civil War reenactors of all kinds, he finds that people are still divided today when it comes to the war and present issues in society. He collects a vast amount of data, which provesRead MoreRemembering The Civil War Should Never Be Forgotten1231 Words   |  5 PagesSierra Kealy Professor Staaf History 2111 20 October 2015 Remembering the Civil War The Civil War will never be forgotten. 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