Tony Horwitz takes a journey through the South to find out why people are still obsessed with the Civil War. During his adventure he met a wide variety of people and he learned that everyone has their own opinion about the war and remembers it in their own way. The Civil War was fought by Americans, on each side, and they should all remember it the same way, but as Horwitz discovered during his quest, they are radically different and still very controversial. Horwitz described various coincidences that show beyond doubt that race plays a role in how the Civil War is remembered. The first stop on Horwitz's trip was to Salisbury, North Carolina. Here he met Sue and Ed Curtis who introduced him to the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. These two groups were made up of people from different backgrounds: doctor, factory worker, gunsmith, etc. The only thing these people had in common was their ancestry; they all had blood ties to someone who fought in the Civil War. Their ancestors fought in war to preserve their honor and they were fighting for what they believed in, which was state sovereignty. Horwitz was invited to attend a reunion of the Sons of Confederate Veterans to celebrate the birthdays of Lee and Jackson. The main event of the meeting was a Lee-Jackson quiz. Although this is an engaging game where one can learn facts about these two remarkable men from the Civil War, it is just a game. It has no relevance to remembering the civil war as it really was. Members remember some Confederate men from the war, not the entire war. At this meeting, Horwitz met several different men and asked them questions. Horwitz went to the gun store owner to get paper... pipes to sacrifice to defend what they believed in, whether it was right or wrong. Hodge also admits to Horwitz that reenactment was a way for him to escape the 20th century and all the complications that life brings (H-209-281). Horwitz does not believe that racism was a pervasive feature in the various ways in which the Civil War took place. it is remembered, but he recognizes that it plays a very crucial role in the memory of the Civil War. He meets several different people (Connor, Wells, and Hodge) who show great respect and recognize the importance of the war. In his work, Horwtiz shows that certain individuals and activities are more racist than others. These activities are usually carried out by people who do not know the real reason for the civil war. These unfortunate people show great stupidity and thoughtlessness in their actions...