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Confederates in the Attic meets The Year of Living Biblically?

My publisher, Hudson Street Press, is marketing Man of War as “Confederates in the Attic meets The Year of Living Biblically.” What are they about, you ask?

Confederates is Tony Horwitz‘ exploration of present day (it was written in 1998, so not so present day) attitudes toward the Civil War. In it, he spends some very memorable chapters with a hardcore reenactor named Robert Lee Hodge. Hodge even graces the cover.

Horwitz’ most recent book, Midnight Rising, is about the abolitionist, John Brown. Here’s a clip of him reading from that book:

In Biblically, Jacobs spends a year following the rules of the Bible. I haven’t read it, but it was wildly popular-and a really good idea.

Jacobs and I both like to immerse ourselves in our work, grow unsightly facial hair and name our books/chapters after movies. In fact, every chapter in Man of War is a play on a movie/TV/radio title. (Par example, chapters 1-3, are: “Sleepless in Stalingrad,” “The Way We Weren’t” and “I, Carolus.”) Name the historical era that corresponds to each and I’ll send you my beard clippings.

Here’s Jacobs talking about Biblically:

And another video in which he talks about his latest book, Drop Dead Healthy:

It’s nice to be compared to two best-selling authors, but frankly I’ve always looked up to this guy.