Synopses & Reviews
Confederates in the Attic meets The Year of Living Biblically in a funny and original memoir
In Arkansas, there is a full-scale Roman fort with catapults and ramparts. In Colorado, nearly a hundred men don Nazi uniforms to fight the battle of Stalingrad. On the St. Lawrence River, a group of dedicated history buffs row more slowly than they can walk—along with author Charlie Schroeder, who is sweating profusely and cursing the day he got a book deal.
Taking readers on a figurative trip through time and a literal journey across America, Man of War details an ordinary guy's attempt to relearn history by experiencing it. Embedding with his fellow countrymen, Charlie Schroeder jumps headlong into the idiosyncratic world of historical reenactment. From encounters with wildlife and frostbite to learning more than he ever expected about guns, ammo, and buttons, Schroeder takes readers to the front lines of bloodless battles in order to show exactly how much the past has to teach us all about our present (and explain why anyone would choose to wear wool in a heat wave).
Review
"
Man of War is an unexpected treat! I was enamored of Charlie Schroeder's travelogue through the subculture of reenactment and fascinated by his modern take on ancient warfare. (Who knew the proper buttons were so important?) They say war is Hell, yet this book is a heck of a lot of fun." —Jen Lancaster,
New York Times bestselling author of
Jeneration X, If You Were Here, and
Bitter is the New BlackReview
"A hilarious romp through 2,000 years of history, one forced march at a time."—J. Maarten Troost, author of
The Sex Lives of Cannibals Review
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} "Man of War is an unexpected treat! I was enamored of Charlie Schroeder's travelogue through the subculture of reenactment and fascinated by his modern take on ancient warfare. (Who knew the proper buttons were so important?) They say war is Hell, yet this book is a heck of a lot of fun." Jen Lancaster, NYT bestsellling author of Jeneration X
Review
"Man of War is an unexpected treat! I was enamored of Charlie Schroeder's travelogue through the subculture of reenactment and fascinated by his modern take on ancient warfare. (Who knew the proper buttons were so important?) They say war is Hell, yet this book is a heck of a lot of fun." —Jen Lancaster, bestsellling author of Jeneration X "Charlie Schroeder has produced a rollicking good ride in this compulsively scintillating book. From first page to last, it is an often surprising delight." —Jay Winik, bestselling author of April 1865 "A hilarious romp through 3000 years of history, one forced march at a time." —J. Maarten Troost, author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals "The wonderfully funny and humane Charlie Schroeder has served his country valiantly, and now we should all honor him by buying his book. The best way to spread the word? A period-authentic confetti cannon." —Henry Alford, author of Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? "An entertaining read. The companionable authors gimlet eye rarely misses the absurd or touching incidents he encountered during his explorations." —Kirkus Reviews "An offbeat, occasionally insightful and funny memoir" —The Wall Street Journal
Synopsis
“A rollicking good ride.” —Jay Winik, bestselling author of
April 1865 It’s the middle of a heat wave, and Charlie Schroeder is dressed in heavy clothing and struggling to row a replica eighteenth-century bateau down the St. Lawrence River. Why? Months earlier, Schroeder realized he knew almost nothing about history. But he wanted to learn, so the actor—best known for his role as Mr. Pussy on Sex and the City—spent a year reenacting it.
Man of War is Schroeder’s hilarious account of the time he spent chasing Celts in Arkansas, raiding a Viet Cong village in Virginia, and flirting with frostbite en route to “Stalingrad” in Colorado. Along the way, he illuminates just how much the past can teach us about the present.
About the Author
CHARLIE SCHROEDER is a writer, public radio producer, and actor. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Reader's Digest, and Los Angeles Times as well as in Best American Sports Writing 2006. Radio stories he has produced have been featured on NPR, including Weekend America, Only a Game, On the Media, and Soundcheck. He lives in Los Angeles, California. Visit charlieschroeder.com.