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Man of War: My Adventures in the World of Historical Reenactment Hardcover – May 24, 2012

by Charlie Schroeder (Author)

28 customer reviews

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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).

Man of War: My Adventures in the World of Historical Reenactment

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Editorial Reviews

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 Black

"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

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.

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Product details

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Hudson Street Press; First Edition edition (May 24, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594630917
ISBN-13: 978-1594630910
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 28 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,307,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #53455 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Memoirs
- #64859 in Books > History > Military

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Hit or Miss

ByWayne A. SmithVINE VOICEon July 18, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Kudos for Charlie Schroeder discovering his "inner history nerd" and igniting a desire within himself to learn about a past that he dismissed during his school years. The author's journey from ignorant to learning is impressive and speaks to the potential everyone has to discover new joys of learning whatever one's age.

Unfortunately, Schroeder is a very uneven writer. The good parts of the book are the author's immersions with various historical reenactor groups and the people he meets who portray everyone from Romans and Vikings to American soldiers from our wars up to and including the Vietnam era. He does the technical aspects of reenacting well and gives as good a view for an outsider of what it is like for a newbee (first time reenactor) to join in a weekend's worth of marching, camping and faux-fighting as he and his comrades imagine themselves at places as diverse as Stalingrad, a Roman Fort, Civil War battlefield and a US Vietnam era firebase.

The parts that felt forced or flat for me were the author's side remarks. He has a tendency to slip into sophmoric comments and for me these interfered with the flow of the book. Injecting humor and funny asides in "real-life" books can be done well and is by the likes of Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz. Schroeder's efforts seem more to be a reflexive jump back to his inner seventeen year old rather than the humor one finds from a mature wit.

There are many interesting parts of the book. His description of his weekend spent rowing as a bateaux-man with a crew reenacting a French and Indian War era barge movement and the physical toll that entails shows the breadth of difficulty of some reenacting experiences. It was amusing to read that the person who can be described as the American most focused on keeping alive the memory of the Polish Winged Hussars is the former bassist for W.A.S.P., the heavy metal band (though dressing up as winged-calvary is not too far a stretch perhaps for the regalia that attended 1980's and 1990's metal men). The author, who spent a year immersing himself with various groups, decided at the end to create his own reenactment and went on a twenty mile journey recreating a stretch of Father Junipero Serra's walk between Spanish missions. That does speak to a man who has been converted to a love of history and it was nice to read of his new commitment to learning from whence we came.

This book will be undoubtedly compared to Tony Horwitz's "Confederates in the Attic" as they plow much of the same ground, although Horwitz if memory serves me correctly didn't actually get on the ground and reenact in his coverage of the topic which dealt more with the memory of the Civil War in the South. Schroeder's book doesn't draw the conclusions or achieve an overarching theme as "Confederates in the Attic" did. Rather, it is a journal of his experiences. No fault there, I just wish he had a more mature style of writing.

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Farby Snark

BySullyon May 28, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This isn't a bad book. It's not exactly a good book, either. What it is, is available, one of the few books offering a reasonably objective look at the re-enacting hobby.

When he's chronicling his adventures re-enacting history, Schroeder delivers solid, if undistinguished, journalism. I picked up the book after visiting a Civil War re-enactment in California, curious as to what sort of adults would scamper around outdoors in costume playing with faux firearms. "Man of War" satisfied my curiosity.

Schroeder himself remains something of a cipher. Presumably, his narrative is intended as a picaresque journey of self-discovery for a young man ignorant of both his nation's history and a good deal of its contemporary culture. Yet all we really learn about the author is that he can't resist taking cheap shots at people whose politics don't align with conventional liberal canards.

These observations are rarely enlightening or amusing. Instead, they're oddly half-hearted, as though Schroeder feels a rote obligation to ridicule any segment of society that lies beyond his elite East Coast pale. Maybe he isn't very funny (or perhaps he's worried that the IRS will audit his taxes, and the FBI will intercept his e-mails).

Overall, "Man of War" is an entertaining and informative look at the world of re-enactors. Just be prepared to wince at Schroeder's frat-boy delivery, from time to time.

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Man of Recreated War

ByPennyon February 15, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Have you ever wondered just who the people who reenact battles form past wars are, and why they do their strenuous hobby? Here is the way to find out without actually trying it yourself. Some of the length re-enactors go to, such as building a fortress, purchasing and making completely period correct uniforms, and sleeping in tents on old battle grounds, are shown. As are the sometimes less than enthusiastic reactions of uninvolved neighbors in their areas. However, the only way to really understand what it was like for those long ago soldiers is to march in their boots, and this he tries to do with the help of the regular re-enactors.

Charlie Schroeder does tend to be a bit cynical condescending in some of his descriptions of events, even when he is the main character. It is fitting that when he sets up his own reenactment, that of a traveling padre of the Spanish Colonial era in the South West, the result is a farce. But, at least, he tried.

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Laurels for the Warrior Writer!

ByWilliam Bahron September 22, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A great book for reenactors and those who love them (or try to). Shows them what they're missing in not acting out in other wars. Informative and entertaining -- in fact, hilarious. Bought the book because a friend of mine, Al Potyen, is mentioned in the book on page 144 as a Revolutionary War weapons expert. In fact, Al is a bit like the author in that he's involved in reenacting a number of eras and that he's been on the screen several times, eg. standing tall in a Waterloo movie and getting killed in "The Last of the Mohicans." But, back to the book -- the author finds a way to make every page very interesting, whether it's a historical information gem, a psychological insight into reenactors, or just a ROFL joke. You'll not be disappointed. Very well written. Buy the book and enjoy!

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Reenactments

ByChristina Anglinon November 23, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book was mildly entertaining because my son had participated in a reenactment and I was curious. I had no idea there were people who reenacted all periods of history. Funny at times, but not enough to keep me interested.

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Five Stars

ByLaGrangeon August 29, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Very interesting and delightful read!

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An unfamiliar world

ByMiamigrrlon September 21, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The author enters a world few of us ever see: historical reenactment. Not only that, he avoids the "mainstream" reenactment such as Revolutionary or Civil Wars and goes to Vietnam War, Roman battles and siege of Stalingrad. He doesn't stand aside and laugh at the reenactors, he takes part and does his best to understand them. His sense of humor serves him and the reader well.