Down Along with That Devil's Bones: A Reckoning with Monuments, Memory, and the Legacy of White Supremacy | 
so-soI really struggled with the rating of this book. On one side, O‘Neill provides a raw and comprehensive look at the Confederate monument debate, as portrayed in his exploration of the symbolism surrounding Nathan Bedford Forrest. If you do not know US history, Forrest plays a very dark part, the first leader of what later became the KKK and a Confederate general known not to show mercy. Not a nice guy. Period. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Librarybelle O‘Neill‘s several year examination and reporting on the monument topic leads to discussions of history and memory and racism and anti-racism, along with self reflection. It makes you uncomfortable, and that‘s the point. As he takes a step back and examines his own persona and feelings, you as the reader are compelled to do the same. Reading parts of this brought to mind the first time I read Tony Horowitz‘s Confederates in the Attic ⬇️⬇️⬇️ 3y
Librarybelle - feelings of shock and discomfort, not to mention twinges of fear. For a book to move the reader this much is such an important book. And yet, I struggled with his at times oversimplification of historical facts and sometimes misinterpretation of them. My background is in history, and I know a tad bit more about aspects of the Civil War Era than most. He didn‘t quite get everything right. For me, it took away from the impact ⬇️⬇️⬇️ 3y
Librarybelle which is a bit of a downer. I really wanted to love this and the topic is so timely and vital. If I didn‘t know the history, this would be a much higher rating for sure. I do recommend this; it will give you chills. 3y
See All 7 Comments
Hooked_on_books Great review! And I totally get the knowing more than the author about something thing. When they get it wrong, it‘s so frustrating, but you know people with less knowledge on the issue won‘t know that. And it always makes me wonder—what else are they getting wrong that I don‘t know about? 🤔 3y
Librarybelle @Hooked_on_books Thanks! That‘s exactly how I felt. 3y
TieDyeDude Sounds fascinating. So do you recommend it considering the flaws? I know a little about Confederate statues, and I'd like to learn more, but I don't want to be misinformed. 3y
Librarybelle @TieDyeDude I do recommend it - there is a lot of value to the book regarding the statue debate. I heard him speak twice about it, and it‘s fascinating! With my background in history, I caught his historical flaws, as he tried to piece the full history of the Civil War Era together with the present day debate. But, it is a worthy read. 3y
