Tim Moore (Vintage)
From getting beaten up by angry Rome-hating Gauls to firing cannons at Yankee soldiers in a Texan forest, Tim Moore sure has lively stories to tell from his adventures in the world of historical re-enactment.
Inspired to find out just how tough life was in times past, Moore joins various ‘retromaniacs’.
These folk yearn for the authenticity (and violence) of pre-21st century life, and like nothing better than dressing in period costume – from the Iron Age to the US Civil War – eating brambles, recreating battles, talking in ye olde tongue or guiding an ox wagon.
Moore’s discomfort at the privations of yesteryear, and the passionate way the more seasoned re-enactors get into period character, make for a lively and amusing read.
It’s disappointing not to find a deeper look at the social and historical context of what life was like as a Roman legionary, for example, but as a chronicle of one man’s adventures in re-enactment this makes an interesting, entertaining read.
DANIEL LANDON
