IRB Media Summary of Tony Horwitz's Spying on the South

Annotation

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 Frederick's father, John, was a dry-goods merchant who had come from old Connecticut stock. He was convention-bound, but he had a deep sensitivity to the beauty of nature that influenced his son.#2 Frederick's father, John, had been raised with a superstitious faith in the value of preaching and didactic instruction. His father arranged for him to work as a clerk in a Manhattan importing house, but this didn't suit him. He found commerce stultifying, and instead spent his teenage years hiking in the mountains and sketching ideal towns.#3 John and Frederick were extremely close, and their father hoped that Fred would follow in his brother's footsteps and become a doctor. But Fred had a weak constitution, and he ended up studying chemistry, mineralogy, and architecture instead.#4 Fred was extremely fond of arguments, and he didn't care much for chitchat. He was also extremely fickle in his relationships, and he would constantly change his mind about who he liked.