John Brown's Raid

by U.S. Government

Book on John Brown's raid

Genres: History

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Matt Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I set out to read this on the anniversary of the commencement of the raid, as it began 163 years ago today.

For what this is, it is immensely valuable. It is a fairly straightforward account of the Harpers Ferry Raid compiled by the National Park Service. The pictures are a nice addition, and the information included is ample enough to spur further reading. There is a pretty decent reading list in the back, but it is missing some noteworthy books to read if you want to get a fuller picture of John Brown and Harpers Ferry.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent little book put together by the National Park Service and the Harper's Ferry National Historic Park. Most of it focuses on the raid itself and gives a granular run-down of how it went down. The book maintains this detached attempt at objectivity which is fine, I suppose, but there isn't really a thesis to it or an exploration of the moral legacy of John Brown's battle against slavery. Still, there are a lot of details, especially about Brown's comrades, that are really fascinating. It's very inspiring to read about these morally steadfast revolutionaries who were willing to kill and die to rebel against evil, even if their plan was sure to fail. There's a great quotation from John Brown in this, written the day he was hanged: "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with Blood. I had as I now think vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done."

[Scott Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, but very informative