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Firebrand
1848. The Bondi family is leaving for a better life in America. But 15-year-old August doesn't want to go. He's found his life's purpose in Vienna, fighting on the barricades against a tyrant king. But in America, August discovers a new cause after confronting the evil of slavery. Though he loves his life of freedom, the young firebrand ultimately heads to Bleeding Kansas and casts his lot with the notorious John Brown.
Audible Audio
First published October 6, 2015
About the author
Aaron Barnhart
10 books36 followersHi! I was a columnist for 15 years for the Kansas City Star, and then for four years with Primetimer, where I created The Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV.
With my wife Diane Eickhoff, our press Quindaro has published several books on hidden history, including the best-selling Bonded By Battle, the Junior Library Guild-selected Gunpowder Girls, and the Kansas Book Festival-honored The Big Divide: A Travel Guide to Historic and Civil War Sites in the Missouri-Kansas Border Region.
Diane and I live in Evanston, Illinois.
With my wife Diane Eickhoff, our press Quindaro has published several books on hidden history, including the best-selling Bonded By Battle, the Junior Library Guild-selected Gunpowder Girls, and the Kansas Book Festival-honored The Big Divide: A Travel Guide to Historic and Civil War Sites in the Missouri-Kansas Border Region.
Diane and I live in Evanston, Illinois.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 22, 2015
Here's an action-packed true story that will compete well for the attention of young readers. An additional bonus is that readers will be left with an enhanced knowledge of some mid-nineteenth century history.
Firebrand tells the story of August Bondi (1833-1907) who as a young man seems to have had a propensity for ending up in the middle of a war of some sort. As a 15 year old student he took part in the early street demonstrations that started the 1848 Austrian Empire Revolution. Before things climaxed into the Vienna Uprising his family managed to save him from a probable fatal conclusion by their timely moving to the United States. Then several years later as a homesteader in eastern Kansas he participated with some of John Brown’s pre-Civil War militant actions. Subsequently he left his wife and yet to be born daughter to serve three years in the Civil War fighting for the Union side in the Missouri and Arkansas regions. He was seriously injured in a battle but managed to survive and return home and live to be an old man with numerous children and grandchildren.
This is a work of historical fiction that closely follows the accounts of his autobiography and an earlier historical novel titled Border Hawk: August Bondi by Lloyd Alexander (Covenant Book 1958). Firebrand is intended for the Young Adult genre. The narrative covers Bondi’s action packed early years. His older years are briefly described in the Epilogue. Both Border Hawk and Firebrand are based on details and descriptions contained in a late 19th century autobiography written by August Bondi.
August Bondi was of Jewish ancestry, and his religious and ethnic orientation receives appropriate attention in this account of his life.
Here's a link to a review of the book that appeared in the Kansas City Star newspaper on November 22, 2015.
http://www.kansascity.com/entertainme...
Firebrand tells the story of August Bondi (1833-1907) who as a young man seems to have had a propensity for ending up in the middle of a war of some sort. As a 15 year old student he took part in the early street demonstrations that started the 1848 Austrian Empire Revolution. Before things climaxed into the Vienna Uprising his family managed to save him from a probable fatal conclusion by their timely moving to the United States. Then several years later as a homesteader in eastern Kansas he participated with some of John Brown’s pre-Civil War militant actions. Subsequently he left his wife and yet to be born daughter to serve three years in the Civil War fighting for the Union side in the Missouri and Arkansas regions. He was seriously injured in a battle but managed to survive and return home and live to be an old man with numerous children and grandchildren.
This is a work of historical fiction that closely follows the accounts of his autobiography and an earlier historical novel titled Border Hawk: August Bondi by Lloyd Alexander (Covenant Book 1958). Firebrand is intended for the Young Adult genre. The narrative covers Bondi’s action packed early years. His older years are briefly described in the Epilogue. Both Border Hawk and Firebrand are based on details and descriptions contained in a late 19th century autobiography written by August Bondi.
August Bondi was of Jewish ancestry, and his religious and ethnic orientation receives appropriate attention in this account of his life.
Here's a link to a review of the book that appeared in the Kansas City Star newspaper on November 22, 2015.
http://www.kansascity.com/entertainme...
December 29, 2015
Firebrand by Aaron Barnhart portrays a fictionalized story of anti-slavery activist August Bondi, starting in 1848 when his family moved from Vienna to America in hopes for a better life. August is reluctant but begins to look for any work that would hire an immigrant. As he continues to find better jobs away from his parents, August is told that “providence is throwing [him] a life vest. Take it. (26)” It is in America where August becomes an abolitionist. Set at a good pace and revealing a unique perspective, Barnhart does an excellent job bringing August’s story to life.
August was quite aware that America was “land of the free” which is why he did not understand the concept of slavery. During his first days in America, he noticed slaves were treated inhumanely, without any freedom. August has a new perspective over the issue of slavery in the 1800s than what is normally covered since he is an immigrant. Rising up with his own struggles as an immigrant, August has empathy for the slaves. Many of August’s hardships are written as well as the many different leaders August had while being an activist. When August realized his leaders were too violent or actually for slavery, he stood up for his beliefs and found work elsewhere, even though it caused more hardship. Barnhart characterized August as ambitious and level-headed which demonstrates how important those traits are when one goes through difficult challenges. The storyline was uniquely written with a different perspective that is inspiring.
At the time when August was an activist, many were not on his side to abolish slavery. August had strong faith when the odds were against him during his activism. Barnhart also enforces many morals of the Jewish religion. Such as when August left a group of abolitionists because the group he was with only wanted to be violent rather than find a solution. August believes that “there is a time of war and a time of peace.” He stood by his beliefs and did what he thought best. Barnhart covered Augusts beliefs in a way that was very inspiring and uplifting since August always followed through with what he truly believed. Firebrand truly encompasses what it means to stand up for one’s beliefs, even from a real historical figure’s story.
Barnhart’s keen portrayal of August’s activism created a captivating pace and an inspiring story. August knew the battle to end slavery was going to be a long battle and that “Kansas was only the beginning,” in Firebrand by Aaron Barnhart.
August was quite aware that America was “land of the free” which is why he did not understand the concept of slavery. During his first days in America, he noticed slaves were treated inhumanely, without any freedom. August has a new perspective over the issue of slavery in the 1800s than what is normally covered since he is an immigrant. Rising up with his own struggles as an immigrant, August has empathy for the slaves. Many of August’s hardships are written as well as the many different leaders August had while being an activist. When August realized his leaders were too violent or actually for slavery, he stood up for his beliefs and found work elsewhere, even though it caused more hardship. Barnhart characterized August as ambitious and level-headed which demonstrates how important those traits are when one goes through difficult challenges. The storyline was uniquely written with a different perspective that is inspiring.
At the time when August was an activist, many were not on his side to abolish slavery. August had strong faith when the odds were against him during his activism. Barnhart also enforces many morals of the Jewish religion. Such as when August left a group of abolitionists because the group he was with only wanted to be violent rather than find a solution. August believes that “there is a time of war and a time of peace.” He stood by his beliefs and did what he thought best. Barnhart covered Augusts beliefs in a way that was very inspiring and uplifting since August always followed through with what he truly believed. Firebrand truly encompasses what it means to stand up for one’s beliefs, even from a real historical figure’s story.
Barnhart’s keen portrayal of August’s activism created a captivating pace and an inspiring story. August knew the battle to end slavery was going to be a long battle and that “Kansas was only the beginning,” in Firebrand by Aaron Barnhart.
December 27, 2015
What a wonderful book to introduce people to the personal nature of the fight for liberty.
April 6, 2021
A really interesting book, based on a true story. I don't think I've ever come across a middle grade story that mentions Karl Marx and the Revolutions of 1848 in Europe. And, it's great that the book includes John Brown's abolitionist actions in Kansas. The only flaws are that the history of Native Americans is absent, almost as if they never existed. And African Americans are passive "slaves" in the background. Whereas the era was filled with both Native and African resistance.
December 23, 2025
First half was solid with easy attention grabbing page turning interest. The last half to third left little to be desired. Did the author just want to finish it and be done. ?
December 9, 2015
August Bondi, a native Austrian who immigrated to the US in the mid 1800s, is the star of the new novel Firebrand by Aaron Barnhart. Firebrand is a fictionalized biography of the real August Bondi, an abolitionist who fought with John Brown during the Bleeding Kansas conflict. Barnhart's novel is based on Bondi's own autobiography, and is a modern rewrite of Lloyd Alexander's 1958 book August Bondi: Border Hawk.
Firebrand follows Bondi from Vienna, where he was involved in student protests against the outrages of the Austrian Empire, to the new world of New Orleans and Saint Louis. As he grows older, Bondi works as a river boatman and a successful shop owner, but his life is always shadowed by the suffering and injustice of slavery. When the political tensions between the North and South heat up, Bondi joins several like-minded Kansas settlers, including the notorious John Brown, to prevent the spread of slavery to Kansas, America's newest frontier. But with tempers at the breaking point, Bondi wonders what price he will pay to oppose the powerful slaveowners, and whether some of his new friends are taking their fight too far.
Barnhart's prose is simple and easy to absorb, making Bondi's story accessible to younger generations. As Firebrand covers decades of history in a short 168 pages, there is rarely a dull moment in Barnhart's new book. However, sometimes this accelerated narration leads to a few pages of dry exposition before a pivotal scene drags the reader back into the present. Bondi's struggles with the moral issue of slavery and standing up for what's right are particularly topical in an age where social justice is a major concern for many. As a European Jewish immigrant, Bondi's perspective on the moral conflicts of the Civil War provides a fascinating comparison between the hardships of two oppressed groups: the African slaves and the Jewish people.
Firebrand follows Bondi from Vienna, where he was involved in student protests against the outrages of the Austrian Empire, to the new world of New Orleans and Saint Louis. As he grows older, Bondi works as a river boatman and a successful shop owner, but his life is always shadowed by the suffering and injustice of slavery. When the political tensions between the North and South heat up, Bondi joins several like-minded Kansas settlers, including the notorious John Brown, to prevent the spread of slavery to Kansas, America's newest frontier. But with tempers at the breaking point, Bondi wonders what price he will pay to oppose the powerful slaveowners, and whether some of his new friends are taking their fight too far.
Barnhart's prose is simple and easy to absorb, making Bondi's story accessible to younger generations. As Firebrand covers decades of history in a short 168 pages, there is rarely a dull moment in Barnhart's new book. However, sometimes this accelerated narration leads to a few pages of dry exposition before a pivotal scene drags the reader back into the present. Bondi's struggles with the moral issue of slavery and standing up for what's right are particularly topical in an age where social justice is a major concern for many. As a European Jewish immigrant, Bondi's perspective on the moral conflicts of the Civil War provides a fascinating comparison between the hardships of two oppressed groups: the African slaves and the Jewish people.
September 25, 2016
Based on a true story, this book touches on the little known events surrounding the border war between Kansas and Missouri and the rise of abolitionist John Brown. The author does a good job of including many of the facts, names, locations, etc. but it is obvious that he is inexperienced as a writer for young adults and comes from a non-fiction, journalistic background. It is a great contribution to literature about the history of Kansas (and there is very little written about this time period for kids), but I don't know of many kids who would pick it up and stick with it. Maybe if it were introduced in a classroom setting it would find more readers. Lots to discuss as a class or a family.
February 6, 2016
This is a relatively short book for youth who are old enough to understand the American Civil War and religious discrimination against Jews, as well as some other issues which are only briefly touched upon.
Well written, although the author admits that it was based on another book on Bondi, whose copyright had expired. This author updated the story somewhat. It is based on a true person and quite interesting. As much as I thought I knew about the Civil War, there were pieces in this book that added to my knowledge.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
Well written, although the author admits that it was based on another book on Bondi, whose copyright had expired. This author updated the story somewhat. It is based on a true person and quite interesting. As much as I thought I knew about the Civil War, there were pieces in this book that added to my knowledge.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
June 1, 2016
This was a good book. Telling the story of the American Civil War, and a side I, as a Canadian, had never seen or heard before, this book brings to light a more personal side to the conflict. If one is interested in the American Civil War, this book would be worth looking at to get a better idea of the people involved.
*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*
*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*
April 18, 2016
interesting and important story
May 2, 2017
Young adult book written by my friend Aaron, Civil War educator from Kansas City.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews