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The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Struggle for American Freedom
Master storyteller and bestselling historian H. W. Brands narrates the epic struggle over slavery as embodied by John Brown and Abraham Lincoln--two men moved to radically different acts to confront our nation's gravest sin.
John Brown was a charismatic and deeply religious man who heard the God of the Old Testament speaking to him, telling him to destroy slavery by any means. When Congress opened Kansas territory to slavery in 1854, Brown raised a band of followers to wage war. His men tore pro-slavery settlers from their homes and hacked them to death with broadswords. Three years later, Brown and his men assaulted the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to arm slaves with weapons for a race war that would cleanse the nation of slavery.
Brown's violence pointed ambitious Illinois lawyer and former officeholder Abraham Lincoln toward a different solution to politics. Lincoln spoke cautiously and dreamed big, plotting his path back to Washington and perhaps to the White House. Yet his caution could not protect him from the vortex of violence Brown had set in motion. After Brown's arrest, his righteous dignity on the way to the gallows led many in the North to see him as a martyr to liberty. Southerners responded with anger and horror to a terrorist being made into a saint. Lincoln shrewdly threaded the needle between the opposing voices of the fractured nation and won election as president. But the time for moderation had passed, and Lincoln's fervent belief that democracy could resolve its moral crises peacefully faced its ultimate test.
The Zealot and the Emancipator is acclaimed historian H. W. Brands's thrilling and page-turning account of how two American giants shaped the war for freedom.
John Brown was a charismatic and deeply religious man who heard the God of the Old Testament speaking to him, telling him to destroy slavery by any means. When Congress opened Kansas territory to slavery in 1854, Brown raised a band of followers to wage war. His men tore pro-slavery settlers from their homes and hacked them to death with broadswords. Three years later, Brown and his men assaulted the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to arm slaves with weapons for a race war that would cleanse the nation of slavery.
Brown's violence pointed ambitious Illinois lawyer and former officeholder Abraham Lincoln toward a different solution to politics. Lincoln spoke cautiously and dreamed big, plotting his path back to Washington and perhaps to the White House. Yet his caution could not protect him from the vortex of violence Brown had set in motion. After Brown's arrest, his righteous dignity on the way to the gallows led many in the North to see him as a martyr to liberty. Southerners responded with anger and horror to a terrorist being made into a saint. Lincoln shrewdly threaded the needle between the opposing voices of the fractured nation and won election as president. But the time for moderation had passed, and Lincoln's fervent belief that democracy could resolve its moral crises peacefully faced its ultimate test.
The Zealot and the Emancipator is acclaimed historian H. W. Brands's thrilling and page-turning account of how two American giants shaped the war for freedom.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2020
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About the author
H.W. Brands
103 books1,177 followersH.W. Brands is an acclaimed American historian and author of over thirty books on U.S. history, including Pulitzer Prize finalists The First American and Traitor to His Class. He holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his PhD. Originally trained in mathematics, Brands turned to history as a way to pursue his passion for writing. His biographical works on figures like Franklin, Jackson, Grant, and both Roosevelts have earned critical and popular praise for their readability and depth. Raised in Oregon and educated at Stanford, Reed College, and Portland State, he began his teaching career in high schools before entering academia. He later taught at Texas A&M and Vanderbilt before returning to UT Austin. Brands challenges conventional reverence for the Founding Fathers, advocating for a more progressive and evolving view of American democracy. In addition to academic works, his commentary has featured in major documentaries. His books, published internationally and translated into multiple languages, examine U.S. political, economic, and cultural development with compelling narrative force. Beyond academia, he is a public intellectual contributing to national conversations on history and governance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
October 28, 2021
I usually find that dual biographies don’t work very well, but in this case it was very interesting to see how the end of slavery came about by the opposite approaches of Abraham Lincoln and John Brown. While both men concluded that slavery was morally wrong, Brown felt that there was no reasoning with the hearts and minds of slaveholders; that only violence could end the scourge. He was probably not completely sane, and he was certainly not a great military strategist. An interesting link to Lincoln is that John Wilkes Booth attended Brown’s hanging after he was convicted for his role at Harper’s Ferry. Booth’s fanaticism obviously continued unabated. On the other hand, Lincoln’s political and pragmatic approach continued the government’s timid policies of appeasing the South, until the South itself forced a violent confrontation.
This book was very well-written and researched. At some points the details were so exact and vivid that I felt like I was actually present when the actions were taken or the speeches were made. The book includes brief biographies of each man’s private life, before getting into their more public roles. I knew much less about Brown than I did about Lincoln, so I had more to learn there, but I also learned things about Lincoln and his decision making.
This book was very well-written and researched. At some points the details were so exact and vivid that I felt like I was actually present when the actions were taken or the speeches were made. The book includes brief biographies of each man’s private life, before getting into their more public roles. I knew much less about Brown than I did about Lincoln, so I had more to learn there, but I also learned things about Lincoln and his decision making.
January 18, 2025
”Brown was the first martyr in the war that freed the slaves, Lincoln one of the last.”
”More slowly than Brown, and more tentatively, Lincoln had summoned Heaven to justify his actions. Brown professed to know that God was on his side, Lincoln only hoped he was.”
”The question had been, what does a good man do when his country commits a great evil? John Brown chose the path of violence, Lincoln of politics, yet the two paths wound up leading to the same place, the most terrible war in American history. Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the Union, Lincoln defended the Union and destroyed slavery.”
H.W. Brands’ The Zealot and the Emancipator is not so much a dual biography of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln as it is a history of the final, bloody years, and ultimate demise of American slavery. And that is precisely what makes it an excellent book. Brands keeps a close focus on the events of his subjects lives that are most closely tied to that theme that binds them together, and by doing so avoids much of the material that often bogs down and slows biographies.
Brands concentrates his considerable storytelling ability on those incidents of Brown and Lincoln’s lives that most closely bear on the slavery issue. For Brown that would be his martial activities in Bleeding Kansas, his preparations for and raid on Harpers Ferry, his trial and execution. For Lincoln, Brands starts in earnest with his debates with Senator Douglas and attempts to become Senator from Illinois, his using the slavery issue to position himself for nomination for the presidency, and of course, his execution of the war effort as president, concentrating on those aspects that most closely impacted slavery. Brown’s story ends well before the book does, as he was hanged in 1859, while Brands history continues until Lincoln’s 1865 assassination.
As a history of the end of slavery, Brands gives considerable ink to some other figures significant to that issue. Stephen Douglas, the politician responsible for the popular sovereignty doctrine that set Kansas to bleeding, against whom Lincoln rose to national prominence through their debates is prominent. So is Chief Justice Roger Taney, thanks to his role in issuing the Dred Scott decision. Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave, orator, and abolitionist has almost as prominent a role in this history as does Lincoln and Brown.
It is fitting that Brown and Lincoln are profiled together in this book. Without Brown’s actions there would have been no Civil War, at least not at that time. Arguably, without his raid at Harpers Ferry, there would have been no Lincoln presidency, and you likely would never have heard of this insignificant, one term congressman. Without the slavery question, neither man would have impacted our history at all. Because of it, both became martyrs. Though Brown’s story ended first, his actions forced the issue. In the words of Frederick Douglass:
”If John Brown did not end the war that ended slavery, he did at least begin the war that ended slavery. John Brown began the war that ended slavery and made this a free republic. Until this blow was struck, the prospect for freedom was dim, shadowy and uncertain. the irrepressible conflict was one of words, votes, and compromises. When John Brown stretched fourth his arm the sky was cleared, the time for compromises was gone.”
”His zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine. It was as the burning sun to my taper light. Mine was bounded by time. His stretched away to the boundless shores of eternity. I could live for the slave, but he could die for him.”
”More slowly than Brown, and more tentatively, Lincoln had summoned Heaven to justify his actions. Brown professed to know that God was on his side, Lincoln only hoped he was.”
”The question had been, what does a good man do when his country commits a great evil? John Brown chose the path of violence, Lincoln of politics, yet the two paths wound up leading to the same place, the most terrible war in American history. Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the Union, Lincoln defended the Union and destroyed slavery.”
H.W. Brands’ The Zealot and the Emancipator is not so much a dual biography of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln as it is a history of the final, bloody years, and ultimate demise of American slavery. And that is precisely what makes it an excellent book. Brands keeps a close focus on the events of his subjects lives that are most closely tied to that theme that binds them together, and by doing so avoids much of the material that often bogs down and slows biographies.
Brands concentrates his considerable storytelling ability on those incidents of Brown and Lincoln’s lives that most closely bear on the slavery issue. For Brown that would be his martial activities in Bleeding Kansas, his preparations for and raid on Harpers Ferry, his trial and execution. For Lincoln, Brands starts in earnest with his debates with Senator Douglas and attempts to become Senator from Illinois, his using the slavery issue to position himself for nomination for the presidency, and of course, his execution of the war effort as president, concentrating on those aspects that most closely impacted slavery. Brown’s story ends well before the book does, as he was hanged in 1859, while Brands history continues until Lincoln’s 1865 assassination.
As a history of the end of slavery, Brands gives considerable ink to some other figures significant to that issue. Stephen Douglas, the politician responsible for the popular sovereignty doctrine that set Kansas to bleeding, against whom Lincoln rose to national prominence through their debates is prominent. So is Chief Justice Roger Taney, thanks to his role in issuing the Dred Scott decision. Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave, orator, and abolitionist has almost as prominent a role in this history as does Lincoln and Brown.
It is fitting that Brown and Lincoln are profiled together in this book. Without Brown’s actions there would have been no Civil War, at least not at that time. Arguably, without his raid at Harpers Ferry, there would have been no Lincoln presidency, and you likely would never have heard of this insignificant, one term congressman. Without the slavery question, neither man would have impacted our history at all. Because of it, both became martyrs. Though Brown’s story ended first, his actions forced the issue. In the words of Frederick Douglass:
”If John Brown did not end the war that ended slavery, he did at least begin the war that ended slavery. John Brown began the war that ended slavery and made this a free republic. Until this blow was struck, the prospect for freedom was dim, shadowy and uncertain. the irrepressible conflict was one of words, votes, and compromises. When John Brown stretched fourth his arm the sky was cleared, the time for compromises was gone.”
”His zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine. It was as the burning sun to my taper light. Mine was bounded by time. His stretched away to the boundless shores of eternity. I could live for the slave, but he could die for him.”
November 29, 2020
Did you ever read one of those books where, when you got to the end, you said to yourself, "that's it??!!" This book was one of those kind. The narrative was brisk and engaging; above all, Mr. Brands is a terrific storyteller. You can conceivably wonder whether the length of the book could have been doubled without detracting from its readability. The book focuses on the parallel lives of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. Along the way we are introduced to a whole group of movers and shakers. Bottom line: if narrative history is your thing, then give this book a shot.It's well worth your time.
December 10, 2020
The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Struggle for American Freedom by H.W. Brands was a riveting dual biography of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln and the period of history where each man's commitment to overcoming slavery were handled in diverse and very different ways. H.W. Brands addresses this dichotomy as follows:
"What does a great man do when his country commits a great evil? John Brown chose the path of violence, Lincoln of politics. Yet the two paths wound up leading to the same place: the most terrible war in American history. Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the Union; Lincoln defended the Union and destroyed slavery."
H.W. Brands has become one of my favorite historians because of the unique perspective he brings to our history as well as spinning such a compelling narrative. By weaving the stories of Abraham Lincoln and John Brown together and portraying the interface of their similar beliefs and the vastly different approaches of each man, not only documents such an important chapter in our history, but gives one a greater understanding of the conflicting influences and beliefs during the time of the Civil War.
"Lincoln appreciated the irony, the mischief life plays on human designs; doubtless he noted the irony that increasingly tied him to John Brown. The Kansas slayer and Harpers Ferry raider had embraced violence in the struggle against slavery, while Lincoln condemned it. Lincoln chose instead the peaceful path of democratic politics. But Lincoln's path had by now led to slaughter a thousand times greater than anything John Brown ever committed. And unless the South experienced a sudden change of heart, the slaughter would only continue."
"What does a great man do when his country commits a great evil? John Brown chose the path of violence, Lincoln of politics. Yet the two paths wound up leading to the same place: the most terrible war in American history. Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the Union; Lincoln defended the Union and destroyed slavery."
H.W. Brands has become one of my favorite historians because of the unique perspective he brings to our history as well as spinning such a compelling narrative. By weaving the stories of Abraham Lincoln and John Brown together and portraying the interface of their similar beliefs and the vastly different approaches of each man, not only documents such an important chapter in our history, but gives one a greater understanding of the conflicting influences and beliefs during the time of the Civil War.
"Lincoln appreciated the irony, the mischief life plays on human designs; doubtless he noted the irony that increasingly tied him to John Brown. The Kansas slayer and Harpers Ferry raider had embraced violence in the struggle against slavery, while Lincoln condemned it. Lincoln chose instead the peaceful path of democratic politics. But Lincoln's path had by now led to slaughter a thousand times greater than anything John Brown ever committed. And unless the South experienced a sudden change of heart, the slaughter would only continue."
October 11, 2025
"How does a good man challenge a great evil? How can a man of God confront the work of Satan?"
"John Brown began the war that ended American slavery and made this a free republic. "
John Brown may not be as well known as Lincoln but I believe he's just as important. Brown was a white man and a minister who believed slavery was wrong and unlike most people of his time, he actually took up arms to try to end it.
The siege on Harper's Ferry was rather reckless and not the most well-thought-out. It only lasted 3 minutes and at the time was considered by most to be a failure...but ultimately it wasn't. Brown was hanged for his "crime" and a Maryland man by the name of John Wilkes Booth attended his hanging.
Lincoln may have gotten more credit for ending slavery but it was civilians like Brown who made sure ending slavery stayed in the headlines. Frederick Douglass knew both men and respected Brown more than Lincoln. Lincoln was like most politicians, useless, and had to be forced to free the slaves.
I did find it interesting that Lincoln tried to change everyday white men's opinions on slavery by pointing out that slave labor was keeping all wages down. Why hire a white person you have to pay when you can get a Black slave who has to work for free?
"Slavery was an embarrassment to the United States in world affairs. "
John Brown's death didn't end his work it turned him into a martyr. His importance only grew.
"Did John Brown draw his sword against slavery and thereby lose his life in vain?"
The answer is no.
"No man fails or can fail who so grandly gives himself and all he has to a righteous cause."
I will end my review by quoting legendary lawman Allen Pinkerton's reaction to Browns death "Look well upon that man! He is greater than Napoleon and just as great as George Washington. "
I highly recommend this book but I wish it were more about John Brown and less about Lincoln whom we already know a lot about.
"John Brown began the war that ended American slavery and made this a free republic. "
John Brown may not be as well known as Lincoln but I believe he's just as important. Brown was a white man and a minister who believed slavery was wrong and unlike most people of his time, he actually took up arms to try to end it.
The siege on Harper's Ferry was rather reckless and not the most well-thought-out. It only lasted 3 minutes and at the time was considered by most to be a failure...but ultimately it wasn't. Brown was hanged for his "crime" and a Maryland man by the name of John Wilkes Booth attended his hanging.
Lincoln may have gotten more credit for ending slavery but it was civilians like Brown who made sure ending slavery stayed in the headlines. Frederick Douglass knew both men and respected Brown more than Lincoln. Lincoln was like most politicians, useless, and had to be forced to free the slaves.
I did find it interesting that Lincoln tried to change everyday white men's opinions on slavery by pointing out that slave labor was keeping all wages down. Why hire a white person you have to pay when you can get a Black slave who has to work for free?
"Slavery was an embarrassment to the United States in world affairs. "
John Brown's death didn't end his work it turned him into a martyr. His importance only grew.
"Did John Brown draw his sword against slavery and thereby lose his life in vain?"
The answer is no.
"No man fails or can fail who so grandly gives himself and all he has to a righteous cause."
I will end my review by quoting legendary lawman Allen Pinkerton's reaction to Browns death "Look well upon that man! He is greater than Napoleon and just as great as George Washington. "
I highly recommend this book but I wish it were more about John Brown and less about Lincoln whom we already know a lot about.
July 17, 2021
Oof. I finished this book because I was being stubborn, and I did feel like I learned some good information from it. I knew very little about Kansas before the war or about John Brown in general, and this was a good source for refuting a lot of those historical myths that can get bandied around by Southern apologists. But honestly, I found it a SLOG and I was delighted to reach the end. I had quite enjoyed Brands’s biography of FDR, and I see many reviews on here that found this book readable and speedy. I … definitely did not.
I think one issue I had was that Brands seemed overrun by his sources. I can only imagine how strong the temptation is to quote at length when you have a million sources, all convinced of their own historical importance, and all happy to go on at typical 19th century length. But to me the point of citing a source should be to make a POINT. For example: it is interesting that several abolitionists were initially happy to see the South secede and thought it had a right to do so. We could have acquired that information by reading a few words from Wendell Phillips … or William Lloyd Garrison … or Horace Greeley. Instead we heard from ALL THREE. Not only that, but the length of these citations was slowly drifting away from history writing and towards “annotated sourcebook.” The quotes from each of those sources, along with paraphrasing of the entire articles and speeches they wrote, went on for at least three or four paragraphs. Each. We got extensive quotations of absolutely everything, even when they did not support an interesting point or observation. Brands quoted Lincoln’s comments (and the crowd’s responses) every single time a cheering crowd arrived at the White House … even when his comments were essentially to say that he had no comment. Eventually it gave me the sensation of reading a whole stack of form letters sent by movie stars to their fans: the repetition of the words and anecdotes across sources made them seem less authentic and a whole lot less interesting. I know there are debates about what it means to write history and how much interpretation the historian should bring to their sources, but to me even a biographer needs to approach a subject with the idea that they are crafting something OUT OF the sources … not just reprinting them in full.
My other issue was with the narrative shape of the book. Brands starts with (mostly) alternating chapters about Brown and Lincoln. Then … not. It’s obviously not Brands’s fault that Brown died before Lincoln’s presidency … but on the other hand, he IS the one who chose to link the two of them. In the very last chapter he makes a fairly compelling argument about how they are connected, but that feels like it’s too late to make sense of the structure. Once Brown dies, he almost entirely disappears from the narrative except for some fairly weak gestures toward his memory (“and the soldiers were singing about John Brown’s body…”). The part of the story I did want to know, like what happened to his family and how the trials of the other conspirators went, was entirely ignored. I saw the same issue of narrative floppiness with Stephen Douglass - we get an interesting sketch of someone who was essentially willing to create chaos by scuttling the old compromises in order to buoy his political career, but then we only learn he DIED in a quick explanation about why Lincoln was writing some random letter about total minutia to some other senator and not to Douglass. Again, I know different biographers have different opinions about their roles in making a “story” out of a life, but to me the advantage of reading history (as opposed to living through it as we have been recently) is that you CAN see that narrative through line.
This review is sounding a little harsh, and I will say that I found it comforting in a twisted way to read about such a disastrous time in history … a good reminder that things have often been bad in our past, that they only look United and Inspiring in the rear view mirror, and that every leader faces a chorus of voices exclaiming “You’re doing it wrong!” So I’m glad that I read it. But I am VERY glad that I can call it “done.”
I think one issue I had was that Brands seemed overrun by his sources. I can only imagine how strong the temptation is to quote at length when you have a million sources, all convinced of their own historical importance, and all happy to go on at typical 19th century length. But to me the point of citing a source should be to make a POINT. For example: it is interesting that several abolitionists were initially happy to see the South secede and thought it had a right to do so. We could have acquired that information by reading a few words from Wendell Phillips … or William Lloyd Garrison … or Horace Greeley. Instead we heard from ALL THREE. Not only that, but the length of these citations was slowly drifting away from history writing and towards “annotated sourcebook.” The quotes from each of those sources, along with paraphrasing of the entire articles and speeches they wrote, went on for at least three or four paragraphs. Each. We got extensive quotations of absolutely everything, even when they did not support an interesting point or observation. Brands quoted Lincoln’s comments (and the crowd’s responses) every single time a cheering crowd arrived at the White House … even when his comments were essentially to say that he had no comment. Eventually it gave me the sensation of reading a whole stack of form letters sent by movie stars to their fans: the repetition of the words and anecdotes across sources made them seem less authentic and a whole lot less interesting. I know there are debates about what it means to write history and how much interpretation the historian should bring to their sources, but to me even a biographer needs to approach a subject with the idea that they are crafting something OUT OF the sources … not just reprinting them in full.
My other issue was with the narrative shape of the book. Brands starts with (mostly) alternating chapters about Brown and Lincoln. Then … not. It’s obviously not Brands’s fault that Brown died before Lincoln’s presidency … but on the other hand, he IS the one who chose to link the two of them. In the very last chapter he makes a fairly compelling argument about how they are connected, but that feels like it’s too late to make sense of the structure. Once Brown dies, he almost entirely disappears from the narrative except for some fairly weak gestures toward his memory (“and the soldiers were singing about John Brown’s body…”). The part of the story I did want to know, like what happened to his family and how the trials of the other conspirators went, was entirely ignored. I saw the same issue of narrative floppiness with Stephen Douglass - we get an interesting sketch of someone who was essentially willing to create chaos by scuttling the old compromises in order to buoy his political career, but then we only learn he DIED in a quick explanation about why Lincoln was writing some random letter about total minutia to some other senator and not to Douglass. Again, I know different biographers have different opinions about their roles in making a “story” out of a life, but to me the advantage of reading history (as opposed to living through it as we have been recently) is that you CAN see that narrative through line.
This review is sounding a little harsh, and I will say that I found it comforting in a twisted way to read about such a disastrous time in history … a good reminder that things have often been bad in our past, that they only look United and Inspiring in the rear view mirror, and that every leader faces a chorus of voices exclaiming “You’re doing it wrong!” So I’m glad that I read it. But I am VERY glad that I can call it “done.”
January 9, 2021
Structure/Formatting 5/5
I seem to have a tendency to love dual biographies. I've read some that are done better than others, and this one is set up in the way that I seem to enjoy most (fairly chronologically, even with the flipping back and forth between subjects). Even though the two primary subjects are frequently in different parts of the country and not interacting with one another, their different storylines work very well together.
Thoroughness of research/knowledge of subject 5/5
This book was incredible at broadening my TBR with the vast amount of sources referenced. Whenever possible, the author used primary sources and accounts of the two men's writings and speeches. This made the men come to life on the page and really helped tell their stories.
In the back of the book, the author lists a small selection of recommended continued reading. The 2018 biography on Frederick Douglass (by David Blight) was already high on my TBR, but this author's praise of that book means I will need to get my hands on it as soon as possible. While Douglass was not one of the two primary subjects of the book, he is present throughout most of the book as he had interactions with both John Brown and Abraham Lincoln.
I felt like the author did a great job of showing both of these characters as people (fallible and flawed) and he provided context for the time period without trying to excuse any prejudices or flaws. I learned a LOT throughout the course of this book, and I'm looking forward to reading through some of his recommended reads.
Storytelling/writing 5/5
The writing in this book makes learning about American history so easy. He interweaves quotes in such a way that it feels like dialogue from a novel. Even just the fact that the chapters were relatively short, this book kept you on the edge of your seat, wanting to read "just one more chapter." Being my introduction to this author's writing, reading this book bumped "Heirs of the Founders" higher up my TBR so I can read more from this author.
Level of enjoyment 5/5
I really enjoyed this book. There were some sucker-punch moments, especially in how events in this book can relate to the current Black Lives Matter movement, but this is a book I couldn't wait to read more from each day.
Prior knowledge needed 4/5
My prior knowledge going into this book was a little shameful. I, of course, knew who Lincoln was and his role as President. I knew nothing about his life prior to the Presidency though. And I don't think I had even ever heard of John Brown, though Harper's Ferry was a place I had heard of, though I couldn't have told you why. That said, this book was FANTASTIC at explaining the history I didn't know and expanding upon the parts I did know. My only issue came from the first time Stephen Douglas was mentioned. I was listening to the audiobook for that section on my drive to work, and the author kept referring to him simply as "Douglas." I struggled at first thinking he was referencing Frederick Douglass. If I had been reading the physical copy during that section, the spelling difference would have stuck out immediately, but in audio form, I kept having to use context clues ("Oh, this guy is a politician") to help me figure out who he was talking about. So, just know! There are two Douglas(s)es in this book!
Overall Rating 4.8/5
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm again excited to branch out beyond my "normal" American history books set before 1800. I recommend this book to everyone. I think everyone can learn and appreciate something from this book. It will be a book I think about for quite a while.
I seem to have a tendency to love dual biographies. I've read some that are done better than others, and this one is set up in the way that I seem to enjoy most (fairly chronologically, even with the flipping back and forth between subjects). Even though the two primary subjects are frequently in different parts of the country and not interacting with one another, their different storylines work very well together.
Thoroughness of research/knowledge of subject 5/5
This book was incredible at broadening my TBR with the vast amount of sources referenced. Whenever possible, the author used primary sources and accounts of the two men's writings and speeches. This made the men come to life on the page and really helped tell their stories.
In the back of the book, the author lists a small selection of recommended continued reading. The 2018 biography on Frederick Douglass (by David Blight) was already high on my TBR, but this author's praise of that book means I will need to get my hands on it as soon as possible. While Douglass was not one of the two primary subjects of the book, he is present throughout most of the book as he had interactions with both John Brown and Abraham Lincoln.
I felt like the author did a great job of showing both of these characters as people (fallible and flawed) and he provided context for the time period without trying to excuse any prejudices or flaws. I learned a LOT throughout the course of this book, and I'm looking forward to reading through some of his recommended reads.
Storytelling/writing 5/5
The writing in this book makes learning about American history so easy. He interweaves quotes in such a way that it feels like dialogue from a novel. Even just the fact that the chapters were relatively short, this book kept you on the edge of your seat, wanting to read "just one more chapter." Being my introduction to this author's writing, reading this book bumped "Heirs of the Founders" higher up my TBR so I can read more from this author.
Level of enjoyment 5/5
I really enjoyed this book. There were some sucker-punch moments, especially in how events in this book can relate to the current Black Lives Matter movement, but this is a book I couldn't wait to read more from each day.
Prior knowledge needed 4/5
My prior knowledge going into this book was a little shameful. I, of course, knew who Lincoln was and his role as President. I knew nothing about his life prior to the Presidency though. And I don't think I had even ever heard of John Brown, though Harper's Ferry was a place I had heard of, though I couldn't have told you why. That said, this book was FANTASTIC at explaining the history I didn't know and expanding upon the parts I did know. My only issue came from the first time Stephen Douglas was mentioned. I was listening to the audiobook for that section on my drive to work, and the author kept referring to him simply as "Douglas." I struggled at first thinking he was referencing Frederick Douglass. If I had been reading the physical copy during that section, the spelling difference would have stuck out immediately, but in audio form, I kept having to use context clues ("Oh, this guy is a politician") to help me figure out who he was talking about. So, just know! There are two Douglas(s)es in this book!
Overall Rating 4.8/5
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm again excited to branch out beyond my "normal" American history books set before 1800. I recommend this book to everyone. I think everyone can learn and appreciate something from this book. It will be a book I think about for quite a while.
July 31, 2020
This book is a dual biography of specific time periods in the lives of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. The book is well researched and well written as I have come to expect of the author as I have read several of his other books. As the title indicates the theme is the different paths that John Brown and Abraham Lincoln took in freeing the slaves in the United States. The most interesting part of the book for me was the detail on John Brown and his thoughts and convictions. I have read some about him, but not to the degree that the author covered here. There was also more focus on Lincoln's approach to the subject than is covered in many of the biographies that I have read. I recommend this book to anyone who had an interest in the two individuals and their unique approaches to addressing the slave situation in the United States.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.
November 2, 2020
The latest effort from H.W. Brands is not only a kind of dual biography of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln; in a very real sense, it is a dual biography of abolitionism and emancipation.
I had not read a book that focused more specifically on John Brown. He always glides into the historical narrative within the context of a larger scope: the Civil War, its causes, the impact of the raid on Harpers Ferry on national politics. It was a pleasant surprise to read much more deeply what motivated John Brown as he matured, even if his fanatical commitment to freeing slaves still remains steeped in evangelical zeal and probably a touch of insanity. It is also equally as possible that Brown wasn't clinically insane at all, but enlightened beyond his time and devoted to a radical solution. I'm still not overly interested in a larger biography of Brown but the approximately 100 pages here served the same purpose: elucidating exactly how John Brown got to Harpers Ferry.
Lincoln's concurrent journey is threaded through that narrative and is somewhat less fascinating only because it is more familiar to me. The centerpiece of the book is a detailed account of the famous Harpers Ferry raid as well as generous transcript excerpts of the investigation and trial of John Brown. It's still a mesmerizing historical event, particularly as Brown succeeded in catching the arsenal there by surprise and make Harpers Ferry essentially the first battlefield of the Civil War. Throw in the hostage taking of the great grand-nephew of George Washington and now we can see deep ties to American history.
The final third of the book is the aftermath. Lincoln wins the presidency and we see his evolution on slavery, the development of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, and the central place of slavery in the war. Brands draws some symmetrical ties between Brown and Lincoln's impact on the freedom of African Americans in history, and we're done. Another popular historical triumph from Brands, and the book I would point to for those who want to read deeper into John Brown and Harpers Ferry.
I had not read a book that focused more specifically on John Brown. He always glides into the historical narrative within the context of a larger scope: the Civil War, its causes, the impact of the raid on Harpers Ferry on national politics. It was a pleasant surprise to read much more deeply what motivated John Brown as he matured, even if his fanatical commitment to freeing slaves still remains steeped in evangelical zeal and probably a touch of insanity. It is also equally as possible that Brown wasn't clinically insane at all, but enlightened beyond his time and devoted to a radical solution. I'm still not overly interested in a larger biography of Brown but the approximately 100 pages here served the same purpose: elucidating exactly how John Brown got to Harpers Ferry.
Lincoln's concurrent journey is threaded through that narrative and is somewhat less fascinating only because it is more familiar to me. The centerpiece of the book is a detailed account of the famous Harpers Ferry raid as well as generous transcript excerpts of the investigation and trial of John Brown. It's still a mesmerizing historical event, particularly as Brown succeeded in catching the arsenal there by surprise and make Harpers Ferry essentially the first battlefield of the Civil War. Throw in the hostage taking of the great grand-nephew of George Washington and now we can see deep ties to American history.
The final third of the book is the aftermath. Lincoln wins the presidency and we see his evolution on slavery, the development of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, and the central place of slavery in the war. Brands draws some symmetrical ties between Brown and Lincoln's impact on the freedom of African Americans in history, and we're done. Another popular historical triumph from Brands, and the book I would point to for those who want to read deeper into John Brown and Harpers Ferry.
January 12, 2022
The heart of the book: John Brown believed that slavery needed to be immediately defeated and that violence was justified in opposing it. Lincoln denounced violence and was solely interested in saving the Union, even if that meant maintaining slavery. Lincoln chose politics and sought compromise; Brown chose revolution and would only accept surrender. Yet it was Lincoln who led the bloodiest war in American history and the abolishment of slavery; the violence and liberation of John Brown paled in comparison. What John Brown predicted, Lincoln eventually realized: that "the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood." John Brown hoped to start a revolution, but Lincoln actually fought and finished it. The preferences of the men mattered very little to the larger historical forces at work. This feels a lot like an example of Tolstoy's "when a ripe apple falls, what makes it fall?" section, Hegel's Cunning of Reason, Marx's "Men make history, but they do not make it as they please" quote, etc.
John Brown Quotes:
"Jason Brown recalled tears rolling down his father's face. "God sees it," John Brown said. "I have only a short time to live-- only one death to die, and I will die fighting for this cause. There will be no more peace in this land until slavery is done for."
"Upon what principle do you justify your acts?"
"Upon the golden rule," Brown repeated. "I pity the poor in bondage that have none to help them; that is why I am here-- not to gratify any personal animosity, revenge, or vindictive spirit. It is my sympathy with the oppressed and the wronged, that are as good as you and as precious in the sight of God."
(Brown before his sentencing for treason): "I believe that to have interfered as I have done, as I have always freely admitted I have done on behalf of His despised poor, is no wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I say, let it be done."
Henry David Thoreau: "He could not have been tried by a jury of peers, because his peers did not exist... I see now that it was necessary that the bravest and humanest man in all the country should be hung... I rejoice that I live in this age, that I am his contemporary."
Frederick Douglass: "His zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine. Mine was bounded by time; his stretched away to the boundless shores of eternity. I could live for the slave, but he could die for him."
John Brown Quotes:
"Jason Brown recalled tears rolling down his father's face. "God sees it," John Brown said. "I have only a short time to live-- only one death to die, and I will die fighting for this cause. There will be no more peace in this land until slavery is done for."
"Upon what principle do you justify your acts?"
"Upon the golden rule," Brown repeated. "I pity the poor in bondage that have none to help them; that is why I am here-- not to gratify any personal animosity, revenge, or vindictive spirit. It is my sympathy with the oppressed and the wronged, that are as good as you and as precious in the sight of God."
(Brown before his sentencing for treason): "I believe that to have interfered as I have done, as I have always freely admitted I have done on behalf of His despised poor, is no wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I say, let it be done."
Henry David Thoreau: "He could not have been tried by a jury of peers, because his peers did not exist... I see now that it was necessary that the bravest and humanest man in all the country should be hung... I rejoice that I live in this age, that I am his contemporary."
Frederick Douglass: "His zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine. Mine was bounded by time; his stretched away to the boundless shores of eternity. I could live for the slave, but he could die for him."
February 28, 2022
A little on the dry side at times yet still some interesting history.
September 29, 2020
This thoroughly researched study of two emblematic giants of U.S. history compares and contrasts the very different -- and differently significant -- actions taken by John Brown and Abraham Lincoln regarding freeing the country's enslaved population. While the fiery Brown's life and death comprise the book's the most dramatic sections, the detailed narrative explaining Lincoln's gradual, lawyerly progress to supporting emancipation are equally fascinating. Because the author is a skillful storyteller as well as an accomplished historian, the book can be as rewarding for general readers as for specialists in the period. Thanks to the publisher for supplying an advance reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
April 25, 2022
A beautifully written dual biography of Abraham Lincoln and John Brown; Im only giving it three stars because there is not anything particularly insightful here that isn't available on Lincoln elsewhere. The real strength of the book is the narrative on Brown, which understandably ends relatively early.
January 26, 2025
“I could live for a slave, but he could die for him” -Fredrick Douglass
I guess if you’re going to be a fanatic, might as well do something good. It was so cool to read about John Brown and Abraham Lincoln in the same book. I always enjoy learning about antebellum, and the way Brands wrote made it very interesting. There were some points where the writing got a little textbooky, but overall he was able to make the history quite entertaining. It almost felt at times that I was reading a drama following two characters, and I would have to snap back into reality and remember that these crazy events actually occurred. It was nice to get different perspectives from people at the time, and learn more about the political turmoil during that period. It was unnerving to see similarities to today’s politics, especially with the spread of misinformation, cries of false free speech violations, and election denying cry babies.
“Lincoln wasn’t perfect, but he was perfectly suited for his task” -Douglass. Lincoln definitely ranks in my top five presidents after this book. Reading more in depth about the hard decisions he had to make was interesting. The criticism he faced about decisions during and before the war from both sides reminded me a lot of the criticisms the previous administration faced in handling certain affairs. I think it’s important to realize that progress isn’t instant and sometimes you have to work as well as possible with the current systems in place.
I found it funny the way people described both Lincoln and Brown. Lincoln was described as extremely awkward around women, and had little ability to converse with them. He was also said to be a great wrestler and “could ruin more liquor than all the boys of the town together.” I never would have thought the man who saved the union had similar youth drinking habits to many of my college peers, as well as the charm of many of my peers. Now for Brown, he was described as the manliest of men. Many recounts described him as a giant among men, and unlike anybody they had seen before. His spirit and drive was akin to his physical stature and one was quoted saying “He could not have been tried by a jury of his peers, because his peers did not exist.” I mean, they even sang songs about bro while marching into battle.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in either person. Spoiler alert the traitors lose.
I guess if you’re going to be a fanatic, might as well do something good. It was so cool to read about John Brown and Abraham Lincoln in the same book. I always enjoy learning about antebellum, and the way Brands wrote made it very interesting. There were some points where the writing got a little textbooky, but overall he was able to make the history quite entertaining. It almost felt at times that I was reading a drama following two characters, and I would have to snap back into reality and remember that these crazy events actually occurred. It was nice to get different perspectives from people at the time, and learn more about the political turmoil during that period. It was unnerving to see similarities to today’s politics, especially with the spread of misinformation, cries of false free speech violations, and election denying cry babies.
“Lincoln wasn’t perfect, but he was perfectly suited for his task” -Douglass. Lincoln definitely ranks in my top five presidents after this book. Reading more in depth about the hard decisions he had to make was interesting. The criticism he faced about decisions during and before the war from both sides reminded me a lot of the criticisms the previous administration faced in handling certain affairs. I think it’s important to realize that progress isn’t instant and sometimes you have to work as well as possible with the current systems in place.
I found it funny the way people described both Lincoln and Brown. Lincoln was described as extremely awkward around women, and had little ability to converse with them. He was also said to be a great wrestler and “could ruin more liquor than all the boys of the town together.” I never would have thought the man who saved the union had similar youth drinking habits to many of my college peers, as well as the charm of many of my peers. Now for Brown, he was described as the manliest of men. Many recounts described him as a giant among men, and unlike anybody they had seen before. His spirit and drive was akin to his physical stature and one was quoted saying “He could not have been tried by a jury of his peers, because his peers did not exist.” I mean, they even sang songs about bro while marching into battle.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in either person. Spoiler alert the traitors lose.
June 21, 2021
An insightful, well-researched and well-written dual biography.
The narrative is engaging, and Brands looks at American slavery, abolitionism, and the differing approaches of Lincoln and Brown regarding the issue. He examines Brown’s single-minded and ruthless approach to destroying slavery and his willingness to take direct and brutal action, without regard to anyone’s opinion, be they his friends or his enemies. He compares this with Lincoln’s desire to maintain the Union through a more conservative approach, his doubts about the equality of the white and black races, and his willingness to explore or adopt measures like compensation for slave owners and colonization for African-Americans. A lot of the book deals with abolitionists’ impatience with Lincoln’s methods. The account of Harper’s Ferry is pretty gripping.
Frederick Douglass shows up quite a bit, although some readers may wish he had received even more coverage. The evolution of Lincoln’s views on the slavery issue could have been expanded on, as could the importance of the issue to Republican politicians. There also could have been more detail on Brown’s religious beliefs. The narrative is a little disjointed at times, and often seems to rely heavily on lengthy quotes. The book doesn’t really offer any new insights or revelations. Historians often have a hard time explaining the ineptitude of Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry, and Brands doesn’t try to unravel that mystery either. Also, sometimes Brands refers to Brown or Lincoln doing things like groaning, or shuddering, usually to add some color to certain developments, even though these occur only in Brands’ imagination.
A compelling and readable work.
The narrative is engaging, and Brands looks at American slavery, abolitionism, and the differing approaches of Lincoln and Brown regarding the issue. He examines Brown’s single-minded and ruthless approach to destroying slavery and his willingness to take direct and brutal action, without regard to anyone’s opinion, be they his friends or his enemies. He compares this with Lincoln’s desire to maintain the Union through a more conservative approach, his doubts about the equality of the white and black races, and his willingness to explore or adopt measures like compensation for slave owners and colonization for African-Americans. A lot of the book deals with abolitionists’ impatience with Lincoln’s methods. The account of Harper’s Ferry is pretty gripping.
Frederick Douglass shows up quite a bit, although some readers may wish he had received even more coverage. The evolution of Lincoln’s views on the slavery issue could have been expanded on, as could the importance of the issue to Republican politicians. There also could have been more detail on Brown’s religious beliefs. The narrative is a little disjointed at times, and often seems to rely heavily on lengthy quotes. The book doesn’t really offer any new insights or revelations. Historians often have a hard time explaining the ineptitude of Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry, and Brands doesn’t try to unravel that mystery either. Also, sometimes Brands refers to Brown or Lincoln doing things like groaning, or shuddering, usually to add some color to certain developments, even though these occur only in Brands’ imagination.
A compelling and readable work.
March 29, 2021
“Lincoln wasn’t perfect, but he was perfectly suited to his task.”
Brands started this book with a question that can speak to today’s society just as well as that of the mid-1800s: How does a good man challenge a great evil? Particularly for his subjects and the time period of focus in the book: What was a moral man’s obligation when faced with an immoral institution like slavery?
Lincoln’s relationship to slavery has been subject to plenty of study—both on its own and as part of almost every major biography of the last couple decades. Brands does something unique in his newest book by comparing Lincoln’s moderate, slow-moving path towards emancipation with that of John Brown’s extremist route that ended with his infamous raid on Harper’s Ferry and ultimately his execution by hanging at the hands of the federal government.
Brands goes back and forth between Lincoln and Brown, spending a few chapters at a time on each character. Brown was always a bit eccentric and kooky, but his message of full and immediate emancipation resonated deeply with the abolitionists of the era.
Lincoln was always more of a pragmatist. He seemed to know that abolition must be a more gradual, political endeavor. There was no way to free the slaves without the government’s involvement.
As Brands succinctly notes, “John Brown chose the path of violence, Lincoln of politics.” And yet, the real “answer” is far more complex than just that: both of those paths ultimately led to the Civil War, which was both unconscionably violent and inherently political.
I tend to have a pretty lukewarm relationship with Brands’ books, but The Zealot and the Emancipator is one that I really enjoyed. There are scholarly works available on Lincoln’s attitude toward slavery, but this narrative-driven book gets the job done for the vast majority of readers (myself included). You’ll also learn about John Brown, whose name you might recognize but perhaps not much more than that. His life and the actions that led to his death were of greater consequence than most Americans realize.
Brands started this book with a question that can speak to today’s society just as well as that of the mid-1800s: How does a good man challenge a great evil? Particularly for his subjects and the time period of focus in the book: What was a moral man’s obligation when faced with an immoral institution like slavery?
Lincoln’s relationship to slavery has been subject to plenty of study—both on its own and as part of almost every major biography of the last couple decades. Brands does something unique in his newest book by comparing Lincoln’s moderate, slow-moving path towards emancipation with that of John Brown’s extremist route that ended with his infamous raid on Harper’s Ferry and ultimately his execution by hanging at the hands of the federal government.
Brands goes back and forth between Lincoln and Brown, spending a few chapters at a time on each character. Brown was always a bit eccentric and kooky, but his message of full and immediate emancipation resonated deeply with the abolitionists of the era.
Lincoln was always more of a pragmatist. He seemed to know that abolition must be a more gradual, political endeavor. There was no way to free the slaves without the government’s involvement.
As Brands succinctly notes, “John Brown chose the path of violence, Lincoln of politics.” And yet, the real “answer” is far more complex than just that: both of those paths ultimately led to the Civil War, which was both unconscionably violent and inherently political.
I tend to have a pretty lukewarm relationship with Brands’ books, but The Zealot and the Emancipator is one that I really enjoyed. There are scholarly works available on Lincoln’s attitude toward slavery, but this narrative-driven book gets the job done for the vast majority of readers (myself included). You’ll also learn about John Brown, whose name you might recognize but perhaps not much more than that. His life and the actions that led to his death were of greater consequence than most Americans realize.
August 17, 2022
This fine work about the turbulent times leading up to and through the Civil War illustrates the juxtaposition of forces that affected American citizens and leaders at the time. We see the moral conviction and amoral actions of the murderous abolitionist John Brown and how he became a martyr to some and a demon to others inducing fear in Southerners whose own Zealotry in their commitment to saving their way of life was being challenged. While the events of the late 1850s were taking place Abraham Lincoln was evolving and developing his focus politically despite failed Congressional bids and emerging in the election of 1860 as a visionary leader committed to saving the union. At every turn in the next 5 years he effectively navigates the constantly conflicting political winds from many directions. Brand does an outstanding job of presenting this complex political period and showing without hyperbole Lincoln's true greatness.
If Washington was the Father of our country, Lincoln was its Savior even if the country was not certain that it was worth saving with all the blood being shed. I think this book is for those with prior general knowledge of the period and events. It is masterfully presented and thoroughly enjoyable. 5 stars for sure!
If Washington was the Father of our country, Lincoln was its Savior even if the country was not certain that it was worth saving with all the blood being shed. I think this book is for those with prior general knowledge of the period and events. It is masterfully presented and thoroughly enjoyable. 5 stars for sure!
May 13, 2023
Using primarily the words of the two protagonists, Brands crafts a compelling narrative outlining the approaches taken by Brown and Lincoln toward the question of slavery. Through this narrative, Brands offers a rich opportunity for analysis regarding the key question around both — Is Brown a murder or a martyr? Is Lincoln really the Great Emancipator?
Of course, both questions are complicated, and the answers to both are more so. Brands, however, does his part in providing a path to contemplation and consideration. The existence of a wealth of primary source material alone does not make this an easy exercise. Brands especial skill is in his curation of material and his ordering of such in a way that builds arguments while at the same time, artfully offering counterpoints.
The premise of the book itself is to offer a comparison (more specifically a contrast) between the two. Brown chose the sword. Lincoln chose politics. Was one better? Was one more effective? How did both approaches ultimately interact and depend upon the other? Brands does this well in the early stages and returns to it in his final chapters to offer not a satisfying conclusion but rather an appropriate description of the complicated nature of the comparison.
While much has been written about both Brown and especially Lincoln specific to the slavery question, Brands book breathes some freshness into oft considered words. It’s an important addition to the study of slavery and abolition and it’s central role in the American Civil War.
Of course, both questions are complicated, and the answers to both are more so. Brands, however, does his part in providing a path to contemplation and consideration. The existence of a wealth of primary source material alone does not make this an easy exercise. Brands especial skill is in his curation of material and his ordering of such in a way that builds arguments while at the same time, artfully offering counterpoints.
The premise of the book itself is to offer a comparison (more specifically a contrast) between the two. Brown chose the sword. Lincoln chose politics. Was one better? Was one more effective? How did both approaches ultimately interact and depend upon the other? Brands does this well in the early stages and returns to it in his final chapters to offer not a satisfying conclusion but rather an appropriate description of the complicated nature of the comparison.
While much has been written about both Brown and especially Lincoln specific to the slavery question, Brands book breathes some freshness into oft considered words. It’s an important addition to the study of slavery and abolition and it’s central role in the American Civil War.
April 3, 2021
In this fascinating account, the author, by largely relying on their own spoken and written words, has intertwined the stories of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln.
February 15, 2021
"When were the good and the brave ever in a majority?" - Thoreau
Other mid-19th century quotes plucked out for this book:
"When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty - to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without a base alloy of hypocrisy" - Lincoln
"There was no extravagance of the ancient parliamentary debate which he did not repeat; nor was there any possible deviation from truth which he did not make, with so much of passion, I am glad to add, as to save him from the suspicion of intentional aberration." - Charles Sumner on Andrew Butler
"He is the squire of slavery, its very Sancho Panza, ready to do all its humiliating offices" - Charles Sumner on Stephen Douglas
"That damn fool will get himself killed by some other damn fool." Stephen Douglas on Charles Sumner
"See what a mere wreck, a mangled ruin, it makes of our once glorious Declaration...Are you ready willing that the Declaration shall be thus frittered away? - thus left no more, at most, than an interesting memorial of the dead past? thus shorn of its vitality, and practical value; and left without the germ or even the suggestion of the individual rights of man in it?" Lincoln on Stephen Douglas's support of the Dred Scott decision
"It is true. But is it wire or politic to say so?" William Herndon on the house divided speech
"I am proud, in my passing speck of time, to contribute an humble mite to that glorious consummation, which my own poor eyes may not last to see." - Lincoln
"When a man hears himself somewhat misrepresented, it provokes him...But when misrepresentation becomes very gross and palpable, it is more apt to amuse him." - Lincoln
"Every difficulty had been foreseen and provided against in some manner; the grand difficult of all - the manifest hopelessness of undertaking anything so vast with such slender means - was met with the text of Scripture: 'If God be for us, who can be against us?'" - John Brown
"And then, how very little we can possibly lose! Certainly the cause is enough to live for, if not to ---- for...I felt for a number of years, in earlier life, a steady, strong desire to die; but since I saw any prospect of becoming a 'reaper' in the great harvest, I have not only felt quite willing to live, but have enjoyed life much, and am now rather anxious to live for a few years more." - Brown
"My discretion or my cowardice made me proof against the dear old man's eloquence - perhaps it was something of both which determined my course" - Frederick Douglass on John Brown
"[It was] misguided, wild and apparently insane, though disinterested and well-intentioned." - The Liberator on the Harper's Ferry raid
"I think you are fanatical"
"And I think you are fanatical. Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad - and you are mad." - John Brown and a towns person speaking outside his trial.
"By and by, when men look back and see without prejudice that whole scene, they will not be able to avoid saying: 'What must be the measure of manhood in a scene where a crazed old man stood head and shoulders above those who had their reason? What is average citizenship when a lunatic is a hero?" - Henry Beecher on the Harpers Ferry raid
"He was tall, tall - oh, how tall! and so angular and awkward that I had, for an instant, a feeling of pity for so ungainly a man. His clothes were black and ill-fitting, badly wrinkled - as if they had been carelessly jammed into a small trunk. His bushy had, with the stiff black hair thrown back, was balanced on a long and lean head-stalk and when he raised his hands in an opening gesture, I noticed they were very large. He began in a low tone of voice - as if here were used to speaking out-doors and was afraid of speaking too loud. He said, "Mr. Cheerman,' instead of 'Mr. Chairman,' and employed many others words with old-fashioned pronunciation. I said to myself, 'Old fellow, you won't do. It's all very well for the wild West, but this will never go down in New York.'" - on the openings on a Lincoln speech in 1859
"Burn this; not that there is anything wrong in it, but because it is best not to be known that I write at all." - Lincoln
"The brutal dastards and bloody-minded tyrants who have so long ruled the country with impunity are now furiously foaming at the mouth, gnawing their tongues for pain, indulging in the most horrid blasphemies, uttering the wildest treats, and avowing the most treasonous designs....They are insane from their fears, their guilty forebodings, the lust of power and rule, their hatred of free institutions, their consciousness of merit judgements; so that they may be properly classed with the inmates of a lunatic asylum." - William Lloyd Garrison on responses to Lincoln's election
"There is not a state on earth, outside the American Union, which I like half so well as I do the state of South Carolina, neither England, nor Ireland, nor Scotland, nor France, nor Turkey - although from Turkey they sent me Arab horses, and from South Caroline they send me nothing but curses." - William Henry Seward
The famed: "The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely as they will be, by the better angels of our nature" - Lincoln
"It remains to be seen whether the federal government is really able to do more than hand over some John Brown to be hanged, suppress a slave insurrection, or catch a runaway slave - whether it is powerless for liberty, and only powerful for slavery." - Frederick Douglass on Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
"Shall this stupendous and most outrageous war be finally and forever ended? Or shall it be merely suspended for a time, and again revived with increased and aggravated fury in the future? ... But just take back the pet monster again into the bosom of the nation, proclaim amnesty to slaveholders....you will hand down to your children here, and hereafter, born and to be born all the horrors through which you are now passing." - Douglass to Lincoln
"In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time." - Lincoln
"And the general would answer you 'Yes, yes' and the next day when you saw him again...he would say, 'Yes, yes' and so on forever, and would have done nothing at all."
"At least, I should have done my duty and have stood clear before my own conscience."
-Seward and Lincoln on working with then probably future president George McLellan to win the war.
"If slaves will make good soldiers our whole theory of slavery is wrong." - Confederate General Howell Cobb on the proposed last-ditch effort in enlist enslaved persons in the Confederate army
"Each [side] looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding" - Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address
"Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequired toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the last shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as we said three thousand years ago so still it must be said, 'The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether'." - Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address
"There was murder in the air then, and there was murder in the air now" - Douglass on Lincolns 2nd Inauguration
"The bloody harvest of Harper's Ferry was ripened by the heat and moisture or merciless bondage of more that two hundred years. That startling cry of alarm on the banks of the Potomac was but the answering back of the avenging angel to the midnight invasions of Christian slave-traders on the sleeping hamlets of Africa...In [Brown's] eyes a slave holding community could not be peaceable but was, in the nature of the case, in one incessant state of war. To him such a community was not more sacred than a band of robbers; it was the right of any one to assault it by day or night...The true question is, Did John Brown draw his sword against slavery and thereby lose his life in vain? And to this I answer ten thousand times: No! No man fails, or can fail who so grandly gives himself and all he has to a righteous cause." - Douglass
Other mid-19th century quotes plucked out for this book:
"When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty - to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without a base alloy of hypocrisy" - Lincoln
"There was no extravagance of the ancient parliamentary debate which he did not repeat; nor was there any possible deviation from truth which he did not make, with so much of passion, I am glad to add, as to save him from the suspicion of intentional aberration." - Charles Sumner on Andrew Butler
"He is the squire of slavery, its very Sancho Panza, ready to do all its humiliating offices" - Charles Sumner on Stephen Douglas
"That damn fool will get himself killed by some other damn fool." Stephen Douglas on Charles Sumner
"See what a mere wreck, a mangled ruin, it makes of our once glorious Declaration...Are you ready willing that the Declaration shall be thus frittered away? - thus left no more, at most, than an interesting memorial of the dead past? thus shorn of its vitality, and practical value; and left without the germ or even the suggestion of the individual rights of man in it?" Lincoln on Stephen Douglas's support of the Dred Scott decision
"It is true. But is it wire or politic to say so?" William Herndon on the house divided speech
"I am proud, in my passing speck of time, to contribute an humble mite to that glorious consummation, which my own poor eyes may not last to see." - Lincoln
"When a man hears himself somewhat misrepresented, it provokes him...But when misrepresentation becomes very gross and palpable, it is more apt to amuse him." - Lincoln
"Every difficulty had been foreseen and provided against in some manner; the grand difficult of all - the manifest hopelessness of undertaking anything so vast with such slender means - was met with the text of Scripture: 'If God be for us, who can be against us?'" - John Brown
"And then, how very little we can possibly lose! Certainly the cause is enough to live for, if not to ---- for...I felt for a number of years, in earlier life, a steady, strong desire to die; but since I saw any prospect of becoming a 'reaper' in the great harvest, I have not only felt quite willing to live, but have enjoyed life much, and am now rather anxious to live for a few years more." - Brown
"My discretion or my cowardice made me proof against the dear old man's eloquence - perhaps it was something of both which determined my course" - Frederick Douglass on John Brown
"[It was] misguided, wild and apparently insane, though disinterested and well-intentioned." - The Liberator on the Harper's Ferry raid
"I think you are fanatical"
"And I think you are fanatical. Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad - and you are mad." - John Brown and a towns person speaking outside his trial.
"By and by, when men look back and see without prejudice that whole scene, they will not be able to avoid saying: 'What must be the measure of manhood in a scene where a crazed old man stood head and shoulders above those who had their reason? What is average citizenship when a lunatic is a hero?" - Henry Beecher on the Harpers Ferry raid
"He was tall, tall - oh, how tall! and so angular and awkward that I had, for an instant, a feeling of pity for so ungainly a man. His clothes were black and ill-fitting, badly wrinkled - as if they had been carelessly jammed into a small trunk. His bushy had, with the stiff black hair thrown back, was balanced on a long and lean head-stalk and when he raised his hands in an opening gesture, I noticed they were very large. He began in a low tone of voice - as if here were used to speaking out-doors and was afraid of speaking too loud. He said, "Mr. Cheerman,' instead of 'Mr. Chairman,' and employed many others words with old-fashioned pronunciation. I said to myself, 'Old fellow, you won't do. It's all very well for the wild West, but this will never go down in New York.'" - on the openings on a Lincoln speech in 1859
"Burn this; not that there is anything wrong in it, but because it is best not to be known that I write at all." - Lincoln
"The brutal dastards and bloody-minded tyrants who have so long ruled the country with impunity are now furiously foaming at the mouth, gnawing their tongues for pain, indulging in the most horrid blasphemies, uttering the wildest treats, and avowing the most treasonous designs....They are insane from their fears, their guilty forebodings, the lust of power and rule, their hatred of free institutions, their consciousness of merit judgements; so that they may be properly classed with the inmates of a lunatic asylum." - William Lloyd Garrison on responses to Lincoln's election
"There is not a state on earth, outside the American Union, which I like half so well as I do the state of South Carolina, neither England, nor Ireland, nor Scotland, nor France, nor Turkey - although from Turkey they sent me Arab horses, and from South Caroline they send me nothing but curses." - William Henry Seward
The famed: "The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely as they will be, by the better angels of our nature" - Lincoln
"It remains to be seen whether the federal government is really able to do more than hand over some John Brown to be hanged, suppress a slave insurrection, or catch a runaway slave - whether it is powerless for liberty, and only powerful for slavery." - Frederick Douglass on Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
"Shall this stupendous and most outrageous war be finally and forever ended? Or shall it be merely suspended for a time, and again revived with increased and aggravated fury in the future? ... But just take back the pet monster again into the bosom of the nation, proclaim amnesty to slaveholders....you will hand down to your children here, and hereafter, born and to be born all the horrors through which you are now passing." - Douglass to Lincoln
"In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time." - Lincoln
"And the general would answer you 'Yes, yes' and the next day when you saw him again...he would say, 'Yes, yes' and so on forever, and would have done nothing at all."
"At least, I should have done my duty and have stood clear before my own conscience."
-Seward and Lincoln on working with then probably future president George McLellan to win the war.
"If slaves will make good soldiers our whole theory of slavery is wrong." - Confederate General Howell Cobb on the proposed last-ditch effort in enlist enslaved persons in the Confederate army
"Each [side] looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding" - Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address
"Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequired toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the last shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as we said three thousand years ago so still it must be said, 'The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether'." - Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address
"There was murder in the air then, and there was murder in the air now" - Douglass on Lincolns 2nd Inauguration
"The bloody harvest of Harper's Ferry was ripened by the heat and moisture or merciless bondage of more that two hundred years. That startling cry of alarm on the banks of the Potomac was but the answering back of the avenging angel to the midnight invasions of Christian slave-traders on the sleeping hamlets of Africa...In [Brown's] eyes a slave holding community could not be peaceable but was, in the nature of the case, in one incessant state of war. To him such a community was not more sacred than a band of robbers; it was the right of any one to assault it by day or night...The true question is, Did John Brown draw his sword against slavery and thereby lose his life in vain? And to this I answer ten thousand times: No! No man fails, or can fail who so grandly gives himself and all he has to a righteous cause." - Douglass
December 31, 2020
I listened to a podcast interview with the author because I'd started to watch James McBride's The Good Lord Bird on Showtime and wondered whether Ethan Hawke's character was anything like the real John Brown. Prior to this, I hadn't done much reading since high school about the American Civil War, so The Zealot and the Emancipator was pretty much my re-introduction to the subject.
Brands' interview was very interesting and his book proved to be even more so. He relies heavily on primary sources - letters and diaries - and these really bring Brown and Lincoln to life. A third major character in this history is Frederick Douglass, who knew both Brown and Lincoln well, and effectively ties the narrative together. The book is extremely light on military operations; in fact, they're barely mentioned. The focus is on the ideological positions of the pro and anti-slavery sides. Brand does a great job helping the reader understand the constitutional and political realities Lincoln had to navigate. He knew that if he made the war about slavery, he'd lose critical political support, the Union would not be saved, and slavery would not end. This may sound dry, but trust me, it's thrilling in Brands' hands.
Some minor criticisms that may be unfair since this is not meant to be a broad history of the conflict... I would have found it helpful if the author included a secession timeline. He makes it clear that South Carolina was the first state to pull out (in December 1860), but it's not clear that the process dragged on until May of the following year, when North Carolina finally joined the Confederacy. So some states left the Union before Lincoln's March 1861 inauguration, others afterwards. Nor is it clear that there were four slave states - DE, KY, MD and MO - that remained in the Union. The author refers to the border states, but it wasn't clear to me exactly which these were. Since they were not in rebellion, the Emancipation Proclamation did not extend to them.
The process of passing the 13th amendment is covered a bit superficially and I felt the author rushed through it. I couldn't figure out whether the legislatures of the states which had been in rebellion were allowed to vote on the amendment. These omissions might not be noticed by a reader more familiar with the war than I was.
One of the "I had no idea" things I learned from the book was that the District of Columbia's slaves were freed in 1862 through a process of compensated emancipation, where the District's slaveholders were compensated for the manumission of their human property. Lincoln had promoted this approach years before, but DC was the only place where it was finally put into practice.
The book made me want to read deeper about the war, and I plan to read Battle Cry of Freedom after a fiction break.
Brands' interview was very interesting and his book proved to be even more so. He relies heavily on primary sources - letters and diaries - and these really bring Brown and Lincoln to life. A third major character in this history is Frederick Douglass, who knew both Brown and Lincoln well, and effectively ties the narrative together. The book is extremely light on military operations; in fact, they're barely mentioned. The focus is on the ideological positions of the pro and anti-slavery sides. Brand does a great job helping the reader understand the constitutional and political realities Lincoln had to navigate. He knew that if he made the war about slavery, he'd lose critical political support, the Union would not be saved, and slavery would not end. This may sound dry, but trust me, it's thrilling in Brands' hands.
Some minor criticisms that may be unfair since this is not meant to be a broad history of the conflict... I would have found it helpful if the author included a secession timeline. He makes it clear that South Carolina was the first state to pull out (in December 1860), but it's not clear that the process dragged on until May of the following year, when North Carolina finally joined the Confederacy. So some states left the Union before Lincoln's March 1861 inauguration, others afterwards. Nor is it clear that there were four slave states - DE, KY, MD and MO - that remained in the Union. The author refers to the border states, but it wasn't clear to me exactly which these were. Since they were not in rebellion, the Emancipation Proclamation did not extend to them.
The process of passing the 13th amendment is covered a bit superficially and I felt the author rushed through it. I couldn't figure out whether the legislatures of the states which had been in rebellion were allowed to vote on the amendment. These omissions might not be noticed by a reader more familiar with the war than I was.
One of the "I had no idea" things I learned from the book was that the District of Columbia's slaves were freed in 1862 through a process of compensated emancipation, where the District's slaveholders were compensated for the manumission of their human property. Lincoln had promoted this approach years before, but DC was the only place where it was finally put into practice.
The book made me want to read deeper about the war, and I plan to read Battle Cry of Freedom after a fiction break.
August 19, 2022
What Brands does best, in my opinion, is to weave quotes seamlessly into his riveting narrative. He seems to like comparisons of historical figures, and it works for him.
In this book we are asked to compare how two influential men, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, approached the emancipation of enslaved people. While it’s clear that Lincoln did not approve of Brown and implied that Brown didn’t care much for politicians, the reader can’t help but wonder which one Brands approves of. This quote from Brands gives us a hint “the satisfaction of feeling that he had been right all along- that Lincoln was John Brown in a frock coat- didn’t much help Jefferson Davis or the Confederate cause.” Both Brown and Lincoln are given more than fair treatment here and I felt it was mostly left up to the reader to decide until the last chapter. Here Brands tells us through the words of Frederick Douglass that the end of slavery needed both Brown and Lincoln to happen. “What does a good man do when his country commits a great evil? Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the Union; Lincoln defended the Union and destroyed slavery.”
Brands’ books are great for those interested in history and this book does not disappoint. I would have liked to read more new insights. Not much here felt new to me other than the juxtaposition of the two and the way he wove quotes into the narrative which was well done and interesting!
In this book we are asked to compare how two influential men, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, approached the emancipation of enslaved people. While it’s clear that Lincoln did not approve of Brown and implied that Brown didn’t care much for politicians, the reader can’t help but wonder which one Brands approves of. This quote from Brands gives us a hint “the satisfaction of feeling that he had been right all along- that Lincoln was John Brown in a frock coat- didn’t much help Jefferson Davis or the Confederate cause.” Both Brown and Lincoln are given more than fair treatment here and I felt it was mostly left up to the reader to decide until the last chapter. Here Brands tells us through the words of Frederick Douglass that the end of slavery needed both Brown and Lincoln to happen. “What does a good man do when his country commits a great evil? Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the Union; Lincoln defended the Union and destroyed slavery.”
Brands’ books are great for those interested in history and this book does not disappoint. I would have liked to read more new insights. Not much here felt new to me other than the juxtaposition of the two and the way he wove quotes into the narrative which was well done and interesting!
October 13, 2022
Didn’t learn anything new here, and don’t understand why the author chose to focus on these two people in particular (“the history and actions of two white men in challenging slavery”?) In a couple of places, the author refers to the men who joined John Brown as “falling under his spell,” which is a large assumption and robs them of their agency.
Among other problems, there is no mention of the irony that Robert E Lee hunted down Brown for treason, later committed treason himself which resulted in far more deaths, but was pardoned and spared the same fate of hanging. Not surprising, as our country is profoundly uncomfortable with honestly addressing its racial history, but authors who continue to sidestep the topic are a major part of the problem, especially if they write a book covering the “Slaveholders’ Rebellion” (as Frederick Douglass called the Civil War).
Among other problems, there is no mention of the irony that Robert E Lee hunted down Brown for treason, later committed treason himself which resulted in far more deaths, but was pardoned and spared the same fate of hanging. Not surprising, as our country is profoundly uncomfortable with honestly addressing its racial history, but authors who continue to sidestep the topic are a major part of the problem, especially if they write a book covering the “Slaveholders’ Rebellion” (as Frederick Douglass called the Civil War).
November 20, 2020
Five stars! Despite its awful title!
I should have known I’d love this book; many years ago, I read Brands’s fine Franklin biography, subtitled interestingly enough, “The First American.” Drawn from author’s definition of an American as the Gatsby-like, Bob Dylanesque, product of “creative” autobiography, molecular striving, and a touch of hedonism, Franklin made a well reasoned first entry.
But THIS book!
I have to admit upfront that the American Civil War is one of my educational blindspots. Of course, I have a gauzy understanding of the major players, battles, and “plot.” I also have to admit that this abecedarian understanding is partially my own doing.
An ignorant Yank through and through, growing up in Philadelphia, it was the Revolution, the framing, the towering geniuses of Enlightenment thought. The Civil version, felt like something distant and provincial, weirdly re-enacted, and laboriously detailed with place names and generals.
Well. I’ve lived in Maryland, just outside of DC, for the last 20 years, and the whole thing is much closer—closer because its fundamental arguments are still being re-enacted. Our it-can’t-be-soon-enough outgoing president, is the avatar par excellence of the war’s fundamental threats. He is the most recent and frightening version, but unfortunately, taking a look at the National popular vote results, he won’t be the last.
Brands’s approach, telling the story of two very distinct approaches to the war’s beginnings and reasons is compelling, the two men who represent those approaches, fascinating.
While the book sags a bit with the obligatory “born ins” and “raised amongs,” Brands quickly brings us into the center of Kansas, site of human and philosophical firecrackers on the cusp of becoming infernos.
Even if I didn’t, you know the rest. The import is all in the telling, the whys and hows, the incarnation of giant names into small and flawed and gifted and needy human beings.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Frederick Douglass could have easily been included as a third character study here. He looms large in both the fore and backgrounds, and had I NOT just read Blight’s magisterial biography on Douglass, I’d be demanding much more here.
Me being me, having become too tolerant to my OCD medications, I’m already well down the road to where this is headed.
On my desk as I speak:
Battle Cry of Freedom
The Fiery Trial
This Republic of Suffering
Race and Reunion
Confederates in the Attic
A Stillness at Appomattox
Shelby Foote’s three volume narrative history.
Any top recommendations are appreciated.
It’ll take a while. It always does, and it’s always worth it.
Let me end with this because my northeastern upbringing compels me—and I may regret it: I have NO desire to visit a battlefield, Civil War related or otherwise. I’m happy to hear from those with a penchant for military history and tactics about why I SHOULD. It seems like sightseeing at a crime scene. Yes, there are differences. Mainly that both parties in this “crime” were willing participants. To me, that makes such a trip more surreal and voyeuristic not less.
I should have known I’d love this book; many years ago, I read Brands’s fine Franklin biography, subtitled interestingly enough, “The First American.” Drawn from author’s definition of an American as the Gatsby-like, Bob Dylanesque, product of “creative” autobiography, molecular striving, and a touch of hedonism, Franklin made a well reasoned first entry.
But THIS book!
I have to admit upfront that the American Civil War is one of my educational blindspots. Of course, I have a gauzy understanding of the major players, battles, and “plot.” I also have to admit that this abecedarian understanding is partially my own doing.
An ignorant Yank through and through, growing up in Philadelphia, it was the Revolution, the framing, the towering geniuses of Enlightenment thought. The Civil version, felt like something distant and provincial, weirdly re-enacted, and laboriously detailed with place names and generals.
Well. I’ve lived in Maryland, just outside of DC, for the last 20 years, and the whole thing is much closer—closer because its fundamental arguments are still being re-enacted. Our it-can’t-be-soon-enough outgoing president, is the avatar par excellence of the war’s fundamental threats. He is the most recent and frightening version, but unfortunately, taking a look at the National popular vote results, he won’t be the last.
Brands’s approach, telling the story of two very distinct approaches to the war’s beginnings and reasons is compelling, the two men who represent those approaches, fascinating.
While the book sags a bit with the obligatory “born ins” and “raised amongs,” Brands quickly brings us into the center of Kansas, site of human and philosophical firecrackers on the cusp of becoming infernos.
Even if I didn’t, you know the rest. The import is all in the telling, the whys and hows, the incarnation of giant names into small and flawed and gifted and needy human beings.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Frederick Douglass could have easily been included as a third character study here. He looms large in both the fore and backgrounds, and had I NOT just read Blight’s magisterial biography on Douglass, I’d be demanding much more here.
Me being me, having become too tolerant to my OCD medications, I’m already well down the road to where this is headed.
On my desk as I speak:
Battle Cry of Freedom
The Fiery Trial
This Republic of Suffering
Race and Reunion
Confederates in the Attic
A Stillness at Appomattox
Shelby Foote’s three volume narrative history.
Any top recommendations are appreciated.
It’ll take a while. It always does, and it’s always worth it.
Let me end with this because my northeastern upbringing compels me—and I may regret it: I have NO desire to visit a battlefield, Civil War related or otherwise. I’m happy to hear from those with a penchant for military history and tactics about why I SHOULD. It seems like sightseeing at a crime scene. Yes, there are differences. Mainly that both parties in this “crime” were willing participants. To me, that makes such a trip more surreal and voyeuristic not less.
June 28, 2021
The sign of a good book is that it makes you confront something so obvious that when it is revealed to you the real puzzle is why you never wondered about it before.
The central question of Brands' joint biography of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln is what happened when their roles reversed. This is spelled out most clearly in the closing pages of the book when Brands asks us how ironic it was that Brown, who sought to overthrow slavery with violence became a omnipresent political force, while Lincoln, who sought a political solution instead became a leader of armies in the most violent and destructive conflict in American history?
Of course Lincoln had to confront the legacy of John Brown, and yet somehow that has never been a point of comment or interest in any other book of Lincoln's life or legacy that I've read. John Brown was a bomb that landed at Lincoln's feet just as he was becoming known nationally as a leader of the Republican Party. When you are positioning to become the next president and some crazed fool invades an army arsenal and holds the center of arms manufacturing hostage for days to inspire what looks like a slave revolution.... well people are going to ask you what you think of Old John Brown and his actions. The need to have the right answer only escalated as the South came to identify Brown's radicalism with your party, and the North deified the crazy old fart. That Lincoln managed to avoid most of these pitfalls is further evidence of the quality of his political instincts and his shear genius at re-framing the moment to his goals.
Some other comment further down the thread mentions how stupid it is to have a joint biography of Lincoln and Brown, given that Brown died halfway through the book. I think the point is that in death Brown was more of a presence in the anti-slavery fight than he ever was when alive. After all, his body lie a-mouldering in the grave, but his truth went marching on. Also, like Brown, the circumstances of Lincoln's death made him an enduring and purified icon in whose name great strides would be made in eradicating slavery even if the man himself was less constant in his own thinking about abolition.
The central question of Brands' joint biography of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln is what happened when their roles reversed. This is spelled out most clearly in the closing pages of the book when Brands asks us how ironic it was that Brown, who sought to overthrow slavery with violence became a omnipresent political force, while Lincoln, who sought a political solution instead became a leader of armies in the most violent and destructive conflict in American history?
Of course Lincoln had to confront the legacy of John Brown, and yet somehow that has never been a point of comment or interest in any other book of Lincoln's life or legacy that I've read. John Brown was a bomb that landed at Lincoln's feet just as he was becoming known nationally as a leader of the Republican Party. When you are positioning to become the next president and some crazed fool invades an army arsenal and holds the center of arms manufacturing hostage for days to inspire what looks like a slave revolution.... well people are going to ask you what you think of Old John Brown and his actions. The need to have the right answer only escalated as the South came to identify Brown's radicalism with your party, and the North deified the crazy old fart. That Lincoln managed to avoid most of these pitfalls is further evidence of the quality of his political instincts and his shear genius at re-framing the moment to his goals.
Some other comment further down the thread mentions how stupid it is to have a joint biography of Lincoln and Brown, given that Brown died halfway through the book. I think the point is that in death Brown was more of a presence in the anti-slavery fight than he ever was when alive. After all, his body lie a-mouldering in the grave, but his truth went marching on. Also, like Brown, the circumstances of Lincoln's death made him an enduring and purified icon in whose name great strides would be made in eradicating slavery even if the man himself was less constant in his own thinking about abolition.
January 23, 2022
Dual biographies can be a daunting task. There are terrific examples out there and there are those that stumble in their execution. I’m glad to say H. W. Brands’s The Zealot and the Emancipator succeeds in covering the lives of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. Mostly. A sizable chunk of the book focuses on the two men and their varying approaches to ridding the United States of slavery. However, the later half of the book, given Brown’s execution, is devoted solely to Lincoln and becomes more a standard biography of Lincoln’s presidency with little regard to Brown’s influence until the end. When the two lives and their actions and reactions to issues, events, and persons are more intertwined, the book soars. When the book strays from this more, it feels more by the numbers. Still, I would recommend this more so for understanding and deconstructing the mythos of Brown while feeling sympathetic if not also frustrated with Lincoln’s slower, methodical approach. The Zealot and the Emancipator may not conclude definitively who was more in the right and who had the greater success in the betterment of the country on slavery, but it offers a compelling and well-researched look at understanding both radical and pragmatic approaches; their successes, failures, and legacies.
February 26, 2025
* This was a NetGalley book [original release date 10.6.020] and I was finally able to find this at my library [with the audiobook] to read and review. I was unable to do so at the time due to an unavailable audiobook; my review is below. *
I went and looked up my original review [in my own notes] for this and my 2 reasons for not reading this at that time was 1. an unavailable [to me] audiobook, and 2. I thought the book was boring. Ummm...what?? I must have had "Iamsoovercovid" brain, and even read reading it, didn't give it the full chance it deserved, because THIS book was ANYTHING but boring. 2020 was such an...odd year for reading I am finding as I look back. *shrug*
I've read quite a bit about Lincoln [with a couple more on tap this year as well] and have had glimpses of John Brown [I have a biography about him on my TBR that I REALLY need to get to], so a book about both was fantastic. While I definately wanted more about John Brown, I still feel I learned even more about this than I had previously known and it made me really want to learn more [hence my need to really get to that biography]. The parts of Lincoln were very good, and I learned a couple of new things [just when I think I have learned all, I read new information and it just continues to blow me away; some of the stuff in this book about Lincoln and Stephen Douglass was V E R Y interesting], and overall, finished the book very glad that I was finally able to read this.
I went and looked up my original review [in my own notes] for this and my 2 reasons for not reading this at that time was 1. an unavailable [to me] audiobook, and 2. I thought the book was boring. Ummm...what?? I must have had "Iamsoovercovid" brain, and even read reading it, didn't give it the full chance it deserved, because THIS book was ANYTHING but boring. 2020 was such an...odd year for reading I am finding as I look back. *shrug*
I've read quite a bit about Lincoln [with a couple more on tap this year as well] and have had glimpses of John Brown [I have a biography about him on my TBR that I REALLY need to get to], so a book about both was fantastic. While I definately wanted more about John Brown, I still feel I learned even more about this than I had previously known and it made me really want to learn more [hence my need to really get to that biography]. The parts of Lincoln were very good, and I learned a couple of new things [just when I think I have learned all, I read new information and it just continues to blow me away; some of the stuff in this book about Lincoln and Stephen Douglass was V E R Y interesting], and overall, finished the book very glad that I was finally able to read this.
May 13, 2021
An excellent book about the struggle for the abolition of black chattel slavery in the United States in the years leading up to -- and including -- the Civil War. The author chooses two prominent individuals as something of a looking glass for his material: the firebrand abolitionist John Brown, whose career of agitation against slavery and slave interests ended in his ill-fated attempt to take over a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (as it was at the time, in 1859), and the unlikely 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln of Illinois. The parallels and contrasts between the two figures are instructive and enlightening. On his way to the scaffold, John Brown handed a guard a note with these words written on them: "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood"; the author shows how the deaths of both his subjects, as well as all the casualties of the war, made this a prophecy fulfilled. As ever, Brands is impressive in how he manages his original sources, shaping them into a highly readable narrative: All history should be so gracefully written!
April 5, 2023
Incredibly thorough dissertation on the contrasting ways and means in which John Brown and Abraham Lincoln leveraged in regards to slavery. Since this work follows both men from cradle to grave, Lincoln receives more attention than Brown, as a large focus on the book is on the post Brown Civil War years ultimately culminating in Lincoln’s assassination.
The author rightly summarizes both men in the conclusion when he writes that “Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the union … while Lincoln defended the union and destroyed slavery … was one path more right of righteous than the other? Brown’s path had the advantage of immediacy, it was soul satisfying. Lincoln’s path had the advantage of legitimacy … cloaked in the constitution even when he stretched that venerable fabric.”
I love Douglas’ description of Lincoln: “Lincoln wasn’t perfect, but he was perfectly suited to his task. Taking him for all in all, measuring the tremendous magnitude of the work before him, considering the necessary means to ends, and surveying the end from the beginning … infinite wisdom has seldom sent any man into the world better fitted for his mission than Abraham Lincoln.”
The author rightly summarizes both men in the conclusion when he writes that “Brown aimed at slavery and shattered the union … while Lincoln defended the union and destroyed slavery … was one path more right of righteous than the other? Brown’s path had the advantage of immediacy, it was soul satisfying. Lincoln’s path had the advantage of legitimacy … cloaked in the constitution even when he stretched that venerable fabric.”
I love Douglas’ description of Lincoln: “Lincoln wasn’t perfect, but he was perfectly suited to his task. Taking him for all in all, measuring the tremendous magnitude of the work before him, considering the necessary means to ends, and surveying the end from the beginning … infinite wisdom has seldom sent any man into the world better fitted for his mission than Abraham Lincoln.”
March 20, 2021
I was able to finally finish book 2 on my 2021 list. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Brands wove together the duel roles that Brown and Lincoln played in bringing an end to the scourge of slavery in our nation.
Duel biographical writings are hit or miss and Brands knocks this one out of the park. If you are interested at all in John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, or ending of slavery then I’d recommend this wholeheartedly. Plus, H.W. Brands has a gift for writing historical nonfiction.
I always knew of the personal struggle Lincoln had with how to combat slavery while still holding some pretty clear white supremacy ideologies. His goal was always free soiler first and in war was preserving the Union above all else.
This book really filled in the gaps about those around him that helped push him in the direction of emancipation. I wonder how it would’ve gone without the constant pushing and prodding by others around him.
Long story short, its an enlightening read.
Duel biographical writings are hit or miss and Brands knocks this one out of the park. If you are interested at all in John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, or ending of slavery then I’d recommend this wholeheartedly. Plus, H.W. Brands has a gift for writing historical nonfiction.
I always knew of the personal struggle Lincoln had with how to combat slavery while still holding some pretty clear white supremacy ideologies. His goal was always free soiler first and in war was preserving the Union above all else.
This book really filled in the gaps about those around him that helped push him in the direction of emancipation. I wonder how it would’ve gone without the constant pushing and prodding by others around him.
Long story short, its an enlightening read.
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