Despised and admired during his life and after his execution, the abolitionist John Brown polarized the nation and remains one of the most controversial figures

The first shot of the American Civil War was not fired on April 12, 1861, in Charleston, South Carolina, but instead came on October 16, 1859, in Harpers Ferry,

A New York Times Notable Book for 2011 A Library Journal Top Ten Best Books of 2011 A Boston Globe Best Nonfiction Book of 2011 Bestselling author Tony Horwitz

Retelling of an important pre-Civil War event, the ill-fated raid on Harpers Ferry.