Books : John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights
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by: David S. Reynolds
List Price: $16.95Amazon.com's Price: $11.53 You Save: $5.42 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.7116092
EAN: 9780375726156
ISBN: 0375726152
Label: Vintage
Manufacturer: Vintage
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 592
Publication Date: November 14, 2006
Publisher: Vintage
Release Date: November 14, 2006
Sales Rank: 285270
Studio: Vintage
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
An authoritative new examination of John Brown and his deep impact on American history.
Bancroft Prize-winning cultural historian David S. Reynolds presents an informative and richly considered new exploration of the paradox of a man steeped in the Bible but more than willing to kill for his abolitionist cause. Reynolds locates Brown within the currents of nineteenth-century life and compares him to modern terrorists, civil-rights activists, and freedom fighters. Ultimately, he finds neither a wild-eyed fanatic nor a Christ-like martyr, but a passionate opponent of racism so dedicated to eradicating slavery that he realized only blood could scour it from the country he loved. By stiffening the backbone of Northerners and showing Southerners there were those who would fight for their cause, he hastened the coming of the Civil War. This is a vivid and startling story of a man and an age on the verge of calamity.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - IT'S GOOD STUFF
If you are looking for a highly detailed and informative documentary of the life of the famous John Brown and his exploits,look no further.The writer does not force his own opinion upon the reader,instead,he provides the contrasting veiwpoints held by both sides of the union in reference to John Brown and his actions.Was John Brown a fundamentalist driven by violence or a man whos desire for equality excuses his tactics? Read and decide for yourself.
Rating:  - only partially correct
I was disappointed with portions of this book. But again, it was not written by a historian.
In the first few chapters, Reynolds calls Harriet Beecher Stowe an adamant colonizationalist, without noting where the information came from. She did mention it in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," but stated afterward she was not supportive of it, although her father was.
It is obvious he is very sympathetic to John Brown. But he did do a very good job of portraying John Brown as the family man he ... Read More
Rating:  - When is a fanatic not a fanatic?
Highly enjoyable read. Not written at arm's length; It's clear that Reynolds "gets" John Brown and the age he lived in, so his heart and imagination are fully engaged as he writes. He doesn't hide Brown's humanity however. What bothered me the most was that Brown seemed to harden his heart toward his wounded son at Harpers Ferry. (How it appeared to observers apparently.)
All in all though Thoreau and Emerson got it right when they quickly came to his defense after Harpers Ferry. ... Read More
Rating: - Informative, a bit long, not as objective as one would hope
David S. Reynolds background as a Professor of English Literature shows in this book: although focused on John Brown's life, you can see Professor Reynolds' interest in Mid 19th century literature on almost every page, with frequent and extensive discourses on John Browns' interactions-with and impact on many of the well known authors and orators of the day, such as Walt Whitman, Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Melville, and Emily Dickinson.
In general, Reynolds makes the argument that ... Read More
Rating:  - Relatively decent understanding of Brown, poor understanding of his times.
Overall this book does not contribute significantly to an understanding of John Brown and his times. The strength of the book is within Reynolds grasp of Browns personal character. Reynolds convincingly demonstrates that John Brown was not crazy, at least from a clinical perspective. Also important is the way the book shapes how Brown's Calvinist views affected his own worldview. However, Reynolds often times errors in his analysis through his overt affinity for Brown. For instance, Reynolds too often ... Read More
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