John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights Paperback – Illustrated, November 14, 2006

This is the sort of book you can sink your teeth into. A very clear look at the man, John Brown, his whole biography. The big take away for me was his connection to the "secret six" backers and the Transidentalists like Ralf Waldo Emerson. The other take away was how his conception of sparking a slave rebellion was to cause the slavers to lose a lot of sleep as it was obvious that with outside help slave rebellions would soon overwhelm the slave states. Well written, well read and thought provoking.

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. Thoreau compared Brown on the scaffold to Christ on the cross.If Brown had died at Harpers Ferry before the country could hear his defense and see the greatness of his character--his every word and behavior a challenge to the country to throw off the evils of slavery--history would no doubt have been different. Reynolds is redeeming Brown from neglect and misunderstanding to his rightful place as a heroic patriarch and patriot of America.In our age when "true believers" are highly suspect, Brown's character and long-contemplated actions shine as an example of exactly how and when a "fanatic" is not a fanatic. Brown founded a community where blacks and whites lived together as equals. He lived out his religious and political beliefs fully, whole-heartedly, yet included others of different beliefs in his inner circle (his first lieutenant was an atheist).I read mostly library books; this one I bought and buy for others.

That is the background theme of this book. I think David Reynolds was mistaken in making it so prominent. You can pick dozens of quotes from the book either condemning or commending Old John. The issue is really pretty subtle. Slavery wasn't exactly like not having national health insurance, after all, and most historians agree with Reynolds it wasn't about to disappear soon. Anyhow, what's "soon" if you're tied to tree being whipped in the hot sun? Or your child is? Does a slave have a "natural right" to kill his master, as many argued at the time. Interesting question from a natural rights perspective (a perspective I take seriously) and one that could get its own book. But, anyway, in returning over and over and over to these considerations and continually offering judgements on his main character, Reynolds distracts (or distracted me) from the story line. I think he also does himself a disservice in that this theme will serve in the future to make the book seem very dated. Yes, this, too, will pass. But the story line is very good and historically significant, so it wasn't hard to get back. I learned a lot about the times and the players from this book. Which is why I bought and read it.There are several minor points I'd mention. Two that come to mind are the interpretation late on in the book of a Dickinson poem as about John Brown (seemed like a stretch) and the remark that Thaddeus Stevens (Speaker of the House and Reconstructionist par excellance) pushed universal sufferage in order to "punish" the South. In regard to the latter I must remark that though Stevens was, indeed, a vindictive man (and in this case, why not?) his committment to the equality of each and every human being, race, class and gender, was lifelong and deeply held. In that he was rare for his time, as Reynolds is constantly mentioning in favor of Old John. (I'm from Steven's hometown or I'd let it pass. Check out Trefousse's biography)

David Reynolds' biography of John Brown is excellent.Reynolds goes beyond simply recounting Brown's life. He describes the context before, during, and after Brown's life. Based on this context, it's easy for the reader to see the central role John Brown played in provoking the South's succeeding from the Union in response to Abraham Lincoln's election.Reynolds is correct in crediting John Brown as the man who killed slavery. The book describes, well, the significant supporting roles played by a host of characters in both the North and the South who made John Brown that man.Finally, Reynolds gives insight into John Brown's demonstrated character, with respect to race and race relations, without the book coming off like some sort of hagiography.

I loved reading this book. I felt as if I were living in John Brown's world, his mind and his strong dislike of those who enslaved black people. When I read the part about his execution, it was very moving and brought teras to my eyes. This was totally unexpected. A great man.

"They are themselves mistaken who take him to be a madman"- Governor of Virginia Henry Wise, spoken after he met the captured John BrownDespite of being a pro-John Brown book, I found it very objective. Read this book and you will discover a multi-dimensional John Brown, far from a popular image of an odd fanatic unrelated to the rest of America.Was John Brown a traitor or a patriot? What's the relation between John Brown and Jamaica? What did John Brown do when he discovered his son's murderer? Did Allan Pinkerton ever help John Brown? Did John Brown approve of the terrorist methods suggested by the Canadian blacks? What role did Transcendentalists play in John Brown's legacy?This book provides answers to these questions, and makes you appreciate the impact this one person made upon this nation. Truly a must-have for anyone who's really interested in John Brown and cultural history of antebellum America.

This is an eloquently written, impeccably researched contextual biography of John Brown. Reynolds does not merely present Brown’s life, but explains both his influences as well as his legacy. It would be difficult to imagine a finer, more complete and more engrossing book on Brown, his times and the way he changed American history. Unhesitatingly recommended.

Great

Great book. But there's a considerable problem with the kindle edition: there's no notes in the text. You can read the notes at the end of the book but the numbers are not placed at the text in the chapters, therefore you cannot locate them. If you are planning to use the book for academic purposes this is a big issue.

Great book.... Europe doesn't really acknowledge white abolitionists in their national curriculum this man John Brown is a great man who put his life on the line to make blacks free hat off to the man

No problems