Midnight Rising: Tony Horwitz's Story of John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War

T Jorgensen-Nelson: Parcel was left on wet doorstep and was damaged.

Canada on Nov 10, 2023

KScott: This is a great book. If you (li,ke me) love Horwitz' books then you might be disappointed. This is not a history/travel book like his others. This is a pure history book. It is still a fantastic book and I enjoyed reading it very much, but it is not in the same vein as Horwitz' other books. I recommend it, but keep in mind that it is a bit different from his other books.

Sweden on Jan 22, 2022

M. Lloyd: I'd heard a lot about the legendary John Brown through reading Civil War books so decided to read this book dedicated to the man himself and his actions at Harpers Ferry. The story is well told at a good pace and held my attention well. Would recommend.

United Kingdom on Jul 25, 2017

TC in 08: With @150 Civil War books in my library, this was the first one that I read that was solely about John Brown's raid in Harper's Ferry. And, being a fan of Tony Horwitz, it did not disappoint. There is a wealth in detail about Brown's life, his previous actions out west and his efforts to generate interest (and funding) from northeners who had abolitionis tendencies. The planning for the raid, the actual event and its aftermath get a thorough coverage. It is also, like Horwitz's other books, a joy to read and includes numerous photos of the participants and locations of events.

United Kingdom on May 05, 2017

arthur banner: What is one to make of John Brown? In his day, John Brown was a controversial figure, admired by some, hated by many and loved by few. It was his devotion to God juxtaposed to his attraction to violence that left many people puzzled and uneasy. We are still perplexed about him 155 years after his death. John Brown was a misdirected man who though highly moral saw violence as the most appropriate and necessary solution to the problem of slavery. Tony Horwitz has taken on the challenge of explaining this seemingly inexplicable man. The manner by which John Brown, a rigidly religious man ended up being hanged for treason is the subjects of this well crafted and well written book. The narrative is rich and the research impeccable. I rated this book a five since it allowed us into the mind of this complicated man and allows us to make our own judgements.

For those who admired Horwitz’s previous books, especially his ability to put himself into the story, be warned that this is a different kind of book. In Confederates in the Attic, Horwitz walked the streets of the South in search of his narrative. For this book, he claims, “walking the footsteps of...

United States on Jan 19, 2014

Darryl: A well researched and thoroughly interesting book about the flawed John Brown and how he amazingly could be said to have started the American Civil War.Reminds me somewhat of the Tea Party and arguing without factual evidence, just faith. Quite religious in its views and very American. An Excellent Read.

Canada on Jun 07, 2012

Dienne: Tony Horwitz has written a thoroughly researched and eminently readable account of the life of one of history's most complicated and vexing characters. John Brown was a visionary hero ahead of his time. He was also a radical outlaw willing to match violence for violence and even take life in cold blood. He was also a seriously flawed human being whose inflexible nature and single-minded devotion to his cause and utter inability to manage business affairs left his wife and brood of children in near poverty and very likely imperiled his own mission. There is simply no way to reconcile this singularly complex figure into any of the neat packages history has tried to stuff him into - whether hero, madman or villain. Yet this fanatical hero-villain, in the course of a blundered raid, lit the spark that ended slavery and exploded the "Southern Way of Life".

After a brief prologue setting the stage for the raid on Harper's ferry, Horwitz returns to the beginning to trace what is known - and what Brown himself reported - of Brown's childhood and early life. Brown was raised by a strict Calvinist who espoused hard work, piety, strident punishment of sins, and...

United States on Jan 26, 2012