Overview

The Insurrectionist is a captivating historical novel that follows the militant abolitionist John Brown from his involvement in Bleeding Kansas to the invasion of Harpers Ferry and the dramatic conclusion of his subsequent trial. Herb Karl carefully blends historical detail with dramatic personal descriptions to reveal critical episodes in Brown's life, illuminating his character and the motives that led up to the Harpers Ferry invasion, giving readers a complete picture of the man who has too often been dismissed as hopelessly fanatical. Brown's friendship with Frederick Douglass and their ongoing debate on how to end slavery, his devoted family, who stand by him despite the danger, and his struggles to secure funding and political favor for his cause against deeply entrenched politicians all make for a surprisingly contemporary story of family, passion, race, and politics.

Reviews

"A compellingly written, deft mixture of fact and fiction that illuminates a critical antebellum time and place in US history—as well as the complex character of the aptly named 'insurrectionist' John Brown." —Marc Leepson, journalist, historian, and the author of Saving Monticello, Lafayette: Lessons in Leadership from the Idealist General, and What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life

"[O]ffers a balanced account of Brown's life-long passion to free the enslaved." —Booklist Online Exclusive