No study of the American Civil War is complete without an understanding of the events that unfolded in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859. Abolitionist John Brown became a martyr to many through his raid on the federal arsenal there, in support of a slave rebellion. But he became a reviled enemy to those opposed to abolition. This in-depth account provides many fascinating details of the planning of the raid, such as Brown’s attempt to recruit Frederick Douglass to the cause. It also explains the aftershocks of the attack in a nation truly on the brink of war.