Pulled Back In: America’s Good Terrorist and the Mind of Old Virginia--A Review

John Brown Today

In this episode, Lou reviews America's "Good Terrorist": John Brown and the Harper's Ferry Raid, by Charles P. Poland, Jr., Ph.D. "[W]hile this is a new book," Lou observes, "there is something very old about it, a refurbished version of the old anti-Brown story that was so pervasive from the early-to-mid-20th century—that old hackneyed tale of John Brown that still haunts the popular narrative." An extended review, Lou examines the author's problematic theme, that Brown was a terrorist, as well as the author's treatment of biographical and historical details. Listeners will appreciate why, even at his kindest, Lou suggests that this book should not be the first book you read about John Brown, and certainly should not be the last book you read about John Brown either. Besides deconstructing Poland's terrorist argument, Lou considers how the author treats key themes in Brown's life, as well as his actions in Kansas and in Virginia.
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