Midnight Rising

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A *New York Times* Notable Book for 2011, a *Library Journal* Top Ten Best Book of 2011, and a *Boston Globe* Best Nonfiction Book of 2011, this work by bestselling author Tony Horwitz recounts the daring insurrection that set America on the path to civil war. John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, plotted in secret and executed under the cover of darkness, was a pivotal moment in U.S. history, yet the true story of the individuals involved remains largely unknown. The narrative vividly depicts a nation on the brink of explosive conflict, with Brown—descendant of New England Puritans—viewing slavery as a sin against America's founding principles. Unlike most abolitionists, he was prepared to take up arms. In 1859, he gathered a group at a Maryland hideout, including his teenage daughter, three sons, former slaves, and a dashing spy. On October 17, they seized Harpers Ferry, shocking the nation and prompting a counterattack led by Robert E. Lee. Brown's capture and defiant eloquence galvanized the North while appalling the South, which labeled him a terrorist. This raid significantly contributed to the election of Abraham Lincoln, who later initiated the Emancipation Proclamation, which he described as "a John Brown raid, on a gigantic scale." Horwitz's compelling narrative traverses antebellum America, presenting both a gripping historical drama and a portrait of a divided nation, echoing themes that resonate today.