John Brown still lives! : America's long reckoning with violence, equality, & change

"[Gilpin] illuminates how the memory of John Brown inspired white and black Americans. . . to understand the relationship between violence, equality, and social change."--"Journal of the North Carolina Association of Historians" Gilpin provides a compelling analysis of an important topic.--West Virginia History Gilpin's book shows . . . that John Brown remains a lightning rod in American culture, and the wildly divergent opinions of Brown are a testament to the power of history to define a man, his ideals, and his nation.--Kansas History Another fascinating study of how Americans have considered violence and change through their memories of one man and one event. . . . An excellent book.--Journal of Southern History Provides a refreshing reprieve from the typical biography by synthesizing a study of John Brown's legacy.--Louisiana History [A] fine study. . . . [that] examine[s] with equal sophistication the diverse forms in which Brown has become a vehicle for some of the most pressing ideological debates in American political culture.--Journal of American History [Gilpin] illuminates how the memory of John Brown inspired white and black Americans. . . to understand the relationship between violence, equality, and social change.--Journal of the North Carolina Association of Historians To read Gilpin's volume is to be overwhelmed by the unrelieved opportunism that, from every spot on the political spectrum, has found in John Brown the perfect vehicle for partisan gain.--Journal of American Studies Gilpin's book is an outstanding contribution to the growing body of work on historical memory.--American Historical Review [Gilpin's] analysis is pointed and pertinent. University students will especially profit from his resurrections of Brown.--Library Journal "[Gilpin's] analysis is pointed and pertinent. University students will especially profit from his resurrections of Brown."--"Library Journal" "Gilpin's book is an outstanding contribution to the growing body of work on historical memory."--"American Historical Review" "Gilpin provides a compelling analysis of an important topic."--"West Virginia History" "Gilpin's book shows . . . that John Brown remains a lightning rod in American culture, and the wildly divergent opinions of Brown are a testament to the power of history to define a man, his ideals, and his nation."--"Kansas History" "Another fascinating study of how Americans have considered violence and change through their memories of one man and one event. . . . An excellent book."--"Journal of Southern History" "[A] fine study. . . . [that] examine[s] with equal sophistication the diverse forms in which Brown has become a vehicle for some of the most pressing ideological debates in American political culture."--"Journal of American History" "To read Gilpin's volume is to be overwhelmed by the unrelieved opportunism that, from every spot on the political spectrum, has found in John Brown the perfect vehicle for partisan gain."--"Journal of American Studies" ""John Brown Lives!" deserves a place on that shelf of must-reads for professional and armchair readers alike who share a fascination with the long afterlife of the unquiet soul of America's most famous revolutionary."-"The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society" "John Brown has mesmerized and polarized Americans for 150 years, speaking in different tongues to black and white, North and South, left and right. Gilpin dissects both the man and the myth to show how clashing visions of race and reform have shaped memory of Brown in every era. Provocative and illuminating, this book should be read by anyone who cares about Brown, the legacy of slavery, and the use and abuse of history in America."-Tony Horwitz, author of "Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War" "Gilpin's study of John Brown in American memory is a genuine masterpiece. The depth of the interpretation, the comprehensiveness of the research, the intellectual breadth of the narrative, and the lucidity of the prose make this a most outstanding work. The author has contributed enormously not just to our understanding of John Brown and his racial cause, but he has also thrown exceptional light on the cultural, racial, and political climates that altered "the Old Hero's" image in America over the course of fast-changing times."--Bertram Wyatt-Brown, Richard J. Milbauer Emeritus Professor of History, University of Florida, and author of "The Shaping of Southern Culture: Honor, Grace, and War, 1760s-1880s" Read more...