Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horowitz

In the radio interviews Tony Horwitz did last year for his latest book, Midnight Rising, he made the claim that the raid on Hapers Ferry, Virginia led by John Brown could be seen as the first battle in America’s Civil War.  An interesting proposition, I thought. While his book is a very good read, it’s much more of a straightforward account of John Brown’s later … Continue reading Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horowitz

Two Brothers by David H. Jones

Two Brothers by David H. Jones opens at the close of the Civil War. We follow poet Walt Whitman to the army hospital where he works as a volunteer nurse caring for the most seriously injured soldiers often tending them as they lay dying. Whitman is sent to care for a southern soldier who has only a short time to live. The soldier, William Prentiss, … Continue reading Two Brothers by David H. Jones