The Insurrectionist

A compelling historical novel, The Insurrectionist follows the militant abolitionist John Brown from his involvement in Bleeding Kansas to the invasion of Harpers Ferry and the dramatic conclusion of his subsequent trial. Meticulous historical detail blends with dramatic personal descriptions to reveal critical episodes in Brown’s life, illuminating his character and the motives that led up to the Harpers Ferry invasion, giving readers a complete picture of the man who has too often been dismissed as hopelessly fanatical. Brown’s friendship with Frederick Douglass and their ongoing debate on how to end slavery, his devoted family who stands by him despite the danger, and his struggles to secure funding and political favor for his cause against deeply entrenched politicians, makes for a surprisingly contemporary story of family, passion, race, and politics.

“A compellingly written, deft mixture of fact and fiction that illuminates a critical antebellum time and place in US history—as well as the complex character of the aptly named ‘insurrectionist’ John Brown.” —Marc Leepson, journalist, historian, and the author of Saving Monticello, Lafayette: Lessons in Leadership from the Idealist General, and What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life

"[O]ffers a balanced account of Brown's life-long passion to free the enslaved." —Booklist Online Exclusive

“...very highly recommended, especially for community library Historical Fiction collections.” —Midwest Book Review

Herb Karl is an emeritus faculty member from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.  He is the author of a YA novel, The Toom County Mud Race that was published as an honor book by Delacorte; a version of the novel had been named earlier as a winner of the Florida Screenwriters Competition.  He is also the author of a short story selected for publication in From One Experience to Another, a collection of stories written by award-winning authors sharing real-life experiences through fiction. He lives in Burnsville, North Carolina.