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hikemogan's review
4.0
I read the "Oxford W.E.B. DuBois" version, edited by Henry Louis Gates. In his introduction Gates listed a few (trivial) factual errors that DuBois made in his biography of John Brown. But overall this was a comparatively great biography using a lot of primary sources and correspondence between Brown, his children, and others.
The very end, in which DuBois tried to connect the abolitionist struggle in the 1800s to the cause of international socialism via the USSR nearly a century later felt a bit tacked on or out of left field. But it didn't detract from the other 99% of the history.
The very end, in which DuBois tried to connect the abolitionist struggle in the 1800s to the cause of international socialism via the USSR nearly a century later felt a bit tacked on or out of left field. But it didn't detract from the other 99% of the history.
shiradest's review
5.0
"The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression."
This was the refrain that Du Bois repeated, particularly in the last chapter of this surprising biography. I listened to it, and upon finishing, immediately had the urge to read much of it over again at once, in print, especially the beautiful citations of poetry from the Hebrew scriptures, and the last sections in which Du Bois points up the legacy left by Brown which continued into his day, and indeed, even into our own day. Du Bois shows how the collusion of industrial interests and the racial interpretation of social relations, applied to Darwin's work as a means of using the power developed during Brown's time, the same power that drove him, a good and principled man, out of business, to prevent the existing hegemony from being changed, actually works to the detriment of all humanity. He ties up the implications of John Brown's life's work versus that interpretation of Darwin as a negation of the eugenics programs and all that led to those programs. Brown, much to my surprise, was described as a thoughtful man, initially stern, but eventually becoming a kind man, one who abhorred the shedding of blood, and believed deeply in the mutual obligations and respect due to every human being. Du Bois shows how the beginnings of Brown's plan were intended to be as non-violent as possible, and only reluctantly evolved into the raid on the federal arsenal, while remaining a project of killing only when absolutely necessary. Witnesses describe a community with by-laws drawn up to run much as the first century Christians are described as living in the book of Acts, and of Brown's insistence upon gentlemanly and respectful conduct, even to captured prisoners. This made him, it seems, a man well ahead of his times. But, also a bit of a dreamer. Du Bois describes Brown as attempting to convince other leaders, but finding them more skeptical of his plans. I was very impressed with Du Bois delving into military science to show that, had every member of Brown's group acted in strict accordance with his plan, the raid on the Armory would very likely have succeeded. Yet, a plan that depends on each man acting selflessly is, it seems, the plan of a dreamer. By the time I had finished Du Bois' devastating final chapter, I felt not only moved for the dream and strongly felt duty of Brown, but also for the life of honest and courageous integrity that was laid down as a willing martyr for the cause of Abolition. He used his trial as a means of putting the very South herself, and her Peculiar Institution in particular, on trial, quite successfully. Why are we not taught about the details of this trial, and his words at that trial, in school? This biography should be required reading in every High School history classroom in the United States. Please, please, please, read this book, perhaps starting with the final chapter. But read it.
My reading updates follow:
listening via https://librivox.org/john-brown-by-w-e-b-du-bois/ ...
British wool tariffs nearly brought the US to consider invading, around 1830?? Wow. I've never heard of that, nor of the fact that Oberlin college was given land in Virginia.
John Brown as a bank director? Who would have thought of this? Ruined, like many, by the Panic of 1837
"Organized economic aggression" by business highwaymen literally forced a good man, John Brown, out of business because he refused to abandon his good principles!
and incredible, of all the poetic language Du Bois uses: "...a great Black phalanx" of escaped slaves and Free People of Color welcoming them into the "cities of refuge" up north and organizing Colored resistance. And John Brown's family sheltering ...
The reverend Lovejoy, from The Simpsons, is named for the murdered Abolitionist preacher Rev. Lovejoy? Who knew!
This murder, and being kicked out of their church for giving their nice seats to the Negro family attending the meeting, catalyzed Brown's 1839 knowledge and support of the Abolitionist movement. In fact, white brutality even against white people planted the seeds.
Section 7: So, Brooks caned Sumner over Missouri's lie about Kansas Territory, and the Civil War actually began in Lawrence, KA.
Shameless forcing of a faux election by Missourians of Kansas lawmakers, and the US Army helping the Southerners with guns and Bowie knives, and canon!? But despite the free-state majority, KA, nearly became a slave-state.
Ch. 7, The Swamp of the Swan, end of Section 8:
This militia formed by Captain John Brown is like David, as he says, but not a band of thugs, as that of David was: no profanity, no corporal punishment, no unkind or ungentlemanly behavior. Wow. Feeling themselves like a family, said his men. These were the Anla'Shok. "All great reforms...based on generous..."
Incredible.
How his image has been distorted.
... and why not admit women?
He wrote and had adopted an actual Constitution for his followers down South.
Preamble here: https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/td...
Postponement of action, weeping to Schubert...
An indictment on the system of slavery, Brown's speech on the stand ends with
"Farewell. Farewell."
Du Bois calls his trial “the mightiest Abolition document that America has known” is right, and a beautiful one, by his last words to his family.
"The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression." Clearly, Du Bois wanted this phrase to stay with the reader, and he uses it to devastating effect, particularly in the last section, "The Legacy of John Brown."
Absolutely stunning look at both a deliberately misrepresented man, and a legacy that remains with us, to this very sad day.
Incredible.
Simply incredible.
This was the refrain that Du Bois repeated, particularly in the last chapter of this surprising biography. I listened to it, and upon finishing, immediately had the urge to read much of it over again at once, in print, especially the beautiful citations of poetry from the Hebrew scriptures, and the last sections in which Du Bois points up the legacy left by Brown which continued into his day, and indeed, even into our own day. Du Bois shows how the collusion of industrial interests and the racial interpretation of social relations, applied to Darwin's work as a means of using the power developed during Brown's time, the same power that drove him, a good and principled man, out of business, to prevent the existing hegemony from being changed, actually works to the detriment of all humanity. He ties up the implications of John Brown's life's work versus that interpretation of Darwin as a negation of the eugenics programs and all that led to those programs. Brown, much to my surprise, was described as a thoughtful man, initially stern, but eventually becoming a kind man, one who abhorred the shedding of blood, and believed deeply in the mutual obligations and respect due to every human being. Du Bois shows how the beginnings of Brown's plan were intended to be as non-violent as possible, and only reluctantly evolved into the raid on the federal arsenal, while remaining a project of killing only when absolutely necessary. Witnesses describe a community with by-laws drawn up to run much as the first century Christians are described as living in the book of Acts, and of Brown's insistence upon gentlemanly and respectful conduct, even to captured prisoners. This made him, it seems, a man well ahead of his times. But, also a bit of a dreamer. Du Bois describes Brown as attempting to convince other leaders, but finding them more skeptical of his plans. I was very impressed with Du Bois delving into military science to show that, had every member of Brown's group acted in strict accordance with his plan, the raid on the Armory would very likely have succeeded. Yet, a plan that depends on each man acting selflessly is, it seems, the plan of a dreamer. By the time I had finished Du Bois' devastating final chapter, I felt not only moved for the dream and strongly felt duty of Brown, but also for the life of honest and courageous integrity that was laid down as a willing martyr for the cause of Abolition. He used his trial as a means of putting the very South herself, and her Peculiar Institution in particular, on trial, quite successfully. Why are we not taught about the details of this trial, and his words at that trial, in school? This biography should be required reading in every High School history classroom in the United States. Please, please, please, read this book, perhaps starting with the final chapter. But read it.
My reading updates follow:
listening via https://librivox.org/john-brown-by-w-e-b-du-bois/ ...
British wool tariffs nearly brought the US to consider invading, around 1830?? Wow. I've never heard of that, nor of the fact that Oberlin college was given land in Virginia.
John Brown as a bank director? Who would have thought of this? Ruined, like many, by the Panic of 1837
"Organized economic aggression" by business highwaymen literally forced a good man, John Brown, out of business because he refused to abandon his good principles!
and incredible, of all the poetic language Du Bois uses: "...a great Black phalanx" of escaped slaves and Free People of Color welcoming them into the "cities of refuge" up north and organizing Colored resistance. And John Brown's family sheltering ...
The reverend Lovejoy, from The Simpsons, is named for the murdered Abolitionist preacher Rev. Lovejoy? Who knew!
This murder, and being kicked out of their church for giving their nice seats to the Negro family attending the meeting, catalyzed Brown's 1839 knowledge and support of the Abolitionist movement. In fact, white brutality even against white people planted the seeds.
Section 7: So, Brooks caned Sumner over Missouri's lie about Kansas Territory, and the Civil War actually began in Lawrence, KA.
Shameless forcing of a faux election by Missourians of Kansas lawmakers, and the US Army helping the Southerners with guns and Bowie knives, and canon!? But despite the free-state majority, KA, nearly became a slave-state.
Ch. 7, The Swamp of the Swan, end of Section 8:
This militia formed by Captain John Brown is like David, as he says, but not a band of thugs, as that of David was: no profanity, no corporal punishment, no unkind or ungentlemanly behavior. Wow. Feeling themselves like a family, said his men. These were the Anla'Shok. "All great reforms...based on generous..."
Incredible.
How his image has been distorted.
... and why not admit women?
He wrote and had adopted an actual Constitution for his followers down South.
Preamble here: https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/td...
Postponement of action, weeping to Schubert...
An indictment on the system of slavery, Brown's speech on the stand ends with
"Farewell. Farewell."
Du Bois calls his trial “the mightiest Abolition document that America has known” is right, and a beautiful one, by his last words to his family.
"The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression." Clearly, Du Bois wanted this phrase to stay with the reader, and he uses it to devastating effect, particularly in the last section, "The Legacy of John Brown."
Absolutely stunning look at both a deliberately misrepresented man, and a legacy that remains with us, to this very sad day.
Incredible.
Simply incredible.
freewaygods's review
informative
medium-paced
2.0
I guess I was under the wrong impression of what this book is: over two-thirds of the content of this book is direct quotations from other books/biographies. That means less than a third is Du Bois’ actually writing. It was hard to connect with it on account of I didn’t set out to read all those multi page-long quotations; I wanted to read Du Bois.
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