John Brown's Virginia Raid

About the Book

The Great Virginia Raid is the story of John Brown’s attempt to seize the United States arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, and free the slaves living in the vicinity. Ten of Brown’s men were killed, Brown himself was arrested, put on trial, found guilty, and was executed. The events occupied a pivotal point in the history of the United States when slavery was readily acceptable by the South. Slavery was about to be overthrown, and the study of John Brown’s actions was classic. In this new book about John Brown, much emphasis was placed upon contemporary newspaper accounts and material obtained from various historical societies and museums.

About the Author

I was born in New York City in 1928. Shortly thereafter, I moved with my family to the Catskill Mountains. I completed high school in 1946 and obtained a bachelor of arts degree in 1950. In 1953, I received a master of science degree in physics. I worked at the Westinghouse Bettis Plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, working on power plants for submarines. In October 1962, I became interested in nuclear rocketry and moved to Canoga Park, California, to be part of a team to design a rocket mission to Mars. In 1974, I moved to Long Island and worked at the Brookhaven National Laboratory until retirement, at which time I took up writing. My book Shandelee was published in 2009, and a book on Andrew Johnson’s trip to Chicago is in progress.