This novel tells the tale of John Brown from the time that he made the decision to come to Kansas, through the Battle of Black Jack, which was considered by many to be the first regular battle of the American Civil War, and then on to the siege at Harpers Ferry, where Negroes fought alongside Brown for their freedom. Finally the story takes the reader inside the courtroom at John Brown's trial and then on to the gallows, where Brown was hung.

Brown's voice, thoughts, emotions, and actions were drawn from the hundreds of letters written between Brown and his family, friends, and benefactors. Eyewitness accounts of Brown's character, courage, and failings serve to bring a far different John Brown into focus. The historical events of the period and John's life, as written by the primary historians, are painstakingly tracked in order to provide further authenticity to the story.