A new biography by the award-winning author of Walt Whitman's America captures the turbulent life of John Brown, shedding new light on the controversial abolitionist who was responsible for the massacre of unarmed citizens in Kansas, liberation of slaves in Missouri, and raid on the federal arsenal [...]

They generate fear, suspicion, and above all fascination. Secret societies thrive among us, yet they remain shrouded in mystery. Their secrecy suggests, to many, sacrilege or crime, and their loyalties are often accused of undermining governments and tipping the scales of justice. The Freemasons, fo[...]