Comment Re:new yorker (Score 3, Informative) 647
John Brown is an amazing character that is held up as a hero by the far right and the far left and of whom even the "middle" stand in awe (if a bit uncomfortably). The things that happened at Harpers Ferry are still affecting us today.
If you like historical romps the whole "Flashman" series by George MacDonald Fraser are excellent, and they even include one that centres on the events of Harpers Ferry. The concept is that Flashman (the bully from "Tom Brown's School Days") is expanded on and his life after being expelled is explained. In his memoirs he describes how he became a hero and celebrated soldier all the while he was a scoundrel, coward and cad. Excellent series of books. Apparently when it was first published, at least one reviewer thought it was a real memoir.
Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde are all great, quite British but I'm sure an American wouldn't be too put off by anything in there.