Tony Horwitz on the Failure of Textbook History

"My complaint is that textbooks do a fine job of communicating the facts that students need to know to pass tests. But they don't do enough to make history exciting and engaging to students. Here's a story [John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry] that's got vivid characters -- men and women, white and black -- risking their lives for a cause they passionately believe in. You've got a violent, dramatic climax with the raid and wonderful speeches by Brown and others."

"It's also a great teaching tool, because Brown and his raid spur eternal questions that are great for the classroom. Do ends ever justify means? Is violence ever appropriate in resisting evil? Who was right? I think it's a pity that this episode isn't used more appropriately in textbooks."

Read more of Elizabeth Floyd Mair's conversation with Tony Horwitz (who visits Thursday 11/17) in Friday's Times Union.