Summary: In this clip, Bob O'Connor sports a patriotic tie, emblazoned with the U.S. flag design. Fittingly, the novel that he discusses with us at the 2006 Virginia Festival of the Book is about a significant event in United States history. Perfect Steel Trap: Harpers Ferry 1859 is the product of O'Connor's research into the infamous arsenal raid in 1859 and the subsequent capture, trial, and hanging of John Brown. The novel is written in the fictional voices of Brown's son, Owen, and Osborne Anderson, who both helped with the raid. Although the book is historical fiction, the content is nearly 100% factually accurate. In this 2-minute video, O'Connor shares some of the interesting factoids he uncovered during his extensive research, such as the association between John Brown and Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth.
