Welcome to the Eric Mataxis show.

It's the show that answers the questions.

Could you milk a cockroach?

By the way, cockroach milk is really yummy.

Some would even say numby.

This announcement has been brought to you by the cockroach dairy council.

And now the man who once wrangled cockroaches for a living in Kansas City.

Eric Mataxis.

Hey there, folks. Welcome to the Eric Metaxus show.

For today's episode, I'll be playing the role of Eric Mataxis host.

Playing the role of guest, we have an author, goes by the name of H.W. Brands.

H.W. Brands is the author of many books. He's a professor at the University of Texas, Austin,

Hookham Horns. And his most recent book, I have to say, I am very excited to talk about this.

The title is The Zealot and The Emancipator about John Brown and Abraham Lincoln.

H.W. Brands, welcome to this program.

Glad to be with you, Eric.

This is a crazy combo.

I mean, it's one thing to write about Lincoln's.

Another thing to write about John Brown, to combine them in a narrative, I want to ask you

how that happened, first of all.

And then for those in my audience who are unaware of John Brown, if you could just give

us a thumbnail sketch of who he was,

...