Praise for In Freedom's Shadow

"Travel back to the Old West for a tale of revenge, Pinkerton agents, and frontier justice in the wake of the Civil War. One of those former Pinkerton agents in the movie is John Scobell (Gbenga Akinnagbe), making 2025’s Trail of Vengeance the first movie to feature John Scobell as one of its main characters."

"On this episode of the Big Time Talker podcast, we dive into the hidden corners of Civil War history with author Robert Hillard, whose award-winning historical fiction novel In Freedom’s Shadow uncovers the remarkable story of John Scobell—a man born into slavery who escaped to freedom, only to return to the South as a spy for the Union. Host Burke Allen chats with Robert about the inspiration behind the book, the real-life intelligence networks of the 1860s, and how a single paragraph on the CIA website led to a seven-year research journey."

"Joining us for the miniseries is author Rob Hilliard, whose book In Freedom's Shadow is a historical novel based on the true story of Pinkerton operative John Scobell, and includes many of the characters we see in the series."

Click the image above to hear Rob discussing In Freedom's Shadow with host Dean Karayanis on The History Author Show on YouTube.

Click the image above to hear Rob discussing In Freedom's Shadow with host Dean Karayanis on The History Author Show on YouTube.

Click the image above to hear Rob discussing John Scobell and other former slaves turned Civil War spies on the People Hidden in History podcast with host and author Kathleen Langone.

Click the image above to hear Rob talking about his bestselling novel, In Freedom's Shadow, on the History from the Homestead podcast with Thomas Carroll.

Click the image above to hear Rob talking about the Allegheny National Forest on the History from the Homestead podcast with Thomas Carroll.

Click the image above to hear Rob discussing In Freedom's Shadow with host Dianne Burckhardt on her Book Banter podcast.