The Whiskey Rebels

De: David Liss

Narrado por: Christopher Lane

Ethan Saunders, once among General Washington's most valued spies, now lives in disgrace, haunting the taverns of Philadelphia. An accusation of treason has long since cost him his reputation and his beloved fiancée, Cynthia Pearson, but at his most desperate moment he is recruited for an unlikely task: finding Cynthia's missing husband.

To help her, Saunders must serve his old enemy, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who is engaged in a bitter power struggle with political rival Thomas Jefferson over the creation of the fragile young nation's first real financial institution: the Bank of the United States.

Meanwhile, Joan Maycott is a young woman married to another Revolutionary War veteran. With the new states unable to support their ex-soldiers, the Maycotts make a desperate gamble: trade the chance of future payment for the hope of a better life on the western Pennsylvania frontier.

There, amid hardship and deprivation, they find unlikely friendship and a chance for prosperity with a new method of distilling whiskey. But on an isolated frontier, whiskey is more than a drink; it is currency and power, and the Maycotts' success attracts the brutal attention of men in Hamilton's orbit, men who threaten to destroy all Joan holds dear.

As their causes intertwine, Joan and Saunders - both patriots in their own way - find themselves on opposing sides of a daring scheme that will forever change their lives and their new country.The Whiskey Rebels is a superb rendering of a perilous age and a nation nearly torn apart - and David Liss's most powerful novel yet.

©2008 David Liss (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Who knew Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson?

An interesting portrait of the period after the Revolution and the ratification of the Constitution, when the nation was expanding to the west into Western Pennsylvania near Pittsburg. The portrait of Hamilton as a man and as Treasury Secretary is not flattering, to say the least? Jefferson is also treated harshly, although not directly or in much detail. I found the characters somewhat flat, although the setting is good. I prefer the characters in "The Coffee Trader," another historical book by David Liss, to those in the "The Whiskey Rebels," but I did enjoy this book, as well.

really loved this!!!

Loved it from the start, although I didn't know where it was going. Then the plot lines converged. The book was full of surprises. The narrator was 5 star fantastic!!! I only allowed myself to listen on the way home from work ( because I have my inspirational and instructive books for the "to work" trip). So it was great. I really looked forward to listening. Enjoy! PS: I learned a little history from it, too. And got prodded to go further.

Worth a read

it's funny because I prefer male narrators. No idea why... but the women in this reading all sound the same. That kind of detracted from some parts of the story. Overall, however, it's a solid performance of a really entertaining story. There are many players trying to scheme and that kept my attention to the very end. The story also prompted me to go back and read about some of the real people in the story. I always like that. When a story is so interesting that I want to find out more about the subject.
I do recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical writing. The story also has a strong and clever lead female character. I seem to enjoy this vs. women being dumb, easy to bend to male will, and having sex with everyone.

Fantastic

This book has a wonderful cast of characters and is captivating historical fiction. I recommend for mature audiences due to scenes of violence but the story is filled with humor and rich relationships.

make this into a film

great story, very relevant to today . could see this as a action film

Great narrator,great story

Engaging and inventive story told in a voice that compelled me to listen.My favorite audiobook yet.

I have found a new friend...

Very well written and expertly read.
The story intertwines like old ivy, holding you firmly in anticipation of when and how these two timelines will join. The character development is rich and full and the many voices and attitudes of the narrator pull you gently back in time.
The language is at times harsh and vulgar, but such were the times and never seemed inappropriate. Liss effectively shows the prejudice of our forefathers in gender, race and culture, while the brilliance of the characters clearly shows ignorance of these prejudices.
I hope never to have an enemy like Jone Maycott, and for all his unseemly flaws, I would love to buy Capt. Saunders a drink.

Great Ride

Always like the fictional history. Entertainment while you learn something. Looking for more from this author.

Brilliant book, brilliant reading

The story was fantastic, enthralling, and interesting. Really one of David Liss’ finest in my opinion. The reading, however, was also truly masterful and brilliant. The way the reader could subtly portray each character really helped enrich the storytelling. A great selection!!

Brand New Country, Whose Birth May Surprise You

The Whiskey Rebels covers what the history books doesn't . . . I had never heard of the whiskey rebellion . . . my husband had, but barely. This period of time, just after the revolutionary war, when our nation was making laws and establishing the institutions that would become the financial systems of America, are covered in good detail in this audio book. To my astonishment, the United States, though it had broken ties with England to become a free nation in 1776, did not look so very different in the beginning, and for several years afterward, with a continuing battle between it's original founders over how much control the federal government would have over the people. Corruption in government was an issued almost from the start (should we be surprised?), greed and desire for personal gain by politicians was the major motivation for running for office, and secrets ran rampant among the elite society folks of the day. The historical accounts of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the other founding fathers are excellent. The story, which is fictional, is also excellent. I love historical fiction, and this one is top notch.