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    The Whiskey Rebels
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    The Whiskey Rebels
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    The Whiskey Rebels
    Audiobook18 hours

    The Whiskey Rebels

    Written by David Liss

    Narrated by Christopher Lane

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    America, 1787. Ethan Saunders, once among General Washington's most valued spies, is living in disgrace after an accusation of treason cost him his reputation. But an opportunity for redemption comes calling when Saunders's old enemy, Alexander Hamilton, draws him into a struggle with bitter rival Thomas Jefferson over the creation of the Bank of the United States.

    Meanwhile, on the western Pennsylvania frontier, Joan Maycott and her husband, a Revolutionary War veteran, hope for a better life and a chance for prosperity. But the Maycotts' success on an isolated frontier attracts the brutal attention of men who threaten to destroy them.

    As their causes intertwine, Joan and Saunders-both patriots in their own way-find themselves on opposing sides of a plot that could tear apart a fragile new nation.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 30, 2008
    ISBN9781423326984
    Unavailable
    The Whiskey Rebels
    Author

    David Liss

    David Liss is a proud science fiction geek. When not acting like a total fanboy, he’s generally working on his books, stories, and comics. Liss has written eight bestselling novels for adults, most recently The Day of Atonement, and is the author of numerous comics, including Mystery Men, Sherlock Holmes: Moriarty Lives, and Angelica Tomorrow. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.

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    Reviews for The Whiskey Rebels

    4/5

    446 ratings73 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This was my third Liss book. I like historical fiction and Liss is very good at doing tons of research and using it as the basis of a good story. Unfortunately his fascination with financial dealing is not one of mine, and I find all the detail about stocks, trading, banking etc really thick and somewhat dull. I loved the descriptions of 1780's New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as the story of settlers duped and dumped in western Pennsylvania, but it was not enough to keep me interested in the "intrigue" part of the novel.
    • 5/5
      If you enjoy well researched historical novels, this one is for you. The storyline centers around the real life events of the 1790s and features historical figures such as Washington, Hamilton and Burr. The plot contains many intricate twists and turns that are rewarding for the reader. Highly recommend.
    • 3/5
      A good story that will teach you something about the Whiskey Rebellion, but the female protagonist is irritatingly predictable.
    • 5/5
      If you enjoy well researched historical novels, this one is for you. The storyline centers around the real life events of the 1790s and features historical figures such as Washington, Hamilton and Burr. The plot contains many intricate twists and turns that are rewarding for the reader. Highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      Joan Maycott's story begins in the summer of 1781 and Ethan Saunders story begins in 1792. In 1791 their stories begin to collide and these two people, both of whom love their country, find themselves on opposite sides in a struggle for the country as Alexander Hamilton seeks to establish a firm banking system.There is lots (over 500 pages worth) of love, betrayal, suspense and even murder.David Liss has written four other books that I have enjoyed and this one makes the fifth. He has a wonderful way of making a historical novel seem as if you were there.
    • 4/5
      I will give Liss credit. He can write a fascinating historical fiction story based on genuine events. I know very little about 1780-1790's post-revolution American history. Liss does a great job portraying the Federalist-Republican divide and a country at the epoch of new beginnings. I was particularly interested in the bank shares certificate swindle being enacted by Duer. As for the characters, I grew to develop a soft spot for Ethan - I always seem to have a soft spot for characters who can be described as being "a wastrel and a scoundrel, but with a sentimental heart for so selfish a creature." Joan is a strong willed, intelligent woman able to hold her own in the male-dominated world of America at the time. While Liss employs shifting narrative, for the most part the story follows a linear path, which made for easy reading for this reader. Overall, a solid historical fiction read with the added bonus for me of an intricate financial markets manipulation.
    • 4/5
      Although it took me a long time to read this book, I really enjoyed it and learned a bit about early American finance and history at the same time. Of the two narrators, Ethan was the stronger and more interesting. I found Joan's story moving but after a certain point I started to dislike her character and thought it unbelievable that she would have so easily convinced the various men to engage in her complicated, long-term and dangerous plot. But near the end the book really took off and I read straight through, rooting for Ethan the whole way. I recommend this book to anyone interested in early American history.
    • 3/5
      The book's back and forth between two stories makes it a challenging read. However it's worth the effort as the tales start to merge.
    • 4/5
      In the years after the American Confederation, Captain Ethan Saunders is a disgraced ex-spy who makes his living by gambling and charming wealthy women. However, he puts his skills to use again when a woman he once loved comes to him for help. Her request embroils Saunders in a deep-seated plot involving Alexander Hamilton and the Bank of the United States. Meanwhile, Joan Maycott, a young woman traveling west with her husband, has her own story entwined with Saunder’s.I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. Not being American, I wasn’t particularly swayed by the premise of a novel set during America’s early years as a nation. Yet once I got into it, I really enjoyed the setting. There is a feeling of burgeoning civilization faced with the rough wilderness, and a sense of struggle for political, economic, and social power. The country is young and the characters question what it means, this thing called America.I liked the characters. Both Ethan Saunders and Joan Maycott were compelling and I liked both their stories equally, which is rare for me in a dual narrative. David Liss’ cast is remarkably diverse. He represents people from all walks of life and treats them fairly. This isn’t a novel about only white heterosexual men, which is what I normally think of when I think of the people who founded America. Liss includes people of colour, strong women, and homosexuality, and I respected the novel all the more for that.The plot goes along smoothly. It isn’t outstanding, but it’s solid and decent and acts as a serviceable vehicle for the characters, who are the novel’s true draw. I did feel my attention start to wander in the latter part of the story, especially with all the economics jargon, but that’s probably just me. Someone with different interests may hold better. I also would have liked to have seen more of the titular action; that is, the whiskey trade. But overall The Whiskey Rebels is an engaging, intelligent, sensitive read.
    • 4/5
      In his first work of historical fiction set in America, David Liss also for the first time uses dual first person narrators. Ethan Saunders is a former Revolutionary War spy, disgraced after a false accusation of selling harmless secrets to the British. He is approached by one of Alexander Hamilton's agents who is attempting to locate the missing Mr. Pearson; Mrs. Pearson was engaged to Saunders before his disgrace, and she has turned to him for help.Joan Maycott and her husband move to the frontier of western Pennsylvania. Their surprising success with his new developments in whiskey making attract dangerous attention.Like all of David Liss' work, the Whiskey Rebels gives a detailed picture of its world, in this case the events leading up to the Whiskey Rebellion. His princpal characters live on the edges of their society and yet come across as authentic examples of people who could have lived. In spite of how detailed a history lesson it is, the action keeps coming until the last chapter, with twists that the reader will never suspect.There are a few details on which it could be improved. Of course this review is based on an advanced readers' copy, so one can assume the stray typo or three will be found before the final publication. Each of Joan's chapters is labeled as to when it is set. Ethan's chapters follow each other more immediately in time, however it would have been nice if we were told when his narrative was beginning. As it is, the reader can only guess based on roughly how long it has been since the war ended and what historical events we learn have or have not happened until Joan's chapters catch up with Ethan's. There was also a suggestion which I thought I saw made shortly after Joan reached the Pennsylvania frontier, which was never followed up. Now I do not know if I am reading too much into things or if Liss intended for the reader to understand, but not necessarily Joan.All in all I strongly suggest this book to fans of David Liss's other work, to fans of historical fiction in general, and to those interested in the early years after the Constitution.
    • 5/5
      A captivating read with a slow burn to an amazing crescendo. I will be peruring more from Mr. Liss.
    • 4/5
      Good book but it was maybe longer than it needed to be. Set in the late 18th century, it tells the story of Joan Maycott and her attempts to get back at Alexander Hamilton and others for events that happen to her family in Western Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, we also follow Ethan Saunders, a former soldier who's a drunk and womanizer. His former amour is in trouble from her husband who is himself in financial trouble.One of the things Liss could have done better was explain some of the financial issues that are at the core of the novel. That's one thing Crichton did so well—put a character into the mix who needed things explained to him so we, the reader, could also be informed without being insulted. Liss needed someone like that.
    • 3/5
      This is NOT a novel about the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 in the new American Republic, but is about some of the circumstances that led to it. Mostly, it's a tale of two personal obsessions: one entangled with the "whiskey boys" seeking revenge and destruction of a new bank challenging Hamilton's hobby horse Bank of The United States, and the other a quest to save the life and honor of a lost love. Both involved complicated financial scheming that I never completely understood, as well as some rollicking adventures. Both also involved very well drawn characters, whose vitality on the page kept me reading through the slightly sloggy bits. Joan Maycott and her husband were swindled by a man named Duer (a historical figure who did exist). After her husband's death, Joan made it her business to bring Duer down, by whatever means were at hand. Captain Ethan Saunders lost his reputation, his best friend and his lady love to the underhanded actions of Jacob Pearson, an associate of Duer's, so he set out to put things right by bringing them both to ruin without harming Pearson's wife (the aforesaid lady love) or children. It's all very tricky and convoluted, and I cannot say I followed it at every turn. It was also about 200 pages longer than it needed to be. But I felt invested in both story lines, which eventually intersected in a way I did not see coming. As historical fiction, it did shed some light on undercurrents that could easily have crippled this country before it got its legs solidly under it. We have not moved terribly far away from the sort of philosophical conflicts that plagued the founding fathers and mothers.
    • 5/5
      David Liss is a master story teller. He weaves facts and fiction together in The Whiskey Rebels so beautifully. It was hard to stop listening.
    • 3/5
      Fast-paced story about the Whiskey Rebellion on the (then) western frontier - fleshed out the details of a part of history I glossed over in school. Good characters, intertwined plots of politics and historical events. Basically a good read, but if it were a bit shorter, it would be better. In my opinion parts of it were too drawn out and occasionally repetitive.
    • 3/5
      I was thoroughly enjoying this book and then the ending left me flat. Too much violence and a sense of futility.
    • 4/5
      In his first work of historical fiction set in America, David Liss also for the first time uses dual first person narrators. Ethan Saunders is a former Revolutionary War spy, disgraced after a false accusation of selling harmless secrets to the British. He is approached by one of Alexander Hamilton's agents who is attempting to locate the missing Mr. Pearson; Mrs. Pearson was engaged to Saunders before his disgrace, and she has turned to him for help.Joan Maycott and her husband move to the frontier of western Pennsylvania. Their surprising success with his new developments in whiskey making attract dangerous attention.Like all of David Liss' work, the Whiskey Rebels gives a detailed picture of its world, in this case the events leading up to the Whiskey Rebellion. His princpal characters live on the edges of their society and yet come across as authentic examples of people who could have lived. In spite of how detailed a history lesson it is, the action keeps coming until the last chapter, with twists that the reader will never suspect.There are a few details on which it could be improved. Of course this review is based on an advanced readers' copy, so one can assume the stray typo or three will be found before the final publication. Each of Joan's chapters is labeled as to when it is set. Ethan's chapters follow each other more immediately in time, however it would have been nice if we were told when his narrative was beginning. As it is, the reader can only guess based on roughly how long it has been since the war ended and what historical events we learn have or have not happened until Joan's chapters catch up with Ethan's. There was also a suggestion which I thought I saw made shortly after Joan reached the Pennsylvania frontier, which was never followed up. Now I do not know if I am reading too much into things or if Liss intended for the reader to understand, but not necessarily Joan.All in all I strongly suggest this book to fans of David Liss's other work, to fans of historical fiction in general, and to those interested in the early years after the Constitution.
    • 4/5
      In the years after the American Confederation, Captain Ethan Saunders is a disgraced ex-spy who makes his living by gambling and charming wealthy women. However, he puts his skills to use again when a woman he once loved comes to him for help. Her request embroils Saunders in a deep-seated plot involving Alexander Hamilton and the Bank of the United States. Meanwhile, Joan Maycott, a young woman traveling west with her husband, has her own story entwined with Saunder’s.I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. Not being American, I wasn’t particularly swayed by the premise of a novel set during America’s early years as a nation. Yet once I got into it, I really enjoyed the setting. There is a feeling of burgeoning civilization faced with the rough wilderness, and a sense of struggle for political, economic, and social power. The country is young and the characters question what it means, this thing called America.I liked the characters. Both Ethan Saunders and Joan Maycott were compelling and I liked both their stories equally, which is rare for me in a dual narrative. David Liss’ cast is remarkably diverse. He represents people from all walks of life and treats them fairly. This isn’t a novel about only white heterosexual men, which is what I normally think of when I think of the people who founded America. Liss includes people of colour, strong women, and homosexuality, and I respected the novel all the more for that.The plot goes along smoothly. It isn’t outstanding, but it’s solid and decent and acts as a serviceable vehicle for the characters, who are the novel’s true draw. I did feel my attention start to wander in the latter part of the story, especially with all the economics jargon, but that’s probably just me. Someone with different interests may hold better. I also would have liked to have seen more of the titular action; that is, the whiskey trade. But overall The Whiskey Rebels is an engaging, intelligent, sensitive read.
    • 4/5
      I really dislike historical fiction when done poorly. Which is why this is such a treat. Ethan Saunders is a very human character--flawed, cunning, witty and resourceful, and often funny. His voice carries the novel. Joan Maycott's character is also compelling, although a bit less so than Ethan's. Perhaps it's her eventual turn to bringing down Hamilton at all costs, including ruining the country. The late 18th-century financial world gets a bit confusing at times, but it is also quite timely considering the parallels a reader could draw between today's financial crises and those of the 1790s.

      In any event, a solid story, excellent narrators, great pacing and well written.
    • 3/5
      The book started off slow for me, but it ended up with a really nice plot and had very interesting characters. I listened to this one on audiotape, but it probably would have been better to read because it skips around in time and alternates chapters between characters. That type of book is usually easier in hard copy than on audio tape.
    • 4/5
      Another very nice job by David Liss. I loved the way he touched on any number of different historical events just enough to get a rise out of us early American history buffs, but never so much as to intrude on his own excellent storyline. Liss reminds me of top-flight musicians when they take a solo: they show you some stuff, but they are way too hip too try and play their whole bag of tricks every time out. It is obvious in the details all the prep-work that goes into his novels, but I never get the "Whoa, hey, look at all the research I did!" that you get when you read some historical novels.Also, I read a good novel [book:Scandalmonger] by William Safire a few years back which deals with the Reynolds/Hamilton situation, so that storyline was a real kick to revisit!And on a different note, reading this novel and the complicated relationship between Ethan and Leonidas in the context of the breathtakingly significant events that occurred in this country earlier this week made the read just a little more unique. Great job, David.
    • 3/5
      I purchased this book because of reviews on this web site and because I had just completed William Hogeland's "Whiskey Rebellion" which is a true account of the events following the Revolutionary War in western Pennsylvania. The story alternates between Ethan Saunders and Joan Maycott, between western Pa. and Philadelphia, between patriot and whiskey makers. It describes the events leading up to the rebellion in 1794 between these two factions. Unfortunately I was unaware of the timeline, because I never read the chapter headings. My fault; it would have made a difference in my mind. Each character is duplicitous in their dealings with each other which left you wondering who you, the reader, could trust as well. I would recommend this book with reservations. You must be interested in the historical era and the subject to get through the book but if you really want to read it, I feel you would find it thoughtful and thought provoking.
    • 5/5
      If you are a fan of historical fiction and period pieces as well as suspense and mystery, you will really enjoy this book by Liss. The plot he weaves is as interesting as the characters he creates to place within it. He is a skilled writer with a knack for transporting his readers to the time and place in which this story is staged. There is enough mystery and intrigue to keep you invested in the story but not so much misdirection that you get lost in the twists and turns of the plot. As such, the end is a gratifying mix of revelations that will have you exclaiming a self-congratulatory 'I knew it!' as well as some head-scratching 'I didn't see that coming!' On a side note, just prior to reading this book I had just read Krass' biography Blood & Whiskey: The Life and Times of Jack Daniel and it was very interesting to see the overlap between the factual events described in Daniel's biography and the historically-grounded but fictional events depicted in Liss' novel. (This was the first book that I read by Liss and I enjoyed it so much that I have since read several of his other historical-fiction mystery novels and have found them all to be as well-written and enjoyable as this one. The two-part A Conspiracy of Paper/A Spectacle of Corruption are excellent while A Coffee Trader wasn't quite as good as the plot twists were entangled enough that it made me work a little harder than I would have liked while doing leisure reading. That said, it is still certainly worth a read if you find yourself becoming a Liss fan. I have just ordered his latest, The Devil's Company, so I can't speak to that one yet.)
    • 3/5
      Another great read from David Liss. In my opinion, this is the best of historical fiction. Well-researched and about a topic that you may know little about, but entertaining at the same time. I especially loved the different voices in this book (it is written from two main perspectives) and the descriptions of the Western Pennsylvania "frontier" were pretty astonishing. It really makes you think about the personalities of those that settled the "west"! I recommend this book just as highly as other David Liss novels I have read - outstanding!
    • 4/5
      As far as reviewing goes, this book threw me for a loop. My normal routine is to take notes as I read: page number + one word from the phrase that caught my mind, characters, dates, places, etc, then any other thoughts that occur to me as I’m reading. Then I type up my notes, going back to the pages I noted and capturing those phrases. It helps having these before me while I’m thinking through my review, and I often enter some of them into the book’s CK.So, I started typing up my notes for Whiskey Rebels. Too many pages of just the one-word prompts. I give up! My aging mind is not up to the task on this one. Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed this book. Writing about the Federalist period, using Philadelphia and the untamed frontier west of Pittsburgh as his settings, and weaving people from the pages of our nation’s history into his story, Mr. Liss tells about the events that led up to the Whiskey Rebellion, and about early stock trading, taxation and banking. His two main characters are fictitious: Joan Maycott, experiencing the effects of the whiskey tax on the frontier, and Ethan Saunders, who had been a spy during the revolutionary war, now swept up in these events. The book is written in alternating chapters of first person perspectives from these two characters, using much different ‘voices’. I especially enjoyed Ethan’s wit. The author’s short ‘Historical Notes’, tucked after the story, were quite helpful. My copy also has a section of discussion questions which look interesting, though I didn’t delve into them much. The sense of place was well done, I thought. At least it seemed as though that’s how the area could have looked in the 18th century. From Philadelphia’s rich drawing rooms and seedy boarding houses to the rude frontier, all felt quite real.I learned a lot about this period, but came away without any firm conclusions about the main historical figures involved. I lay that up to my dense old brain, not to the author. It does, however, make me want to read more about Hamilton and Jefferson. Enjoyed and recommended.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed A Conspiracy of Paper and I was looking forward to reading Liss's new work: I was a little disappointed. Set in New York, Philadelphia and western Pennsylvania just after the American Revolution, the story is narrated by Ethan Saunders, a likeable loser former soldier accused of treason, and Joan Maycott, a wife of a whiskey distiller on the Western frontier. The novel opens when Ethan finds himself involved in the disappearance of the husband of an old flame that's more than it appears: a plot to take down the new Bank of the United States. While the premise is intriguing, it was hard for me to keep my attention on the plot of this novel for very long, and I think that this convoluted story could have been delivered in fewer pages. Joan's narrative was unconvincing because her voice didn't even sound like a woman's. Ethan's story was more convincing, but his style was stilted and distracting. Although this is a pretty decent thriller, all things considered, my expectations weren't met.
    • 2/5
      I read this for book club. In the historical fiction category, so something I may have picked up on my own. Good but perhaps a bit too long - and far too many minute details of the beginnings of the Bank of America. Same author as "A Conspiracy of Paper" which I couldn't get into and never finished reading.
    • 5/5
      I don't read a lot of American historical fiction because I read so much of it during college and my post-college years. I thought I might be bored by the familiar history.Ha! Not even close.This is an excellent novel - for HF and espionage/thriller fans alike. There's enough economic history here to shed light on some of what's happening today re the recession. There's enough history about Alexander Hamilton to qualify this book for the biographical fiction category. In my experience, novels featuring Hamilton are either for or against, positive or negative. This one portrays both the federalist and anti-federalist sentiments, and does it well.It's told as two parallel stories - one running slightly ahead of the other - for about two-thirds of the book. Then they come together. Of course, you'll suspect how they come together long before they do. The conspiracy involving the Bank of the U.S. is fiction. But many of the characters and much of the information about the whiskey tax is history.
    • 5/5
      The story revolves around events in the early American republic and its establishment of the Bank of the US and the modern economy. The story is told from two perspectives - a man, burned-out former spy, and a woman - a wife, novelist, and frontier woman. A different approach that had me a little confused at first, but it came together in the end. Although I could guess the ending (knowing history and expecting him to not re-write it) it was a great read. A very good historical fiction/economic thriller.
    • 3/5
      This was okay. I generally enjoy this time period, early Federalist in the years just after the Revolution. The plot revolves around Alexander Hamilton's Bank of the United States and the extremely unpopular Whiskey Tax. There are two story threads going on at once (they eventually come together) first, a former spy for George Washington who was framed as a double agent and forced to resign in disgrace. He ends up in Philadelphia, occupying himself with drinking, gambling, and women. The "rake with a heart of gold" is played up a little too strongly, that gets tiresome quickly. Meanwhile, Joan Maycott is a pioneer woman facing the hardships of eking out living in the wilds of Western Pennsylvania, she's smart, independent, and has ambitions of writing an American novel. They both become involved with the financial speculators whose investments and the fate of Hamilton's bank are closely intertwined.Grade: B-Recommended: Eh, it's fine but not especially memorable.