Update 1/2017: This book is a great antidote to the Hamilton mania still going strong. A key player in the events described, Alexander Hamilton is shown here as an unabashed elitist who intentionally engineered the conflict as a means of crushing rural populism. It became clear to me after reading this that he really deserves to be seen as one of the great villains of American history.

Great book about a frequently overlooked part of US history. It could've used a stronger conclusion to look at the meaning and ongoing significance of the Whiskey Rebellion, but a worthwhile read nonetheless. The conflict was essentially over the meaning of the American Revolution, and the main lesson I took from the story is that the US has never really been a democracy.