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Moonshine: A Cultural History of America's Infamous Liquor
Nothing but clear, 100-proof American history. Hooch. White lightning. White whiskey. Mountain dew. Moonshine goes by many names. So what is it, really? Technically speaking, "moonshine" refers to untaxed liquor made in an unlicensed still. In the United States, it’s typically corn that’s used to make the clear, unaged beverage, and it’s the mountain people of the American South who are most closely associated with the image of making and selling backwoods booze at night—by the light of the moon—to avoid detection by law enforcement. In this book, writer Jaime Joyce explores America’s centuries-old relationship with moonshine. From the country’s early adoption of Scottish and Irish home-distilling techniques and traditions to the Whiskey Rebellion of the late 1700s to a comparison of the moonshine industry pre- and post-Prohibition and a look at modern-day craft distilling, Joyce examines the historical context that gave rise to moonshining in America and explores its continued appeal. Even more fascinating than the popularity of the liquor itself is moonshine’s widespread effect on U.S. pop moonshine runners were NASCAR’s first marquee drivers; white whiskey was the unspoken star of countless Hollywood film and television productions; and numerous songs inspired by making shine have come from such musicians as Dolly Parton, Steve Earle, Metallica, Ween, and others. While we can’t condone making your own illegal liquor, reading Moonshine will give you a new perspective on the profound implications that underground moonshine making has had on life in America.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 6, 2024
This is a fun little book about the history and art of making moonshine, or unlicensed, untaxed, and unaged corn whiskey traditionally made in the backwoods of the USA, but now is made in above-board operations across the country (I sampled some great moonshine at the Mob Museum's "speakeasy" in Las Vegas). I agree with other reviewers that the NASCAR chapter didn't need to exist, but this was enjoyable, nonetheless!
December 19, 2014
There may be no more quintessentially American drink than moonshine, so named because it was made in secret by moonlight. As Jaime Joyce notes in her new cultural history, the drink is typically Southern, unaged, corn-based, and clear like whiskey. During the Temperance movement (1850s onwards), whiskey-making went underground to avoid taxes and governmental interference. It wasn’t uncommon for people to die of moonshine poisoning, caused by lead stills.
Although moonshine drinkers have often been characterized as hillbillies, the drink has undergone a recent revival. Brooklyn opened its first distillery since Prohibition in 2010. Nowadays, many distilleries, such as Dawsonville in Georgia, brew “white lightning” deliberately. “Heritage is what moonshine is all about,” Joyce writes. “Moonshine is tradition. It’s family. It’s folk art, and people are invested in keeping the art alive.”
(Included in a BookTrib article on recent books about drinking.)
Related reads: Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt by Mark Will-Weber and Gin Glorious Gin by Olivia Williams.
Although moonshine drinkers have often been characterized as hillbillies, the drink has undergone a recent revival. Brooklyn opened its first distillery since Prohibition in 2010. Nowadays, many distilleries, such as Dawsonville in Georgia, brew “white lightning” deliberately. “Heritage is what moonshine is all about,” Joyce writes. “Moonshine is tradition. It’s family. It’s folk art, and people are invested in keeping the art alive.”
(Included in a BookTrib article on recent books about drinking.)
Related reads: Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt by Mark Will-Weber and Gin Glorious Gin by Olivia Williams.
November 12, 2014
A short yet informative social history of Moonshine in the United States. I learned much about Moonshine and how engrained it is in our culture as far back as Colonial days. Jaime Joyce provided a very clear and concise examination and I appreciated her inclusion of the pictures of still raids and anti-Moonshine ephemera produced by the government. I previously did not know that Moonshine runners were the first drivers for NASCAR, or that tax collectors were tared and feathered during the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791. My personal favorite was reading how women took an active role in making and distributing Moonshine. Lots of such interesting tidbits included.
July 13, 2014
This book was very informative, but it was way too short and rushed for the subject matter. I found myself wanting more in just about every chapter.
*** I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads ***
*** I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads ***
September 12, 2021
I have found that when it comes to the rural south, most writers either mock, or go into the sort of fuzzy science analysis that confuses everyone who doesn't have training in the jargon (there are a lot of concepts which are comprehensible with a little explanation, but which practitioners of this or that discipline always speak of in jargon, either because they don't know plain English themselves, or because they want to keep everyone else confused). When it comes to activities in the rural south which many associate with "hillbillies," this tendency grows marvelously strong. But Jaime Joyce addresses the subject of moonshine without mockery and in English. For that alone she deserves a medal.
I have southern mountain ancestors. Several of my ancestors from Buncombe County, North Carolina fought for the Confederate States of America, and after the war my ancestors moved a bit west, into the mountains of Kentucky. I don't know that any of them were moonshiners, but they did live for a long time in country where the saying was that you sell your hogs by the pound, your potatoes by the bushel, and your corn by the gallon. It may be that I have moonshiners somewhere in my ancestry. Whether that is true or isn't, I do have a southern heritage (going backwards, it's Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia), and I do consider myself a southerner (specifically a Texan). So while I've never yet tasted hard liquor that I liked - I much prefer good dark beer - I have an interest in moonshine. And on top of that I can't see how it's right or fair to allow people to brew beer or make wine for themselves, but not hard liquor.
Joyce doesn't answer that question - probably no one can except the characters in DC who keep the asinine distinction in place - but she does provide a ton of interesting information on moonshine. Technically moonshine is untaxed white whisky - that is, whisky straight from the still, without aging in barrels, which is what gives aged whisky its color and flavor. (One could also call bathtub gin, or homemade vodka, or any other hard liquor "moonshine," since the one making it hasn't paid the federal tax. But there are various names which apply to various sorts of untaxed hard liquor, while moonshine specifically refers to white, untaxed whiskey...though there are other names for that beverage as well.) Making whisky at home has a long history, going back before the Revolutionary War, and indeed all the way back to Scotland and Ireland. But moonshine - that is, unaged whisky on which the distiller has paid no tax - is somewhat more recent. And there has been controversy over it as long as there's been a federal tax on hard liquor.
The Whisky Rebellion during George Washington's presidency was over federal taxes on what people had been making for years. The "revenooers" of southern legend were Treasury agents who went into the hills looking for illicit stills (as the song "Rocky Top" relates, sometimes they never came back). Elliot Ness, of Untouchables fame, was a T-man who tried to bust Al Capone for distilling illegal hooch (it was the IRS which finally got Capone, for income tax evasion). Making hard liquor - and especially, in this context, whisky - without government permission and without paying government taxes is one of the most venerable American traditions.
And though many today don't know it, and the organization ignores the fact, NASCAR wouldn't exist without bootleggers. The first stock car racers were drivers who evaded and outran the police on the mountain roads of the south, and got together on Sundays to race each other. After World War II Big Bill France gathered several people together - moonshiners among them - to form the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and one of the biggest names in the sport was Junior Johnson, who never got caught while transporting moonshine but did do federal time when the revenooers caught him tending his daddy's still.
All this, and more, is in this little book. With the thick paper and small size it's amazing how much is in there. It's by no means a scholarly study, but then if it were it wouldn't be nearly so interesting. And it is interesting. If you ever wanted to gain a basic knowledge of moonshine, the people who've made it, and the culture surrounding it, I highly recommend you read this little book.
I have southern mountain ancestors. Several of my ancestors from Buncombe County, North Carolina fought for the Confederate States of America, and after the war my ancestors moved a bit west, into the mountains of Kentucky. I don't know that any of them were moonshiners, but they did live for a long time in country where the saying was that you sell your hogs by the pound, your potatoes by the bushel, and your corn by the gallon. It may be that I have moonshiners somewhere in my ancestry. Whether that is true or isn't, I do have a southern heritage (going backwards, it's Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia), and I do consider myself a southerner (specifically a Texan). So while I've never yet tasted hard liquor that I liked - I much prefer good dark beer - I have an interest in moonshine. And on top of that I can't see how it's right or fair to allow people to brew beer or make wine for themselves, but not hard liquor.
Joyce doesn't answer that question - probably no one can except the characters in DC who keep the asinine distinction in place - but she does provide a ton of interesting information on moonshine. Technically moonshine is untaxed white whisky - that is, whisky straight from the still, without aging in barrels, which is what gives aged whisky its color and flavor. (One could also call bathtub gin, or homemade vodka, or any other hard liquor "moonshine," since the one making it hasn't paid the federal tax. But there are various names which apply to various sorts of untaxed hard liquor, while moonshine specifically refers to white, untaxed whiskey...though there are other names for that beverage as well.) Making whisky at home has a long history, going back before the Revolutionary War, and indeed all the way back to Scotland and Ireland. But moonshine - that is, unaged whisky on which the distiller has paid no tax - is somewhat more recent. And there has been controversy over it as long as there's been a federal tax on hard liquor.
The Whisky Rebellion during George Washington's presidency was over federal taxes on what people had been making for years. The "revenooers" of southern legend were Treasury agents who went into the hills looking for illicit stills (as the song "Rocky Top" relates, sometimes they never came back). Elliot Ness, of Untouchables fame, was a T-man who tried to bust Al Capone for distilling illegal hooch (it was the IRS which finally got Capone, for income tax evasion). Making hard liquor - and especially, in this context, whisky - without government permission and without paying government taxes is one of the most venerable American traditions.
And though many today don't know it, and the organization ignores the fact, NASCAR wouldn't exist without bootleggers. The first stock car racers were drivers who evaded and outran the police on the mountain roads of the south, and got together on Sundays to race each other. After World War II Big Bill France gathered several people together - moonshiners among them - to form the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and one of the biggest names in the sport was Junior Johnson, who never got caught while transporting moonshine but did do federal time when the revenooers caught him tending his daddy's still.
All this, and more, is in this little book. With the thick paper and small size it's amazing how much is in there. It's by no means a scholarly study, but then if it were it wouldn't be nearly so interesting. And it is interesting. If you ever wanted to gain a basic knowledge of moonshine, the people who've made it, and the culture surrounding it, I highly recommend you read this little book.
September 17, 2023
Real Rating: 3.5* of five, rounded down because NASCAR
The Publisher Says: Nothing but clear, 100-proof American history.
Hooch. White lightning. White whiskey. Mountain dew. Moonshine goes by many names. So what is it, really?
Technically speaking, "moonshine" refers to untaxed liquor made in an unlicensed still. In the United States, it’s typically corn that’s used to make the clear, unaged beverage, and it’s the mountain people of the American South who are most closely associated with the image of making and selling backwoods booze at night—by the light of the moon—to avoid detection by law enforcement.
In this book, writer Jaime Joyce explores America’s centuries-old relationship with moonshine. From the country’s early adoption of Scottish and Irish home-distilling techniques and traditions to the Whiskey Rebellion of the late 1700s to a comparison of the moonshine industry pre- and post-Prohibition and a look at modern-day craft distilling, Joyce examines the historical context that gave rise to moonshining in America and explores its continued appeal.
Even more fascinating than the popularity of the liquor itself is moonshine’s widespread effect on U.S. pop moonshine runners were NASCAR’s first marquee drivers; white whiskey was the unspoken star of countless Hollywood film and television productions; and numerous songs inspired by making shine have come from such musicians as Dolly Parton, Steve Earle, Metallica, Ween, and others. While we can’t condone making your own illegal liquor, reading Moonshine will give you a new perspective on the profound implications that underground moonshine making has had on life in America.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Two hundred-ish pages of text is barely an overview of a subject this vast...how and why the US has always loved them some illegal highs...so I went in to the read knowing I wasn't going to get everything there is to know, and was fine with that. In point of fact, I gave the book a lower rating than I might otherwise have done for the tediously drawn-out NASCAR stuff.
Briefly and concisely, Author Joyce wends ahead of us through a thicket of propaganda, misinformation, snobbishly dismissive social condemnation of the use of intoxicants, and clueless judgments to show the true impact of moonshine on the US cultural landscape. “Heritage is what moonshine is all about. Moonshine is tradition. It’s family. It’s folk art, and people are invested in keeping the art alive.” The damn-near innumerable craft breweries and microdistilleries littering the US are the tax-payin' health-and-safety obeyin' great-grandchildren of the moonshiners.
For her clarity and absence of condescension I think she deserves awards. A bookish landscape littered by J.D. Vances ([Hillbilly Elegy]) and Nancy Isenbergs ([White Trash]) that broadcast judgments from title to content, this is very refreshing. I will say, though, that my interest in NASCAR...the truest, most direct descendant of the moonshiners' need for speed...gave out long before the chapter was over. The Whiskey Rebellion, OTOH, has been the subject of book after book, including a novel by the fine writer David Liss, so its chapter being short failed to rouse my ire despite the fascinating subject.
There are lots of photos to illustrate key concepts and put faces with names. The Kindle edition displayed them well enough on my tablet, but the hardcover's the same $25.00 that the Kindle file is. Why not treat yourself to the tree-book? Treat yourself, however, you should.
The Publisher Says: Nothing but clear, 100-proof American history.
Hooch. White lightning. White whiskey. Mountain dew. Moonshine goes by many names. So what is it, really?
Technically speaking, "moonshine" refers to untaxed liquor made in an unlicensed still. In the United States, it’s typically corn that’s used to make the clear, unaged beverage, and it’s the mountain people of the American South who are most closely associated with the image of making and selling backwoods booze at night—by the light of the moon—to avoid detection by law enforcement.
In this book, writer Jaime Joyce explores America’s centuries-old relationship with moonshine. From the country’s early adoption of Scottish and Irish home-distilling techniques and traditions to the Whiskey Rebellion of the late 1700s to a comparison of the moonshine industry pre- and post-Prohibition and a look at modern-day craft distilling, Joyce examines the historical context that gave rise to moonshining in America and explores its continued appeal.
Even more fascinating than the popularity of the liquor itself is moonshine’s widespread effect on U.S. pop moonshine runners were NASCAR’s first marquee drivers; white whiskey was the unspoken star of countless Hollywood film and television productions; and numerous songs inspired by making shine have come from such musicians as Dolly Parton, Steve Earle, Metallica, Ween, and others. While we can’t condone making your own illegal liquor, reading Moonshine will give you a new perspective on the profound implications that underground moonshine making has had on life in America.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Two hundred-ish pages of text is barely an overview of a subject this vast...how and why the US has always loved them some illegal highs...so I went in to the read knowing I wasn't going to get everything there is to know, and was fine with that. In point of fact, I gave the book a lower rating than I might otherwise have done for the tediously drawn-out NASCAR stuff.
Briefly and concisely, Author Joyce wends ahead of us through a thicket of propaganda, misinformation, snobbishly dismissive social condemnation of the use of intoxicants, and clueless judgments to show the true impact of moonshine on the US cultural landscape. “Heritage is what moonshine is all about. Moonshine is tradition. It’s family. It’s folk art, and people are invested in keeping the art alive.” The damn-near innumerable craft breweries and microdistilleries littering the US are the tax-payin' health-and-safety obeyin' great-grandchildren of the moonshiners.
For her clarity and absence of condescension I think she deserves awards. A bookish landscape littered by J.D. Vances ([Hillbilly Elegy]) and Nancy Isenbergs ([White Trash]) that broadcast judgments from title to content, this is very refreshing. I will say, though, that my interest in NASCAR...the truest, most direct descendant of the moonshiners' need for speed...gave out long before the chapter was over. The Whiskey Rebellion, OTOH, has been the subject of book after book, including a novel by the fine writer David Liss, so its chapter being short failed to rouse my ire despite the fascinating subject.
There are lots of photos to illustrate key concepts and put faces with names. The Kindle edition displayed them well enough on my tablet, but the hardcover's the same $25.00 that the Kindle file is. Why not treat yourself to the tree-book? Treat yourself, however, you should.
February 2, 2018
My personal experience with moonshine is very limited and involves an insufferable amount of hipstering with other insufferable hipsters and things I'd rather not talk about. It was odorless and clear, in a jar (because of course) potent and somewhat terrifying. I was afraid I'd go blind...I'm still kinda afraid I'll go blind, like the moonshine equivalent of an acid flashback, or something. Any day now, man, any day.
But come to find out that wasn't real moonshine. real moonshine is "untaxed white (un-aged) corn whiskey" untaxed being the keyword here...So my personal experience with real moonshine is nada...And I'm okay with that after reading this brief volume which includes a chapter on the unsanitary conditions of actual stills and a quote from a moonshiner about "...[a] dead possum in the mash." I for one draw the line at drinking anything which a dead possum has been soaking in, but that's just a personal preference.
The fleeting chapter about the Whiskey Rebellion was by far the most interesting part of this book and it spurred my interest in the subject enough to try to find a better history of that particular event. Though that chapter was far too short, the chapter on NASCAR was far too long. For non-fans such as myself, the endless list of names were meaningless and the stories weren't at all interesting (they're all variations on the "guy drives a fast car with moonshine in the trunk" theme, which would make for a fine Bruce Springsteen song, yet a very repetitious and long chapter.)
Over all, this is the sort of book one should skim through rather than read through, as it overstays it's welcome despite it's short length. Is it informative? It's informative enough for the average person, be they curious onlookers or inebriation enthusiasts, but those looking for a scholarly history of the subject best take a pass on this one.
But come to find out that wasn't real moonshine. real moonshine is "untaxed white (un-aged) corn whiskey" untaxed being the keyword here...So my personal experience with real moonshine is nada...And I'm okay with that after reading this brief volume which includes a chapter on the unsanitary conditions of actual stills and a quote from a moonshiner about "...[a] dead possum in the mash." I for one draw the line at drinking anything which a dead possum has been soaking in, but that's just a personal preference.
The fleeting chapter about the Whiskey Rebellion was by far the most interesting part of this book and it spurred my interest in the subject enough to try to find a better history of that particular event. Though that chapter was far too short, the chapter on NASCAR was far too long. For non-fans such as myself, the endless list of names were meaningless and the stories weren't at all interesting (they're all variations on the "guy drives a fast car with moonshine in the trunk" theme, which would make for a fine Bruce Springsteen song, yet a very repetitious and long chapter.)
Over all, this is the sort of book one should skim through rather than read through, as it overstays it's welcome despite it's short length. Is it informative? It's informative enough for the average person, be they curious onlookers or inebriation enthusiasts, but those looking for a scholarly history of the subject best take a pass on this one.
June 1, 2019
Buzzed by this book
I’m not aware of any moonshiners in my direct family, but given that I’m from West Virginia with family roots coming from Kentucky and North Carolina — there’s likely some moonshiners somewhere along the way. Supposedly my granddaddy took us to see an uncle that had a still, but I must have been too young to remember it.
Then I lived just outside of Atlanta for 26 years and occasionally drove thru Dawsonville on the way to the north Georgia mountains.
Anyway, this was a very fun read that everyone would enjoy. Then they can go sample some legit moonshine if they haven’t already experienced it.
I’m not aware of any moonshiners in my direct family, but given that I’m from West Virginia with family roots coming from Kentucky and North Carolina — there’s likely some moonshiners somewhere along the way. Supposedly my granddaddy took us to see an uncle that had a still, but I must have been too young to remember it.
Then I lived just outside of Atlanta for 26 years and occasionally drove thru Dawsonville on the way to the north Georgia mountains.
Anyway, this was a very fun read that everyone would enjoy. Then they can go sample some legit moonshine if they haven’t already experienced it.
September 19, 2020
I am really enjoying reading about moonshining, running and prohibition. Moonshine is more than just alcohol. It is a way of living. This was a very informative book.
February 2, 2021
simple read - nothing deep, but entertaining and informative
Read
August 7, 2021to-read
March 3, 2015
Distilling your own alcohol came to the United States with settlers from Europe. Who knew?
The manufacture of "white liquor" was both a cultural idiom , and a business that supported families when there was no other way to make money to live on in the old days. Then, starting around the time of the founding of the United States, the governments in their varied forms decided it was a tax generating situation. The only problem was, the tax structure adversely affected those who relied on it to feed their families out in the country and the mountains. Then the long history of moonshiners and revenue collectors started and went on and on and on.
As a result of reading this book, I learned how whiskey was made...9or whisky, depending on which country you are from). whisky is simply "white liquor" that has been aged in oak barrels.
The book traces the advent of modern "boutique" and craft distillers, which is an evolution of a time honored practice.
The manufacture of "white liquor" was both a cultural idiom , and a business that supported families when there was no other way to make money to live on in the old days. Then, starting around the time of the founding of the United States, the governments in their varied forms decided it was a tax generating situation. The only problem was, the tax structure adversely affected those who relied on it to feed their families out in the country and the mountains. Then the long history of moonshiners and revenue collectors started and went on and on and on.
As a result of reading this book, I learned how whiskey was made...9or whisky, depending on which country you are from). whisky is simply "white liquor" that has been aged in oak barrels.
The book traces the advent of modern "boutique" and craft distillers, which is an evolution of a time honored practice.
January 17, 2015
Even though this book is very short, it still felt simultaneously padded and rushed. There are some interesting anecdotes and trivia bits in it, but overall it felt a bit like reading PR copy or listening to an enthusiastic but amateur docent at a single-subject small-town museum. Unfortunately, the cover of the book is the most interesting part, and she doesn't even mention a lot of the fun slang in the actual book! I wouldn't really recommend this one unless you are a true distilling geek. You can probably learn just as much by going on a distillery tour.
March 28, 2017
There are definitely interesting tidbits in this historical overview of moonshine (more whiskey distilleries in the earlier chapters), but the narrative is entirely too jarring. The author tries to make things exciting at the beginning of each chapter by focusing on a personal story, but it ends up being more confusing than personable. I was usually left wondering why a particular antidote was put in and how it related to the overarching issues of moonshining. Explanations of historical significance tended to come too late in the chapter.
September 21, 2015
A perfect skimming book. I found it easy to skim through the parts that did not interest me (about 1/3) and slow down for the more engrossing parts. For me those were the sections on history, the anecdotes past and present about the individual characters involved in moonshining, and some of the stuff about how moonshine survives today as a less illicit "industry".
If I had a wish for this book, it would be to spend more time on the history of moonshine during prohibition. For a book on this subject, it seemed to give rather a brief account of that most interesting period of illegal drink.
If I had a wish for this book, it would be to spend more time on the history of moonshine during prohibition. For a book on this subject, it seemed to give rather a brief account of that most interesting period of illegal drink.
December 14, 2017
Loved this book! So much history! And all the great stories about the NASCAR racers! I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone who wants to learn about moonshine. This book tells of it's beginnings, the government crack down on it through taxation, to prohibition, to it's new rise up in the world of small distilleries as a craft and heirloom beverage! The world does turn! Worth a read by anyone interested in history, alcohol ad it's history, and even racing. Wonderful book.
May 9, 2017
A casual read about moonshine, its history, how it's made, and its place in pop culture. Some of the tales are exciting, some humorous, some scintillating. And let's be real--who doesn't occasionally fantasize about making money and skirting the law?
Moonshine: A Cultural History is not comprehensive or overly scholarly, but it is an entertaining and informative book. If you're interested in moonshine stories or just have a soft spot for white lightning, you'll enjoy it.
Moonshine: A Cultural History is not comprehensive or overly scholarly, but it is an entertaining and informative book. If you're interested in moonshine stories or just have a soft spot for white lightning, you'll enjoy it.
September 16, 2016
intriguing book recounting the history of moonshine. there are some repeats of stories in the various chapters, but overall had a logical flow. appreciated "coming full circle" with the beginning and ending of the book discussing the distiller, Cheryl Woods.
*I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
*I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
March 29, 2015
Get your Shine on.
An interesting glimpse into the history of moonshine. From the Whiskey Rebellion to Discovery Channel's "Moonshiners," Joyce reveals America's favorite illicit industry.
An interesting glimpse into the history of moonshine. From the Whiskey Rebellion to Discovery Channel's "Moonshiners," Joyce reveals America's favorite illicit industry.
January 15, 2015
Meh. Like an overlong magazine article.
February 2, 2015
Good, quick (almost too quick) read. Nice history of moonshine and the operations around making and distributing it. Definitely informative and worth the $3 on the kindle.
February 2, 2015
Entertaining little book filled with interesting tidbits and fascinating characters. Could have went deeper in history but a great Sunday read.
April 11, 2015
This was fairly interesting and had some cool information and facts but for a book full of car chases and speakeasies I didn't find it particularly gripping.
July 3, 2015
Enjoyed all the tax-related history.
October 18, 2018
Interesting history of moonshine and unaged whiskey. Surprisingly s little dry.
January 4, 2015
How can anyone make a book about this topic so overwhelmingly dry?
April 15, 2017
I enjoyed it, but it was a little too cursory for me. And the author loses a star for calling June Carter "June Cash".
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews