Last Call: a book political junkies of all stripes can enjoy immensely

I just finished reading the book Last Call, which is comprehensive history of Prohibition from the very beginnings of anti-alcohol movements in the 1800s to repeal in the 1930s and its effects beyond that.

This is without a doubt the most entertaining and informative political and history book I have read in years. And anyone who enjoys politics can enjoy it, be they left, right, or something else. The events and controversies in this book took place so long ago (80-150 years ago) that even though Republicans and Democrats are involved both parties are mostly unrecognizable to their current adherents, but still similar enough to their modern counterparts to keep it interesting.

This book has everything, and I do mean everything. Some gems, without giving away any of the books' reading enjoyment, include:

• The surprisingly large effect apportionment and the state of district maps of both Congress and the state legislatures had on both enactment and repeal of Prohibition
• How Congress blatantly violated the Constitution for a full decade, in order to protect Prohibition. It's surprising this isn't more well known.
• The role and operations of pressure groups on both sides of the issue, and how amazingly similar they are to today's pressure group operations. You've probably never heard of Wayne Wheeler which is a shame because he is the political ancestor of Karl Rove, James Carville, and everyone of that ilk.
• The role of the KKK in American society then. And no, contrary to popular belief it wasn't just Southerners or Democrats who allied with them. Not by a long shot
• The role of the Catholic and Jewish religions and Americans' views of them in shaping politics and society
  
• Why none of these three things could have happened without the other two: The income tax, Prohibition, and women's suffrage. The links and interrelationships between these three are fascinating
• Why Henry Ford and other big businessmen flip flopped on Prohibition
• Reading quotes from politicians, both on the left and the right, that would be positively cringe-inducing and career ending now.
• Why it's probably not a good idea for modern day liberals to adopt the term "progressive"
• A serious and factual investigation into Joseph Kennedy's past, with results that may surprise you
• An era when the sheer weight of hypocrisy could actually end a law, even a constitutional amendment
• A reminder of how it is possible for Congress to get a constitutional amendment ratified without cooperation of the state legislatures.
• Why St. Pierre in Canada was the place to be, moreso than anyplace else in Canada
• Can you imagine a time when the federal government was so skinflint Congress refused to appropriate funds to enforce federal law? And it wasn't for any other reason than they were too cheap, it wasn't resistance to the law itself

I could go on and on with so much more but I think the point is made that there is not a dull moment or an uninteresting thing in this book, for a reader with an interest in politics.

I also learned recently that Ken Burns is going to be doing a miniseries on Prohibition. It's apparently loosely based on this book in that he and author shared some research, but it is not a collaboration between them so it may provide a different perspective. I'm looking forward to it.