Book excerpt: In this vivid account of Bacon's Rebellion James Rice tells the tale of Bacon's Rebellion (1676-1677) and its aftermath. As the tense drama unfolds, it becomes apparent that the struggle between the followers of the veteran governor of Virginia, William Berkeley, and the hotheaded young newcomer Nathaniel Bacon is nothing less than a battle over the soul of America; the story of the rebellion is also the story of race, slavery, western expansion, and empire in American history.