With a new introduction “The most comprehensive, even-handed and best written account of Ruby Ridge currently in print.” —  Washington Times From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins , Jess Walter, here is the story of what happened on Ruby Ridge: the tragic and unlikely series of events that destroyed a family, brought down the number-two man in the FBI, and left in its wake a nation increasingly attuned to the dangers of unchecked federal power. On the last hot day of summer in 1992, gunfire cracked over a rocky knob in northern Idaho, just south of the Canadian border. By the next day three people were dead, and a small war was joined, pitting the full might of federal law enforcement against one well-armed family. Drawing on extensive interviews with Randy Weaver's family, government insiders, and others, Walter traces the paths that led the Weavers to their confrontation with federal agents and led the government to treat a family like a gang of criminals. “A stunning job of reporting.” - New York Times Book Review “The most comprehensive, even-handed and best written account of Ruby Ridge currently in print.” - Washington Times "Jess Walter's careful chronicle of what happened in and around that cabin in . . . nortrhern Idaho . . . is remarkably complete." - Salt Lake City Tribune "Jess Walter's careful chronicle of what happened in and around that cabin in...northern Idaho...is remarkably complete." - Salt Lake City Tribune "Tightly reported . . . an even-handed . . . excellent, minute-by-minute account." - Portland Oregonian "Remarkably honest, evenhanded and gutsy … an exceptionally well-reported book.” - Washington Post “Flowing, gripping, logically organized and rich in detail . . . a story so tragic it’s redolent of Shakespeare.” - USA Today "The definitive book about the standoff,” - American Experience, PBS "Meticulously researched." - imagazine On the last hot day of summer in 1992, gunfire cracked over a rocky knob in northern Idaho, just south of the Canadian border. By the next day three people were dead, and a small war was joined, pitting the full might of federal law enforcement against one well-armed family. Drawing on extensive interviews with Randy Weaver's family, government insiders, and others, Jess Walter traces the paths that led the Weavers to their confrontation with federal agents and led the government to treat a family like a gang of criminals. This is the story of what happened on Ruby Ridge: the tragic and unlikely series of events that destroyed a family, brought down the number-two man in the FBI, and left in its wake a nation increasingly attuned to the dangers of unchecked federal power. Jess Walter  is the author of eight novels, including the bestsellers  So Far Gone, The Cold Millions , and  Beautiful Ruins , the National Book Award Finalist  The Zero , and  Citizen Vince,  winner of the Edgar Award for best novel. His short fiction, collected in  The Angel of Rome  and  We Live in Water , has won the O. Henry Prize, the Pushcart Prize and appeared three times in  Best American Short Stories . As a reporter, he was a finalist for the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Ruby Ridge. He lives in his hometown of Spokane, Washington.