''Empire'' is the fourth
historical novel
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
in the ''
Narratives of Empire
The ''Narratives of Empire'' series is a heptalogy of historical novels by Gore Vidal, published between 1967 and 2000, which chronicle the dawn-to-decadence history of the "American Empire
American imperialism refers to the expansion of Am ...
'' series by
Gore Vidal, published in 1987.
The novel concerns the
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al newspaper dynasty of
half-sibling characters Caroline and Blaise Sanford. Playing these characters against
real-life
Real life is a phrase used originally in literature to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds, and in acting to distinguish between actors and the characters they portray. It has become a popular term on the ...
figures of the years 1898 to 1907, the novel portrays the conjunction of
government and
mass media in the creation of
modern-day
Modern day refers to the present time but may also refer to:
Music
* '' Modern Day Zero'', a band
* ''Modern Day Drifter'', a 2005 country album by Dierks Bentley
* "Modern Day Prayer", a song on Twothirtyeight's 2002 album '' You Should Be Liv ...
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. As with Vidal's other books in his ''Narratives of Empire'' series, this novel offers an insight into the
journalism of the time, following the exploits of
William Randolph Hearst in his efforts to displace
Theodore Roosevelt as
president in
1904
Events
January
* January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''.
* January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
* ...
. Following the events leading up to and following the ascension of Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency following
William McKinley's
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
, it includes
pithy portraits of such leading
public figures of the day as Roosevelt, Hearst,
Henry Brooks Adams
Henry Brooks Adams (February 16, 1838 – March 27, 1918) was an American historian and a member of the Adams political family, descended from two U.S. Presidents.
As a young Harvard graduate, he served as secretary to his father, Charles Fra ...
,
Henry James,
Secretary of State John Hay
John Milton Hay (October 8, 1838July 1, 1905) was an American statesman and official whose career in government stretched over almost half a century. Beginning as a private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln, Hay's highest office was Un ...
and President William McKinley. In this tome, the descendants of Charles Schuyler, the fictitious main character of ''
Burr
Burr may refer to:
Places
* Burr (crater), on the Jovian moon Callisto
*Burr, Minnesota, an unincorporated community, United States
* Burr, Missouri, an unincorporated community, United States
*Burr, Nebraska, a village, United States
* Burr, Sa ...
'' and ''
1876
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.
** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol.
* February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs i ...
'', continue the American saga of empire building. Nevertheless, most of the characters in this novel are nonfiction and historic.
1987 American novels
Novels by Gore Vidal
Novels about mass media owners
Works about William Randolph Hearst
Novels set in the 1890s
Novels set in the 1900s
Random House books
Cultural depictions of William McKinley
Cultural depictions of William Randolph Hearst
Cultural depictions of Theodore Roosevelt
Cultural depictions of Henry James
American historical novels
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