Empire: A Novel

By Gore Vidal

        

Empire, the fourth novel in Gore Vidal's monumental six-volume chronicle of the American past, is his prodigiously detailed portrait of the United States at the dawn of the twentieth century as it begins to emerge as a world power.
------While America struggles to define its destiny, beautiful and ambitious Caroline Sanford fights to control her own fate. One of Vidal's most in-spired creations, she is an embodiment of the complex, vigorous young nation. From the back offices of her Washington newspaper, Caroline confronts the two men who threaten to thwart her ambition: William Randolph Hearst and his protégé, Blaise Sanford, Caroline's half brother. In their struggles for power the lives of brother and sister become intertwined with those of Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt, as well as Astors, Vanderbilts, and Whitneys--all incarnations of America's Gilded Age.
------"Mr. Vidal demonstrates a political imagination and insider's sagacity equaled by no other practicing fiction writer," said The New York Times Book Review. "Like the earlier novels in his historical cycle, Empire is a wonderfully vivid documentary drama."
------With a new Introduction by the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307784247

Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal (1925–2012) was born at the United States Military Academy at West Point. His first novel, Williwaw, written when he was 19 years old and serving in the army, appeared in the spring of 1946. He wrote 23 novels, five plays, many screenplays, short stories, well over 200 essays, and a memoir.

Reviews for Empire

[ritaer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The falling arc of one character's life--Lincoln's personal secretary who ends as Secretary of State-- and the rising arcs of William Randolph Hearst and Theodore Roosevelt are metaphors for the decline of the American Republic, flawed as it may have been and the rise of the American Empire. A central character who is a woman born American but reared in France, and becomes a newspaper publisher is an interesting touch.

[valerieandbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Empire is fourth chronologically in Gore Vidal's Narratives of Empire series. This historical fiction novel covers the era just after the Spanish-American war ended (1898). As with Vidal's others in this series, fictional characters intermingle with real historical figures, and mostly politically-related. Caroline Sanford is one such fictional character (her ancestors appear in earlier novels). She takes on William Randolph Hearst by acquiring a competing newspaper, and gets engaged to Adelbert Hay (son of John Hay, who also appeared in earlier novels; his political career started with Lincoln). And, of course, there's more intrigues going on in this installment. This is the first in the series where a strong female character takes center stage, and I enjoyed that aspect.

[maryreinert · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After reading 1876 which I loved, and Burr which I liked, perhaps this was just too much American history via Vidal. Might try to pick it up again at a later date.

[jackmessenger-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My goodness.

[dbsovereign · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stick it through and you may survive. Vidal's brand of historical fiction where Hearst and Roosevelt confront each other is interesting. Not my favorite of his (I prefer _Lincoln_ and _1876_ of his historical novels), but still inserts us into a very human story.

[yossarianxeno · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This political saga is sparingly written given the scope of the events it addresses, chronicling the interaction between the fledgling popular press and US politics in the decades immediately before and after the beginning of the 20th century. Well known historical figures populate the text: Theodore Roosevelt, Hearst, Adams and Hay. The characters are convincingly portrayed; the novelist's understanding the period, it's politics and the higher echelons of society are evident. But for all that, I was a little disappointed that I wasn't fully absorbed throughout by this novel: it builds slowly towards its climax; the final 50 pages or so are the most powerful. Perhaps if I'd read the three novels that precede this one in Vidal's Narratives of Empire series first I might have found this more compelling from the beginning.

[deadfred_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed this book greatly as I have some old friends there-in namely Henry Adams and Friends . The story line was good the historical chronology good and the period of US History excellent, late 1800s American centered mostly In Washington, DC with visits to Newport, RI , New York and Paris I believe Vidal purpose here is in part to offer awareness to the Adams Salon using a fictional Brother and Sister as the center piece of the story . "Them" being Adams himself , , John & Helen Hay's , Adlbert Hay's(son) Elizabeth Cameron , Teddy Roosevelt , Henry Cabot Lodge with a smidgeon of Clarence King and a hint of Clover(Adams) deceased wife of Henry's who committed suicide . I tip my hat to Gore Vidal for shining a light on Adams who was an Incredible man , America's greatest historian in my opinion who actually did incredibly little (outside history that is) but was brilliant in doing it .

[borg6mx5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A historical novel of the Gilded Age. Vidal excels at this genre.