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USA is a trilogy, but should really be viewed as a grand novel in three parts. The first section, “The 42nd parallel,�� takes place in the decade prior to WWI, in the United States. It is an optimistic, coming of age story �� the characters are primarily young, idealistic. Many of the characters are working class people and become involved in radical politics. Throughout ��42nd parallel,�� you get the feeling of rising class consciousness and working class power �� strikes are being won, the workers are revolting in Mexico. In ��1919�� America enters WWI, and a surge of nationalism wipes out all of the gains made previously by the working class. The government and industry become much more heavy-handed in their repression of activism. Other characters, previously radical, become swept up in the nationalist fervor, or are corrupted by a dionessyian lifestyle as officers with ambulance corps and the red cross in France during and immediately after the war. Suddenly, people care less about their fellow man, and more about themselves. The final scene of 1919 is exceptionally powerful: a returning veteran joins a protest against lumber barons in Oregon, and is brutally murdered. The final book, “The Big Money,�� takes place in the 1920s, and follows a number of people as they try to ascend into wealth and success, primarily in NYC. Some succeed, some are crushed �� all end up lonely and bitter. The final part of “The Big Money�� returns to a number of the radicals introduced in the previous books, whom are fighting hopelessly against the government (Sacco and Vanzetti) and industry, while becoming increasingly radicalized. Overall, USA has a very interesting style �� it jumps from sections about particular characters, to excerpts from newsreels, to short stream of consciousness sections, to brief narratives detailing the entire lives of important figures (Henry Ford, President Wilson, Thomas Edison etc). As historical fiction, I liked it, because it felt very real �� it was chaotic and unpredictable, with characters subject to fits of irrationality, depression, and bad luck �� nothing felt inevitable. This book is a great commentary on what changed in America over the period of 1900-1930, as we became the economic superpower of the world. It is also a commentary on the shift towards conservatism and selfishness that comes with age. USA’s scope and overall end �� painting a picture of a whole country during a tumultuous period of time �� remind me very much of War and Peace. However, USA is told through the prism of the working class, where War and Peace is told through the prism of the Russian nobility.