JoeSteele

NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorHarryTurtledove’sthought-provokingforaysintothepasthaveproducedsuchintriguing“what-if”novelsasRuledBritannia，DaysofInfamy，andOpeningAtlantis.Now“themavenofalternatehistory”(TheSanDiegoUnion-Tribune)envisionstheelectionofaUnitedStatesPresidentwhosepoliticalpowerwillredefinewhatthenationis—andwhatitmeanstobeAmerican….PresidentHerbertHooverhasfailedAmerica.TheGreatDepressionthatrosefromtheashesofthe1929stockmarketcrashstillcastsitsdarkshadowoverthecountry.Despairinganddesperate，theAmericanpeoplehopeoneofthepotentialDemocraticcandidates—NewYorkgovernorFranklinD.RooseveltandCaliforniacongressmanJoeSteele—cangetthenationontheroadtorecovery.ButfatesnatchesawayonehopewhenamansionfireclaimsthelifeofRoosevelt，leavingtheDemocraticpartylittlechoicebuttonominateSteele，sonofaRussianimmigrantlaborerwhoidentifiesmorewiththecommonmanthanwithWashingtonD.C.’swealthypowerbrokers.Achievingalandslidevictory，PresidentJoeSteelewastesnotimepushingthroughCongressreformsthatputcitizensbacktowork.AnyonewhogetsinhiswayisgettinginthewayofAmerica，andthatincludesthehighestintheland.JoeSteele’scriticsmaybelievethegovernmentisgainingtoomuchcontrol，buttheytendtofindthemselvesinworkcampsiftheymaketoomuchnoiseaboutit.Andmostpeoplewelcomestrongleadership，fullemployment，andanabsenceofcomplainingfromthenewspapers—especiallyasHitlerandTrotskybeginthekindofposturingthatseemssuretodragAmericaintowar.