I have a bit of a habit about putting books that are popular or widely praised. I don't consciously avoid them, it just kind of happens that way. Still, I get around to them eventually. Occasionally they're underwhelming, but more often than not, I do genuinely enjoy them. Such is the case with the book we'll be reviewing today. We're taking a look at The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.
This was one of those books that wasn't too high on my reading list until it was. I can't say what exactly prompted me to give this one a try. Maybe it was the miniseries adaption that HBO put out. I have watched the miniseries, did so not only after I wrote this review. I might get around to give a review of it at some point.
Maybe it was the various alternate history Facebook groups I take part in. Maybe it was something else entirely. Honestly, I can't really say. I will say that this book being part of the Audible Plus Catalogue was a nice bonus. Audible Plus is a new thing that Audible is doing. It's like Netflix, but with audiobooks.
Whatever the reason, I finally gave The Plot Against America a try, and I loved it. You will occasionally see literary fiction authors dip their toes into speculative fiction. However, this is the first time I've seen a literary fiction author try their hand at alternate history. Philip Roth ruffled some feathers when he made some comments that seemed to imply that he believed that he had invented the concept of alternate history. I haven't seen exactly where that went down, so I won't really comment on that.
I will say that Roth does an excellent job of combining his signature style with the alternate history setting. I took a look at some of Roth's other books in order to compare the writing style, and The Plot Against America defiantly fits the mold. There are segments of the book that almost feel weirdly nostalgic at times. Roth describes daily life in 1940s New Jersey in such loving detail, it can be easy to forget that you're reading an alternate history novel. And yes, this is a Philip Roth book, so it is pretty much required to take place in New Jersey.
One aspect I liked is that Jewish Americans are not a united front against Lindbergh. Sure, there are plenty, like the Roth family, who are weary of his policies, and actively push back against him. However, there are also Jews who are supportive of Lindbergh, or at least, believe he isn't that bad and can be reasoned with. A rabbi named Lionel Bengelsdorf becomes, essentially, Lindbergh's spokesman from within the Jewish community. Bengelsdorf is from Charleston, but that isn't as crazy as it might sound. Prior to the American Civil War, Charleston had the highest Jewish population in America. Indeed, many Southern Jews owned slaves, and fought for the Confederacy to preserve slavery. In fact, Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin was the first Jew elects to public office in North America.
Philip’s socialite aunt Evelyn also tries her best to worm her way into Lindbergh's good graces. At one point, she event attends a gala where Nazi officials are on the guest list. Other characters become unwitting pawns of Lindbergh and his schemes. One of Lindbergh's new social programs is called Just Folks. It involves Jewish boys spending the summer with gentile families, often in rural areas. Phillip's brother Sandy always wanted to spend time on a farm, and leaps at the opportunity to sign up. To everyone's collective dismay, Sandy had a wonderful time working on a tobacco farm in Kentucky. Worse, he'd gladly go again, and even becomes a spokesman for the program. In doing so, he becomes a useful idiot for the Lindbergh Administration.
Another of Lindbergh's policies is called Homestead 42. It encourages Jews to move to more rural areas. That way, Jews would be spread thin, and politicians won't have to pander to Jewish voters. Being in rural areas also means Jews would be more likely to bump into white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. Part of me wonders if that was a deliberate aspect of the plan. Lindbergh probably wouldn't object to Klansmen murdering Jews. Homestead 42, as it is public ally presented, would give him plausible deniability in that regard.
Of course, other Jews push back again Lindbergh's policies. Philip’s cousin Alvin volunteers in the Canadian army to directly fight the forces of fascism in Europe. Lindbergh canceled the Lend-Lease programs. As such, things could be better for Britain’s war effort. In our world, several Americans volunteered in the British and Canadian armies before America officially entered the war. They were known as Eagle Squadron. In fact, many of the planes from when America first joined the war were actually RAF planes that had been repainted. Obviously, this changed after the American war effort really kicked into gear, and America began rolling out its own planes.
Interestingly, Alvin isn't shown to be honorable or flawless as you might expect. In fact, he's shown to be a bit of a shiftless ne'er-do-well who takes advantage of the Roths after he arrives back home. Volunteering for service was certain admirable, but there's a strong sense that Alvin was in way over his head. His decision was spur of the moment, and he didn't think enough about the long-term consequences of his choice.
Meanwhile, the journalist/commentator Walter Winchell uses his program to critique Lindbergh. Winchell was a real historical figure, and was one of the first America journalist to speak out against Hitler and the Nazis. He also criticized America's isolationist stance, and criticized those who pushed for it, such as Charles Lindbergh. At one point in the book he even attempts to run for president. Unfortunately, the campaign hits a minor snag after Winchell is stuck by an incurable state of writers block known as death.
I know I might get flack for saying this, but maybe that was for the best. Let me elaborate a bit. In our world, following World War II, Walter Winchell gave his full-throated support to Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch hunts. In doing so, Winchell firmly placed himself on the wrong side of history, and seriously tarnished his legacy. So, at least the book's version of Winchell got to die a hero, rather than living to see himself become a villain.
Now, let's talk about Charles Lindbergh himself. Lindbergh's policy of isolationism, and the support it receives, is fairly realistic. Both the Democrats and the Republicans were pro-isolationism at the start of World War II. The general American public also favored isolationism. It wasn't until Pearl Harbor that public opinion about the war began to shift. America getting pulled into the orbit of Nazi Germany also isn't as unbelievable as it might seem. There were a surprisingly high number of Americans who sympathized with the Nazis. Jack Kirby received quite a bit of hate mail when he drew Captain America punching Hitler in the very first issue of Captain America. There were also several Pro-Nazi organizations, such as the German American Bund. In fact, the Bund appears several times in The Plot Against America.
Lindbergh was indeed an antisemite, and his antisemitism was fairly well-known. The Plot Against America portrays Lindbergh as having complicated views about Jewish people. He does not seem to like them, but he knows he can't say that out loud. He's actually worse in this regard than the Lindbergh of our world. For example, at one point Lindbergh receives a medal from the Germany government, and refuses to return it even after the events of Kristallnacht, aka the Night of Broken Glass.
By contrast, and quite surprising given his antisemitism, Lindbergh spoke out against the Nazis' persecution of Jews. He also specifically spoke out against the events of Kristallnacht. He was also horrified when he learn the extent of the concentration camps. Lindbergh was staunchly isolationist, but he served in the Pacific after America committed to World War II. Now, I'm not criticizing Roth's portrayal of Lindbergh. Given the right circumstances, Lindbergh could very well have gone down a darker path. I'm just saying that people are complicated. Honestly, the depiction of Lindbergh's vice president, Burton K. Wheeler, was far more questionable. However, we'll get into that in the spoilers section.
For what it's worth, the characters speculate on Lindbergh's true motives. There are rumors that the Nazis have kidnapped his child, and he implemented the antisemitic programs to appease them. His heart not being in it would explain why he didn't go too crazy. Well, that and the American government has safeguards against the president having too much power. However, we don't get any definitive answers, and this all remains pure speculation. Personally, I think Lindbergh was acting of his own volition, and wasn't being coerced by anyone.
Before we get into the spoilers, I'll take a minute to mention the audiobook. It is narrated by Ron Silver. I felt that he was absolutely perfect as a narrator, and I have no complaints there. However, I do have to ding points for the cover. It looks the same as the physical book save one key feature. The stamp on the physical book has a swastika on it, but the stamp on the audiobook has an X on it. This is a reference to a dream that Philip has. He dreams that his collection of national parks stamps become covered in swastikas. This represents the fearing the creeping fascism with the coming of the Lindbergh Administration. Why did the audiobook censor it? What was the point of that? It really undermines the impact that the non-censored cover has. But I suppose it is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.
Okay, now it is time for the spoilers. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.
Last chance. You sure you want to continue?
Okay, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.
So, a plane that Lindbergh is flying disappears under mysterious circumstances. As such, Vice President Burton K. Wheeler takes over as Acting President. America proceeds to go to hell in a hand-basket. Antisemitic riots break out in several major cities, Martial Law is declared, and Wheeler drops all pretense that Lindbergh had. This is quite at odds with how Wheeler was in our world. In our world, Wheeler was actually quite progressive. He supported labor unions and workers' rights, he supported the New Deal, and he helped expose the Teapot Dome scandal. He supported isolationism, but he enthusiastically supported the war effort following Pearl Harbor. Sure, he did hang around Lindbergh, but there is nothing which suggest that he was a bigot or pro-fascist.
But wait, just as everything as at its grimmest, and emergency election is called by Congress. FDR wins in a landslide, and undoes all of Lindbergh's policies. Japan commits a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and America formally joins World War II. It's a little weird that Pearl Harbor happened pretty much exactly like it did in our world, albeit one year later, but it guess it isn't totally outside the realm of possibility. Hopefully, seeing what Lindbergh did to Jewish Americans will make FDR more sympathetic to the plight of Japanese-Americans, and he won't throw them in interment camps.
Things certainly could have been worse for Jewish Americans, but they won't be able to say "it can't happen here" anymore. Jewish Americans will always be a bit wary of the government, and for good reason. I think back to how the Jewish community of New Jersey. Most of them can't read of write Hebrew or Yiddish; they celebrate the Jewish holidays more for cultural, rather than religious, reasons; many don't even keep kosher very strictly. The kids all do typical American kid things like playing baseball and getting into mischief. These Jews are thoroughly assimilated, and are as American as it comes. And yet, in spite of all that, Lindbergh couldn't see them as fellow Americans. He only saw them as Jews, and nothing more. But this does tie into the major theme of the novel: every American, regardless of background, is a true American. It behooves us all to remember that.
And so that was The Plot Against America by Philip Roth. It goes to show that you can still do interesting things with World War II alternate history besides the usual Nazi Victory scenarios. It provided at look at America under the presidency of Charles Lindbergh as only Phillip Roth could tell it. I can't believe I waited as long as it did to check this one out. You should not wait like I did. Check it out today, and you'll be glad that you did.
Well, that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.
Whatever the reason, I finally gave The Plot Against America a try, and I loved it. You will occasionally see literary fiction authors dip their toes into speculative fiction. However, this is the first time I've seen a literary fiction author try their hand at alternate history. Philip Roth ruffled some feathers when he made some comments that seemed to imply that he believed that he had invented the concept of alternate history. I haven't seen exactly where that went down, so I won't really comment on that.
I will say that Roth does an excellent job of combining his signature style with the alternate history setting. I took a look at some of Roth's other books in order to compare the writing style, and The Plot Against America defiantly fits the mold. There are segments of the book that almost feel weirdly nostalgic at times. Roth describes daily life in 1940s New Jersey in such loving detail, it can be easy to forget that you're reading an alternate history novel. And yes, this is a Philip Roth book, so it is pretty much required to take place in New Jersey.
One aspect I liked is that Jewish Americans are not a united front against Lindbergh. Sure, there are plenty, like the Roth family, who are weary of his policies, and actively push back against him. However, there are also Jews who are supportive of Lindbergh, or at least, believe he isn't that bad and can be reasoned with. A rabbi named Lionel Bengelsdorf becomes, essentially, Lindbergh's spokesman from within the Jewish community. Bengelsdorf is from Charleston, but that isn't as crazy as it might sound. Prior to the American Civil War, Charleston had the highest Jewish population in America. Indeed, many Southern Jews owned slaves, and fought for the Confederacy to preserve slavery. In fact, Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin was the first Jew elects to public office in North America.
Philip’s socialite aunt Evelyn also tries her best to worm her way into Lindbergh's good graces. At one point, she event attends a gala where Nazi officials are on the guest list. Other characters become unwitting pawns of Lindbergh and his schemes. One of Lindbergh's new social programs is called Just Folks. It involves Jewish boys spending the summer with gentile families, often in rural areas. Phillip's brother Sandy always wanted to spend time on a farm, and leaps at the opportunity to sign up. To everyone's collective dismay, Sandy had a wonderful time working on a tobacco farm in Kentucky. Worse, he'd gladly go again, and even becomes a spokesman for the program. In doing so, he becomes a useful idiot for the Lindbergh Administration.
Another of Lindbergh's policies is called Homestead 42. It encourages Jews to move to more rural areas. That way, Jews would be spread thin, and politicians won't have to pander to Jewish voters. Being in rural areas also means Jews would be more likely to bump into white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. Part of me wonders if that was a deliberate aspect of the plan. Lindbergh probably wouldn't object to Klansmen murdering Jews. Homestead 42, as it is public ally presented, would give him plausible deniability in that regard.
Of course, other Jews push back again Lindbergh's policies. Philip’s cousin Alvin volunteers in the Canadian army to directly fight the forces of fascism in Europe. Lindbergh canceled the Lend-Lease programs. As such, things could be better for Britain’s war effort. In our world, several Americans volunteered in the British and Canadian armies before America officially entered the war. They were known as Eagle Squadron. In fact, many of the planes from when America first joined the war were actually RAF planes that had been repainted. Obviously, this changed after the American war effort really kicked into gear, and America began rolling out its own planes.
Interestingly, Alvin isn't shown to be honorable or flawless as you might expect. In fact, he's shown to be a bit of a shiftless ne'er-do-well who takes advantage of the Roths after he arrives back home. Volunteering for service was certain admirable, but there's a strong sense that Alvin was in way over his head. His decision was spur of the moment, and he didn't think enough about the long-term consequences of his choice.
Meanwhile, the journalist/commentator Walter Winchell uses his program to critique Lindbergh. Winchell was a real historical figure, and was one of the first America journalist to speak out against Hitler and the Nazis. He also criticized America's isolationist stance, and criticized those who pushed for it, such as Charles Lindbergh. At one point in the book he even attempts to run for president. Unfortunately, the campaign hits a minor snag after Winchell is stuck by an incurable state of writers block known as death.
I know I might get flack for saying this, but maybe that was for the best. Let me elaborate a bit. In our world, following World War II, Walter Winchell gave his full-throated support to Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch hunts. In doing so, Winchell firmly placed himself on the wrong side of history, and seriously tarnished his legacy. So, at least the book's version of Winchell got to die a hero, rather than living to see himself become a villain.
Now, let's talk about Charles Lindbergh himself. Lindbergh's policy of isolationism, and the support it receives, is fairly realistic. Both the Democrats and the Republicans were pro-isolationism at the start of World War II. The general American public also favored isolationism. It wasn't until Pearl Harbor that public opinion about the war began to shift. America getting pulled into the orbit of Nazi Germany also isn't as unbelievable as it might seem. There were a surprisingly high number of Americans who sympathized with the Nazis. Jack Kirby received quite a bit of hate mail when he drew Captain America punching Hitler in the very first issue of Captain America. There were also several Pro-Nazi organizations, such as the German American Bund. In fact, the Bund appears several times in The Plot Against America.
Lindbergh was indeed an antisemite, and his antisemitism was fairly well-known. The Plot Against America portrays Lindbergh as having complicated views about Jewish people. He does not seem to like them, but he knows he can't say that out loud. He's actually worse in this regard than the Lindbergh of our world. For example, at one point Lindbergh receives a medal from the Germany government, and refuses to return it even after the events of Kristallnacht, aka the Night of Broken Glass.
By contrast, and quite surprising given his antisemitism, Lindbergh spoke out against the Nazis' persecution of Jews. He also specifically spoke out against the events of Kristallnacht. He was also horrified when he learn the extent of the concentration camps. Lindbergh was staunchly isolationist, but he served in the Pacific after America committed to World War II. Now, I'm not criticizing Roth's portrayal of Lindbergh. Given the right circumstances, Lindbergh could very well have gone down a darker path. I'm just saying that people are complicated. Honestly, the depiction of Lindbergh's vice president, Burton K. Wheeler, was far more questionable. However, we'll get into that in the spoilers section.
For what it's worth, the characters speculate on Lindbergh's true motives. There are rumors that the Nazis have kidnapped his child, and he implemented the antisemitic programs to appease them. His heart not being in it would explain why he didn't go too crazy. Well, that and the American government has safeguards against the president having too much power. However, we don't get any definitive answers, and this all remains pure speculation. Personally, I think Lindbergh was acting of his own volition, and wasn't being coerced by anyone.
Before we get into the spoilers, I'll take a minute to mention the audiobook. It is narrated by Ron Silver. I felt that he was absolutely perfect as a narrator, and I have no complaints there. However, I do have to ding points for the cover. It looks the same as the physical book save one key feature. The stamp on the physical book has a swastika on it, but the stamp on the audiobook has an X on it. This is a reference to a dream that Philip has. He dreams that his collection of national parks stamps become covered in swastikas. This represents the fearing the creeping fascism with the coming of the Lindbergh Administration. Why did the audiobook censor it? What was the point of that? It really undermines the impact that the non-censored cover has. But I suppose it is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.
Okay, now it is time for the spoilers. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.
Last chance. You sure you want to continue?
Okay, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.
So, a plane that Lindbergh is flying disappears under mysterious circumstances. As such, Vice President Burton K. Wheeler takes over as Acting President. America proceeds to go to hell in a hand-basket. Antisemitic riots break out in several major cities, Martial Law is declared, and Wheeler drops all pretense that Lindbergh had. This is quite at odds with how Wheeler was in our world. In our world, Wheeler was actually quite progressive. He supported labor unions and workers' rights, he supported the New Deal, and he helped expose the Teapot Dome scandal. He supported isolationism, but he enthusiastically supported the war effort following Pearl Harbor. Sure, he did hang around Lindbergh, but there is nothing which suggest that he was a bigot or pro-fascist.
But wait, just as everything as at its grimmest, and emergency election is called by Congress. FDR wins in a landslide, and undoes all of Lindbergh's policies. Japan commits a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and America formally joins World War II. It's a little weird that Pearl Harbor happened pretty much exactly like it did in our world, albeit one year later, but it guess it isn't totally outside the realm of possibility. Hopefully, seeing what Lindbergh did to Jewish Americans will make FDR more sympathetic to the plight of Japanese-Americans, and he won't throw them in interment camps.
Things certainly could have been worse for Jewish Americans, but they won't be able to say "it can't happen here" anymore. Jewish Americans will always be a bit wary of the government, and for good reason. I think back to how the Jewish community of New Jersey. Most of them can't read of write Hebrew or Yiddish; they celebrate the Jewish holidays more for cultural, rather than religious, reasons; many don't even keep kosher very strictly. The kids all do typical American kid things like playing baseball and getting into mischief. These Jews are thoroughly assimilated, and are as American as it comes. And yet, in spite of all that, Lindbergh couldn't see them as fellow Americans. He only saw them as Jews, and nothing more. But this does tie into the major theme of the novel: every American, regardless of background, is a true American. It behooves us all to remember that.
And so that was The Plot Against America by Philip Roth. It goes to show that you can still do interesting things with World War II alternate history besides the usual Nazi Victory scenarios. It provided at look at America under the presidency of Charles Lindbergh as only Phillip Roth could tell it. I can't believe I waited as long as it did to check this one out. You should not wait like I did. Check it out today, and you'll be glad that you did.
Well, that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.
Enjoyed the book and miniseries. I was born in 1957, by my time the heavily Jewish neighborhoods near me were pretty much gone by 1970 so I've never seen the anti-Semitism in the flesh that pervaded society but I could see a Lindbergh type stirring the pot.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I’ve watched the miniseries as well, and it is excellent. There was a lot of antisemitism back in the 1940. Far more than most people would like to admit.
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