American empire--the center cannot hold

About “American empire--the center cannot hold”

American Empire: Book Two is an alternate history novel by Harry Turtledove set in 1924. In this world, the Socialist Party in the United States, led by Hosea Blackford, competes against Calvin Coolidge for control of the Powell House in Philadelphia. The country experiences economic prosperity, but new challenges arise as old political figures fade. The Confederate States, which won the War of Secession and the Second Mexican War, face hardship after losing the Great War. The Freedom Party rises in the Confederacy, promising strength but potentially creating conflict with the United States. The U.S. pays little attention to events in the South, focusing instead on global dominance with Germany. As the 1920s end, civil war in Mexico, uprisings in Canada, and violence in Utah create instability. A fleet of foreign aircraft attacks a major American city, signaling a major turning point in the story.