Book 5 of 52 -- Philip Roth's The Plot Against America

As many of you loyal readers know, I graduated Rutgers with a degree in History. I love History... love it to death, but I can't bring myself to read much of it or watch too much of it on television unless I am in TRUE channel flipping mode.



There really is something to be said about watching MTV's crappy dating programs called Next and Exposed.



So... I picked up Philip Roth's The Plot Against America a little while ago without knowing what it was about -- simply on the recommendation of a friend. Simply, the book follows an alternate historical path by turning Lindbergh into a political triumph in the US. The catch though is that Lindbergh is a nazi sympathizer and wins the Presidency in 1940.






I grew up in the Flemington/Hopewell area (right in the middle of the two) so I was exposed to a lot of the Lindbergh trivia and history growing up.



The story focuses on Philip Roth, a young jewish boy in New Jersey, who watches his family and society react to this sudden rise in power by a Nazi in the American democratic republic. It is a powerful and gut renching tale....



BUT... I had bigger problems with the book.



I never looked at the cover when I borrowed the book and when I read the first 50 pages -- enough to get me vested.



On the cover is a small swastika and it made me uncomfortable when I realized it... especially since I was taking it to the gym with me to read -- a place I haven't been to in a long time.



I survived the book and the trips to the gym... and I recommend that you survive the reading of the book as alternate history books are fascinating...