This historical narrative series chronicles not only American history, but also the imperialistic nature of this country. Published between 1967 and 2000, they chronicle the history of Vidal's "American Empire", from dawn to decay, by interweaving the private stories of two fictional American families with the public stories of historical personages. Although the seven novels were not published in order of historical chronology, they can be read in either historical or publication order without sacrificing narrative intelligibility.