The novel concerns the fictional newspaper dynasty of half-sibling characters Caroline and Blaise Sanford . Playing these characters against real-life figures of the years 1898 to 1907 , the novel portrays the conjunction of government and mass media in the creation of modern-day America . As with Vidal 's other books in his '' Narratives of Empire '' series , this novel offers an insight into the journalism of the time , following the exploits of William Randolph Hearst in his efforts to displace Theodore Roosevelt as president in 1904 . Following the events leading up to and following the ascension of Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency following William McKinley 's assassination , it includes pithy portraits of such leading public figures of the day as Roosevelt , Hearst , Henry Brooks Adams , Henry James , Secretary of State John Hay and President William McKinley . In this tome , the descendants of Charlie Schuyler , the fictitious main character , continue the American saga of empire building . Nevertheless , most of the characters in this novel are nonfiction and historic
assassination
Assassination of William McKinley
Empire (Vidal novel)