As Matthew Henry noted in Critique, "E.L. Doctorow has made a career out of historical fiction, and he is renowned for both examining and rewriting the American past … because for Doctorow there is no fact or fiction, only narrative." In his attempt to examine the cultural myths of America and their impact on society, E.L. Doctorow created some of the most noted works of postmodern historical fiction of the late twentieth century through his unique ability to weave documented historical facts and figures with invented ones. As Henry noted, this brand of historical fiction allowed Doctorow to present different histories, not only those accepted by consensus. Doctorow's approach to history and his style of writing mark him as one of the significant contributors to the postmodern literary movement.

Edgar Laurence Doctorow was born in 1931 in New York City, the setting...