The 42nd Parallel

Many lives. One nation. The American dream begins to unravel.

John Dos Passos’s The 42nd Parallel is the groundbreaking opening volume of the acclaimed U.S.A. trilogy, a sweeping portrait of America in the early twentieth century. Set during the years leading up to the First World War, the novel follows the intersecting lives of workers, entrepreneurs, artists, dreamers, and reformers as they navigate a nation transformed by industrialization, economic upheaval, and rapid social change. Through his pioneering blend of traditional narrative, fictional biographies, newspaper-style "Newsreel" collages, and stream-of-consciousness "Camera Eye" sections, Dos Passos captures the hopes, struggles, and contradictions of a society racing toward modernity. Rich in historical detail and literary innovation, The 42nd Parallel remains one of the defining achievements of American modernism.

• First published in 1930
• The opening volume of John Dos Passos’s landmark U.S.A. trilogy
• A groundbreaking exploration of capitalism, labor, ambition, inequality, and the American experience

Available in multiple formats:

Paperback — Elegant print edition presenting the complete, unabridged text, and ships in 3–5 business days.
Hardcover — Elegant print edition presenting the complete, unabridged text, and ships in 5–7 business days.
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Audiobook — Professionally narrated, complete, and unabridged. Available on Audible, Spotify, Apple Books.

A monumental work of twentieth-century fiction, The 42nd Parallel captures the restless energy, boundless optimism, and profound inequalities of a nation in transition, laying the foundation for one of literature’s greatest portraits of America.

About the Author

John Dos Passos (1896–1970) was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, and artist whose innovative narrative techniques transformed twentieth-century literature. Best known for Manhattan Transfer and the landmark U.S.A.trilogy—The 42nd Parallel, 1919, and The Big Money—he combined fiction, history, journalism, and social commentary to create panoramic portraits of modern life. His works explored politics, culture, war, and the forces that shaped the modern world, establishing him as one of the most original voices of American modernism.