William T. Vollmann's A Table for Fortune is a massive historical and personal exploration of the United States. This 3,000-page work, published in four volumes, examines the nation's myths and its conduct domestically and internationally. The novel delves into the last five decades of US foreign policy, with a particular focus on the events surrounding 9/11. A significant portion of the book offers an insider's history of the CIA, detailing its culture and daily operations. Vollmann presents this with granular detail and a dark, sardonic humor. The narrative voice of the CIA itself is relentlessly mocking and cynical. This institutional narrator, indifferent to suffering, uses acronyms, codenames, and jargon to depict the agency's activities. Through this unique framing, Vollmann educates readers on events like the Angolan civil war and Stasi interrogation methods. The book ultimately highlights the hypocrisies and double standards inherent in the CIA's operations. This epic work is an ambitious attempt to understand the consequences of the quest for liberty and American exceptionalism.