Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal was an American novelist, essayist, playwright and political commentator whose work frequently examined the history, institutions and public life of the United States. Born in 1925, he came from a politically connected family and developed an early interest in power, ambition and the construction of national identity. His writing was marked by wit, scepticism and a willingness to challenge conventional accounts of American history and politics.

Vidal’s historical novels include Burr, Lincoln, 1876 and Empire, several of which form part of his Narratives of Empire series. Through fictionalised portrayals of presidents, politicians and influential families, he explored the development of the American republic and the growth of its political and military power. He also wrote widely on literature, culture and contemporary affairs, becoming one of the most prominent American public intellectuals of the twentieth century.

Periods and events

Greco-Persian Wars Mesopotamia Achaemenid Persian Empire Angevin Empire Third Crusade Captivity and Ransom of Richard I Plantagenet England Late Roman Empire Christianisation of the Roman Empire Roman–Sasanian Wars American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg Emancipation and Reconstruction Abolitionism and American Slavery

Series

Series by Gore Vidal (1 series)

Narratives of Empire in Order

by Gore Vidal 5 books 4.3

Gore Vidal’s seven-volume Narratives of Empire sequence follows the United States from the revolutionary generation to the Cold War, combining the lives of the fictional Schuyler, Sanford and Day families with presidents, senators, journalists and political operators. The novels treat public history as a contest over power, reputation…