Washington, D.C. [Mass Market Paperback]

Gore Vidal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1986

"May well be the finest of contemporary novels about the capital."
THE NEW YORKER
From the New Deal to the McCarthy era, follow the lives of Blaise Sanford, the ruthless Washington newspaper tycoon...his son, Peter, a brilliant liberal editor both fascinated and repelled by the imperial city...Peter's beautiful and self-destructive sister, Enid...her husband, Clay Overbury, a charismatic and ambitious politician...and James Burden Day, the powerful conservative senator.
In WASHINGTON, D.C., the incomparable Vidal presents the life of politics and society in the nation's capital in the final stages of "the last empire on Earth."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superb story. . . . Vidal's people are per-suasive, and he handles the interplay of per-sonality and power with rare skill. . . . Fascinating."
--John Kenneth Galbraith

"        Vidal is the best political novelist since Disraeli. . . . [His] highly polished prose style, in part the fruit of his classical training, is a constant delight. One might even go so far as to call him a modern La Rochefoucauld."
--Louis Auchincloss

"        Washington to Vidal is like some Jacobean court, a city where even the smallest movement is in-teresting and dangerous, and where strokes and suicide have taken the place of poison."
--Times Literary Supplement


Also available from the Modern Library:
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From the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

"May well be the finest of contemporary novels about the capital."
THE NEW YORKER
From the New Deal to the McCarthy era, follow the lives of Blaise Sanford, the ruthless Washington newspaper tycoon...his son, Peter, a brilliant liberal editor both fascinated and repelled by the imperial city...Peter's beautiful and self-destructive sister, Enid...her husband, Clay Overbury, a charismatic and ambitious politician...and James Burden Day, the powerful conservative senator.
In WASHINGTON, D.C., the incomparable Vidal presents the life of politics and society in the nation's capital in the final stages of "the last empire on Earth."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345342364
• ISBN-13: 978-0345342362
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,265,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gore Vidal has received the National Book Award, written numerous novels, short stories, plays and essays. He has been a political activist and as Democratic candidate for Congress from upstate New York, he received the most votes of any Democrat in a half-century.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vidal is a master of political deceit & betrayal, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Washington, D.C. (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

A vividly accurate portrayal of what people will do to further their (political) careers and to get ahead in life. Although the book takes place mainly in the 40's, you can make a case where it is still relevent in today's society. The character development is good and you find yourself cheering for no one but sympathizing with most. This is the first Vidal book I have read and I look forward to exploring more in his series.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of the American Chronicle, January 2, 2003

By 

A. Phillips (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Washington, D.C: A Novel (Narratives of Empire). (Paperback)

Apparently others disagree, but I thought this was the best novel in Vidal's American Chronicle series. It's also the best one to start with if you haven't read any others in the series, although it's near the end chronologically. I feel that it provides a good background for the other books, making it easier to understand and get into them.
Washington, DC will also stand alone as a great political novel. I'm not generally a fan of historical fiction, but I love Vidal, and this book is one of his best.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History, Politics, and Literature at Their Finest, November 6, 2002

By 

Okla Elliott (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Washington, D.C: A Novel (Narratives of Empire). (Paperback)

Gore Vidal is one of America's most erudite and imaginative historical and political thinkers. He also happens to be one the most intelligent, witty, and capable literary craftsmen this country has ever produced.

In Washington, D. C., Vidal has created a novel that is simultaneously informative and entertaining. The story takes place between the 1930s (FDR era) and WWII. For anyone interested in that historical period, this book will be a fascinating read. The amazing thing is, however, that even if you're not interested in that historical period, you'll enjoy the satirical nuances of the book. Also, Vidal draws his characters with such authenticity that you'll get lost in the interpersonal relationships and forget the historical backdrop.

A vague outline of the novel is as follows: Senator Day twarts FDR's attempt to pack the Supreme Court; he then gets involved in an attempt to be elected president; while all this is happening his daughter's ex-fiance Clay Overbury (who is also Senator Day's aide) marries another woman whose father is extremely rich; and the political intrigue and madness ensue.

This, and all of Vidal's American Chronicle series, should be required reading for every American citizen.