book data
151 ratings, 3.45 average rating, 27 reviews
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published
August 11th 2004
(first published 2003)
by Yale University Press
binding
Paperback, 208 pages
isbn
0300105924
(isbn13: 9780300105926)
description
A New York Times bestseller
One of the master stylists of American literature, Gore Vidal now provides us with his uniquely ...more
One of the master stylists of American literature, Gore Vidal now provides us with his uniquely ...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 201)
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
history buffs
I really enjoyed Vidal's "Burr", a biography of Aaron Burr, so I was looking forward to reading this volume about the establishment of our government.
I was rather disappointed. While Vidal is a superb writer, his editorializing and clear political opinions ruined the book for me. While I agree with many of his leanings, the insertion of such seemed rather unprofessional. Also, some of his word choices, in describing some of these complicated - and very mortal men -- was a bit di...more
I was rather disappointed. While Vidal is a superb writer, his editorializing and clear political opinions ruined the book for me. While I agree with many of his leanings, the insertion of such seemed rather unprofessional. Also, some of his word choices, in describing some of these complicated - and very mortal men -- was a bit di...more
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Read in November, 2008
I chose this book mainly because I have wanted to read something by Vidal for a long time, and, quite frankly, this looked safer than his fiction. It was an interesting discussion of the early years of our nation, mostly focusing on the twenty or so years following the end of the Revolutionary War.
There were many fascinating insights into how much arguing and indecision occurred in those early years, and lots of interesting stories about the three men cited in the title, as well as about ...more
There were many fascinating insights into how much arguing and indecision occurred in those early years, and lots of interesting stories about the three men cited in the title, as well as about ...more
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Read in February, 2008
Awful. Not even complete sentences.
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Read in June, 2008
My feelings about Gore Vidal's "Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson" are decidedly mixed. While I am glad we still have an historian and cultural critic like Gore Vidal around -- and, having him seen him speak recently and seen what poor health he looks to be in, we may not have him around much longer -- it'd be hard to characterize much of the founding-fathers history in this book as anything other than well-trodden ground. (Vidal is not necessarily to blame for his: He h...more
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Read in January, 2008
A brief, learned, snarky narrative featuring the usual contemporary political import, and plenty of winking gossip. (What was the deal between Washington and Hamilton, anyway? Father and bastard son? Or was it love?)
A true historian, Vidal uses primary sources exclusively (though Page Smith and Bernard Bailyn get a good quote or two), and loves to paint a vivid pictur...more
A true historian, Vidal uses primary sources exclusively (though Page Smith and Bernard Bailyn get a good quote or two), and loves to paint a vivid pictur...more
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Read in March, 2008
My experience reading straight history (as opposed to historical fiction) is pretty limited, but I had wanted to get an idea of Vidal is like. Although I appreciated that he did not attempt to add too much to the "characters" beyond what exists in the historical record, at first I had trouble remaining interested: that distance from the founding fathers as characters made it seem dry. However, Vidal soon won me over with his intelligent and witty voice. (He's a master of the ...more
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So far this is fun, as it is slim on the recap of the first three POTUS's and focuses more heavily on their differing philosophies during the drafting of the constitution.
***
Okay, I am putting this off until fall - perhaps this is good election season reading, but it is not a good accessory for my beach weekends. Vidal is just so angry (this was written shortly after the invasion of Iraq), and rightly so, but I am just too optimistic about our country right now - after the exciting pr...more
***
Okay, I am putting this off until fall - perhaps this is good election season reading, but it is not a good accessory for my beach weekends. Vidal is just so angry (this was written shortly after the invasion of Iraq), and rightly so, but I am just too optimistic about our country right now - after the exciting pr...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
Historia, Estados Unidos
Uno de los pocos escritores estadounidenses que manejan un estilo realmente ágil, matizado y sobretodo inteligente para tratar el tabú de los "padres fundadores", coloca a cada uno en su justa proporción y nos habla de hombres más que de mitos y cómo fueron las relaciones entre estos hombres tan importantes para finales del siglo XVIII y cuyo legado afecta en mayor o menor medida a gran parte del mundo (si no es que a toda) hoy en dÃa. Un libro realmente bueno y ameno, sus 190 pÃ...more
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Read in November, 2007
Once again Vidal delivers an extremely well-written and enlightening volume on the character of the United States and three of the most interesting characters of U.S. history: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. It is a history of the Constitution and also a history of how the Constitution became used and abused in those early years of the republic. There is chilling mention of Franklin's prescient observation that that government will inevitably become Despotic. Yo, George and Dick and Company...more
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Read in July, 2008
I had read Vidal's book earlier and enjoyed it thoroughly. When I discovered that my local library had an audiobook version read by the author I borrowed it for my husband. He drives from Pasadena to San Diego often enough that books on CDs are welcome. He is having a great time with this one and reports that Gore Vidal's dry voice is perfect for the narration. He (my husband, not the author) is a great constitutional history buff so this appears to be a perfect match.
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Read in July, 2008
Though I often have differences with him, I've found Vidal to be a wonderful writer and thinker. Yet, I did not particularly enjoy this book. It was a bit dry and sometime dramatically dismissive of the accomplishments of some of its characters. His sometimes oddly placed political assertions also turned me off to the writing at times as well. This all being said, it was still a good brief read on the contributions of the first three Presidents of the United States.
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
history buffs
A quick paced but deft review of the personalities behind the politicians who founded the United States. In fact, it moves so quickly I think I will have to read it again to keep track of the people involved (but then I'm bad with names in the real world). Gore Vidal's treatment is full of even handed humor, sometimes a bit snarky but not sensationalist. The depth of detail is impressive, as is the breadth of perspective.
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Grabbed this from the library to kick off the US Presidents Reading Challenge, woot woot.
http://uspresidentsreadingproj...
http://uspresidentsreadingproj...
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Read in September, 2001
"Good moments from the early days of the nation focused mostly on Washington, Adams and Jefferson. With scathing, almost mad, side comments about how this relates, if ever so tangentally, to the awful, corrupt and disasterous political times of today. Better viewed as the sickened outlook of the fading east-coast liberal mind at the turn of the century."
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AWESOME. Vidal writes like no one else has ever taken a look at the birth of the U.S. and the ideas of its leaders before. I took notes on this book, it was so fucking good. Manages to comment on current boondoggle while talking about our dense history. Readmeplease.
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Read in March, 2008
borrowed audiobook for drive home for Easter- interesting look at some of the founding fathers. Got me excited to watch HBO's John Adams. He was pretty hard on Hamilton. I'd never gotten more than dry facts about him before. I wonder how accurate his assessment is.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2008
Phenominal book on the framers and their intentions with the constitution...I read this on a flight to San Francisco earlier this month and I thought it was amazingly interesting.
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Read in March, 2008
Vidal style is like the history teacher that tells stories that don't make any sense...BLAH BLAH BLAH. Not a great book. And, little to learn from the style or the writing.
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Vidal's condescending political commentary interrupts an otherwise enjoyable history. This is a far cry from McCullough's John Adams biography.
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