Screening History

Witty and sweepingly disrespectful...Written versions of history are, in Vidal's opinion, no more to be trusted than movie versions, and a lot less memorable besides being a lot less fun...He relates history on the screen to its influence on, or by, the general concept of events, his personal experience, and his acerbic view of doings in Washington. Unadulterated Vidal and a small gem...On almost every page there is an observation worth admiring, whether it is about Hollywood and television, politics and history, or the paranoia and hypocrisy of the commercialized American dream. -- Herbert Mitgang "New York Times" Vibrant...A reminiscence of Mr. Vidal's first 20 years (1925-1945), with a dual emphasis on the impact of films and of gossipy Washington politics on boy Gore...If the book belongs to a genre, it is the one that includes Eudora Welty's wonderful "One Writer's Beginnings." -- Michael Kammen "New York Times Book Review" includes Eudora Welty's wonderful "One Writer's Beginnings," A delight from cover to cover...A thoroughly enjoyable memoir cum cultural and political analysis. screen to its influence on, or by, the general concept of events, his personal experience, and his acerbic view of doings in Washington.