Vidal’s portrait of Harding is surprisingly sympathetic, reminiscent of his treatment of Grant in the earlier novel 1876, who presided over an earlier corrupt administration. Along the way, there are some convincing insights, such as the way Woodrow Wilson’s childhood in the Reconstruction-era South may have given him foresight into the effect victor’s justice would have on Germany and led to his call for peace without victory. For these, Vidal offers his usual mix of insightful portraits and juicy gossip in a manner reminiscent of his literary heroes, the two Henrys, James and Adams. Vidal aficianados will recognize much here: the naked ambition and pervasive corruption of public life, and the ease with which Americans accept assaults on First Amendment guarantees and allow their passions to be stirred against the wicked (first, the “Huns”, then the Bolsheviks).Ĭontinuing the pattern of earlier novels, Vidal interweaves the fortunes of two fictional families (in part putative descendants of Aaron Burr), the Sanfords and the Days, with a cast of historical characters. came into its “century” and immediately pulled back from the implications. In this, the fifth of Vidal’s Narratives of Empire series, the author explores the impact of World War I and its aftermath on the fabric of the American nation.
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