Re-read this quickie this past weekend (Mar 1, 2014) because nothing new on the stack. In the first section GV talks about the Middle East objectives and how we set ourselves up for the attack on 9/11 and in the second section clarifies his relationship with Timothy McVeigh and the Vanity Fair piece he wrote about his interaction with him. Like I wise old sage, he reminds us that we have lost control of our government and have allowed the powers that be to corrupt the laws our forefathers so eloquently laid out for us. Is there hope for our future? Probably not if changes do not happen now.

Tim McVeigh as martyr? Really, Gore?

Vidal is the BEST! His insights, his questions and his incredible WIT makes anything he writes about more intriguing and interesting. This book is serious stuff too bad most Americans won't ever really know or understand what has happened and what is happening in the wonderful world of politics.

Very intriguing book - the majority of this book investigates the Oklahoma City bombings. As being personally invited by Timothy McVeigh to be witness to his execution, Gore Vidal has a certain unparalleled outlook on the subject. Mr. Vidal sheds light on a situation that was otherwise rather neatly reduced to being a crazy person's revenge for the federal attack on Waco. Fascinating to read an open conversation in the form of an essay regarding the 'why' of the bombings and to consider how the actions of U.S. federal law enforcement, the executive order, news/politics media, and a former member of the U.S. Army gone traitor, reflect on our suffering democracy.

Honestly, I found it nearly unreadable. In my opinion, he showed a complete inability to follow through on a thought. It's like he had no outline, or point to some of the pieces, and instead just rambled on. Often even sentence to sentence, it would switch topics without regard.

I started this book with a bit of optimism and interest as this was the first Gore Vidal book that I had ever read. Outside of some of his articles and essays, this was my first actual Vidal book. So some excitement preceded the opening lines.

Soon after all of this anticipation I am still unsure as to whether I read an actual book. This instead felt like a collection of rants. Un-sourced and meandering at best. The book had some paragraphs which would lead on to other paragraphs with little relevance only to return to the original subject in a later paragraph.

I would not dare say that this book felt confused, it did however come across as an intelligent man struggling to vent his frustrations, as valid as they are. The book read as a mish mash of articles, half essays and 'post it' notes of ideas all compiled into one book with a general theme. Quickly published based solely upon the authors tenure in the printed World.

I will not go into any detail as to Mr Vidals conclusions on Timothy McVeigh and his vile act but found here in is a mix bag of sentiments which almost seems uncomfortable. The World is a complex place and acts of terror are almost never random and chaotic stabs of violent out burst but instead come from a reactionary expression to policy or action. This however does not justify the violence, sadly however in many instances history has gone on to validate it. For McVeigh he was neither justified nor validated and yet Vidal seems to attempt with a degree of empathy to do both.

In a World void of narrative of good and evil it is possible to look at events with the realisation that good people suffer needlessly and bad people triumph savagely without consequence. Vidal however in his dislike for the hypocritical American Empire (something I agree with him on) seems to find empathy for its enemies simply because they oppose its over reach. The enemy of my philosophical enemy....

And yet like many of those sympathetic to the Left side of politics, Vidal despite his criticisms of the prying State, its violent Imperialism at home and abroad, its disregard for civil rights and its wars of prohibition seeks to demand from it grandiose Welfare and Health Care. Unfortunately one has to appreciate that while a cancerous growth may have some perceived benefits (in imagined principle) it is still an ever expanding life threatening growth that destroys and consumes without compassion. Something which I find hypocritical and morally ill.

I am glad that I read this book and I shall read more of his works. I just found that though I did read this inside of a day, it to be an un satisfying read filled with more questions than answers.

Despite being told how great Vidal is as a pen man and how well his books are composed, I can not give this book high praise...though I can not, not recommend it for any one interested in the subject matter.

Read with an open mind and with a healthy glass of knowledge from other authours and historians on this subject.

50 %

I believe this is a must read for American citizens.

One tires of it after a while, all the Vidalian subordinate clauses. Also I didn’t expect so much on Timothy McVeigh. It’s interesting that Vidal’s letter with evidence of more accomplices in the OC bombing was written to, and ignored by, the then acting director of the FBI, one Robert S. Mueller III. His outbox must be overflowing with interesting tidbits.

It’s dated, but not irrelevant, just like the president, as Clinton said after the Newt takeover.

It's quite a short book (160 pages, fairly large print). Per page not great value for money but that is no way to judge a book. Gore Vidal touches on why something like September 11th happened, why the Oklahoma bombing took place. America's foreign policy is raised as a potential cause of September 11. The war on terror then has it's toll on America itself with civil liberties being undermined. The questions raised re Timothy McVeigh are disturbing. America has problems with it's masters and their self serving corruption. Gore Vidal puts in black and white and more eloquently than myself. A good if disturbing read

Looking back on 9/11 to OKC Bombing to now times have changed. It's amazing how much the public didn't know at the time. Gore lays out an argument and makes a case. He helps define our past. It's up to the reader to agree/disagree with him.

Didn't engage me as much as his Armegaddon essays.

You should attend - critically, of course - to all of Vidal's warnings

He always had keen insight and a delightful writing style. It's a shame so few Americans appear to have paid even the least attention.