The Decline and Fall of the American Empire (The Real Story Series) by Gore Vidal Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Decline and Fall of the American Empire (The Real Story Series)
Book Review: Americana Romanum
Summary: 3 Stars
Readers should understand the correlation between Roman history of empire and America's. One reviewers skin is a little too thin if they turn a book review into a paregoric about the writers' failure and forget to see the truth in Vidal's message amidst the honeyed vitriol. Vidal IS our only Suetonious, our only Tiriesias. I think we can indulge the man- forget the disgruntled reviewers' puritanical false rectitude which passes for discourse. Instead, enjoy the incisive wit a la Twain that Vidal brings to a subject larded with the detritus of America's lust for self righteousness.Book Review: Pouty
Summary: 2 Stars
Gore Vidal pretends in this book (and in other of his writings) to hate and knock America for ideological reasons. But he really hates America because America: 1)Didn't make him President.
2)Didn't give him the literary reputation of being America's Tolstoy.
3)Didn't make him a legendary movie star.
Vidal has pursued all these goals, and fell short in all of them. Vidal has one of the hugest egos I've ever witnessed (read Martin Amis' profile of him in Amis' collection THE MORONIC INFERNO). His egomania comes close to sociopathy. In one of his novels (I forget which) the hero is named "Eugene" who Vidal describes as something like "the greatest savior the world had been waiting for." Vidal's real first name is Eugene (he changed it to Gore). He was writing about what he thought of himself. And shame on America for not thinking as grandly of him as he thinks of himself! THAT is why he knocks America and exaggerates its foibles to the level of paranoia. Which I don't believe is real paranoia. I don't think HE thinks America is headed for such ruin. He just wants to insult the country that he thinks betrayed him by not worshipping him. Pathetic.
Book Review: Gore Vidal is the real thing!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a must read for all thinking people as we approach the new century. Vidal makes some bold statements, but he rightly notes that when our government fails to serve the people's interests, it is our DUTY to topple it and create another. His prose is entertaining, and easy to read, and he can back up his ideas with fact. Vidal for President!Book Review: A sobering look at Mom's apple pie Empire
Summary: 5 Stars
It will not be easy for any of us who love our country to face the assertions Gore Vidal makes in this book, but this is exactly what we need to wake up from the current miasma of smoke-and-mirrors spin. Perhaps the proliferation of conspiracy theories is a symptom of what we all suspect, but are in denial about. Vidal confronts us with the cold hard facts: 90% of the disbursements of the federal government go to defense; our language has grown decadent and is used to disguise; the corporations control opinion through the conglomerate media; in 1991, 37% of federal revenues (taxes) came from individuals and only 8% from corporations. Reading this book will be worth the anguish it causes you. If Thomas Jefferson could see that his beloved country was being ruled by an elite through armies of lawyers, lobbyists, and paid-for-scientists, he would warn us all that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance; and this is precisely what Gore Vidal is attempting to do.