Burr

Burr

Author: Gore Vidal
Desc: Gore Vidal's Narratives of Empire series spans the history of the United States from the Revolution to the post-World War II years. With their broad canvas and large cast of fictional and historical characters the novels in this series present a panorama of the American political and imperial experience as interpreted by one of its most worldly knowing and ironic observers. Burr is a portrait of perhaps the most complex and misunderstood of the Founding Fathers. In 1804 while serving as vice president Aaron Burr fought a duel with his political nemesis Alexander Hamilton and killed him. In 1807 he was arrested tried and acquitted of treason. In 1833 Burr is newly married an aging statesman considered a monster by many. Burr retains much of his political influence if not the respect of all. And he is determined to tell his own story. As his amanuensis he chooses Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler a young New York City journalist and together they explore both Burr's past and the continuing political intrigues of the still young United States.