Burr

By Gore Vidal

Categories: Literature & Fiction

Burr (1973) is a historical novel by Gore Vidal, framed as the recollections of Aaron Burr. Narrated through Burr's voice, the book revisits the early American republic and offers sharp, irreverent portraits of Washington, Jefferson and Hamilton. Vidal uses the man who killed Hamilton in a duel as a witty, unreliable guide to the founding generation's ambitions, rivalries and hypocrisies.

Recommended by 1 person

• Fareed Zakaria: “This week's book of the week is an old favorite that I was reminded of when, finally, I managed to go and see "Hamilton" last week. If you want more of that history, but with a twist, read Gore Vidal's "Burr," a fictional account of early American history as seen through the eyes of the one founding father who lost out. Burr, you might recall, lost the election of 1800 to Thomas Jefferson, became vice president, and then killed Hamilton in a duel. It's an incredibly clever, iconoclastic account of the American founding, with devastating portraits of Washington, Jefferson and, yes, Hamilton. It's fiction but based on careful research.”