United States
by Gore Vidal
Buy on AmazonA compilation of 114 classic essays from Gore Vidal. "A marvelous compendium of sharp wit and independent judgment that confirms his status as a man of letters." —Publishers Weekly From the age of Eisenhower to the dawning of the Clinton era, Gore Vidal’s United States offers an incomparably rich tapestry of American intellectual and political life in a tumultuous period. It also provides the best, most sustained exposure possible to the most wide-ranging, acute, and original literary intelligence of the post–World War II years. United States is an essential book in the canon of twentieth-century American literature and an endlessly fascinating work.
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"Also, “United States,” a collection of Vidal’s essays (including “The Birds and the Bees,” which I consider one of the best essays ever written about sex), was the first gift I gave to Terry after we started dating."
By the Book: Dan Savage · nytimes.com