Palimpsest: A Memoir

Book Specification

ISBN: 9780349147154

Pages: 544

Book Cover: Paperback

Book Overview

Palimpsest is the dazzling first volume of memoirs by acclaimed American writer Gore Vidal, covering the first 39 years of his extraordinary life. With his signature wit, insight, and unapologetic candor, Vidal takes readers on a richly entertaining journey through politics, literature, war, Hollywood, and high society.

Highlights:

An insider’s life story: From his birth into a prominent political family in Washington, D.C., to his early days as a novelist and playwright

Fascinating encounters: Personal recollections of figures like Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, the Kennedys, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Jack Kerouac, and many more

Hollywood & Politics: Stories from his time in film and TV, as well as his bold run for Congress—where he famously outpolled JFK in their shared district

Feuds & Friendships: Legendary rivalries with William F. Buckley Jr. and Truman Capote, and friendships with key literary and political figures of the 20th century

Deeply personal moments: At its emotional core, the memoir explores his lifelong love for his boyhood friend Jimmy Trimble, who died in WWII at Iwo Jima

"Vidal on Vidal – a great and supremely entertaining writer on a great and endlessly fascinating subject."
“Gore Vidal, a writer of lustrous and fabulously readable prose, was always ahead of his time.” — Stephen Fry

Palimpsest is a memoir like no other—clever, revealing, and unafraid to challenge the mythologies of America and the literary world.