History, observation. imagination and social color
Gore Vidal's brilliant writing style always carries the day. He is a excellent word crafter with a style that flows and colors from the historical novel writing styles developed in the 1960's. Washington DC is part of his American panorama. All of the books in this panorama are worth the time particularly if you enjoy history and love social interaction. It is filled with history, observation, imagination and social color.
However this book written in 1967 is but a precursor to the "The Golden Age" written in 2000. And the book "Empire" written in 1987 sets the broad stage for the bold characters of "Washington DC" and "The Golden Age". Read Washington DC and The Golden Age in the order they were issued and you will experience a rich dessert.
Gore's love for people and his willingness to play with the "beautiful people" and the"titans of business and politics" is a potent mixture - an obtuse breath of fresh air from a complex author combining irony, whit, and cynicism.
Few people have had the opportunity to view the current of social and political history so closely and commented with surprising grace and fairness on complex political and social issues which so easily cause dramatic schisms amongst American political and social strata. Gore has his point of view and yet he does not white wash the possibility for thought.