My personal favorite is Lincoln. This book provides several characterizations of the universally recognized truly great people in American history. Lincoln is viewed by family, friends, political rivals, and enemies. The portrait one gets from reading this book is much more complete and intimate than the standard school presentations of the man.

The book begins as Lincoln arrives with no fanfare in Washington DC after winning the election. He was accompanied by a Mr. Pinkerton, "what they call a detective." He came without his family to avoid the wild boys in Baltimore who openly had vowed to kill him.

The book notes how Lincoln was able to charm and disarm most of his critics with his storytelling. However, there aren't many of his actual stories chronicled in the text. Lincoln was able to pull together both allies and opponents to serve in his cabinet; often refusing to accept resignations, saying he needed the diverse group to be able to solve the weighty problems that the country was experiencing.

Lincoln is remembered as the Great Emancipator but I wonder if this would be the case if he had not been assassinated and served out his second term. He strongly believed that people from Africa would never be able to live with people who had held them as slaves. His "solution" was to pay the slave holders and ship all the black people either to an island or to Central/South America.

These Narrative books are a great read. Mr. Vidal has obviously thoroughly researched the content but has added some fictional characters who make our history lessons much more intriguing.

--Wayne Wilson