"Gore Vidal is the master essayist of our age." –The Washington Post Book World"Vidal is the best all-around American man of letters since Edmund Wilson." –Newsweek "Wonderfully selected. . . . All classic Vidal essays are here. . . . [They] confirm Vidal's stature." –The Buffalo News"Gore Vidal, essayist; so good that we cannot do without him. He is a treasure of the state." –R.W.B. Lewis, The New York Times Book Review"Fearlessness and independence of mind are the strengths in this author's arms, but his heart's love is language and the richness of language."–Los Angeles Times Book Review