Novelist, culture critic, essayist, historian, comic satirist, image maker, actor, homosexual, bisexual, controversial, confrontational, unflinching, cynical, idealistic - all words to describe Gore Vidal. From his Washington childhood, with its high political and social connections, to his Exeter education and US Army experiences; from his Hollywood and TV career to his literary life as a novelist, playwright, and essayist; from his friendships and feuds with Tennessee Williams, Anais Nin, Truman Capote, and William Buckley to his exploration of homosexuality and celebration of bisexuality, Gore Vidal has been both participant in and spectator at the centres of American power. Written with complete access to Vidal's papers, diaries, and private photographs, as well as newsreel and TV footage, supplemented by interview with Vidal, this biogrpahy illuminates this literary giant.