Historical fiction book · Curated
Burr
Gore Vidal · historical fiction
Series: Narratives of Empire
On 1 July 1833 a New York paper notes that Colonel Aaron Burr, seventy-seven, has married Eliza Jumel, and Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler—the clerk who wrote the item—begins taking down Burr’s own account of his life. Gore Vidal’s 1973 novel is Regency biographical historical fiction of that account: the Revolution, the election of 1800, the duel with Alexander Hamilton, and the 1807 treason trial.
Why read it: A widely searched early-republic novel—the Vidal title readers look up by name (Narratives of Empire, the first), and an Aaron Burr counterpart to The Confessions of Nat Turner already on the shelf (not Lincoln).
About this historical novel
Burr by Gore Vidal is historical fiction set around 1776–1836 in the Regency / Napoleonic / Early modern period with key settings including New York, Weehawken, Washington, Richmond. On 1 July 1833 a New York paper notes that Colonel Aaron Burr, seventy-seven, has married Eliza Jumel, and Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler—the clerk who wrote the item—begins taking down Burr’s own account of his life. Gore Vidal’s 1973 novel is Regency biographical historical fiction of that account: the Revolution, the election of 1800, the duel with Alexander Hamilton, and the 1807 treason trial.
On HisFic we tag it under 4. Biographical fiction and 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include Aaron Burr, the duel, the early republic, treason, and ambition. A widely searched early-republic novel—the Vidal title readers look up by name (Narratives of Empire, the first), and an Aaron Burr counterpart to The Confessions of Nat Turner already on the shelf (not Lincoln).
Use HisFic’s free journey planner to stay in this era or subgenre, save titles to a want-to-read list in your browser, and open Amazon when you are ready to buy. HisFic is discovery-only—not a bookstore—so pages like this exist to help you choose the next historical novel with intent.
Plot summary
On 1 July 1833 a New York paper notes that Colonel Aaron Burr, seventy-seven, has married Eliza Jumel, and Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler—the clerk who wrote the item—begins taking down Burr’s own account of his life. Gore Vidal’s 1973 novel is Regency biographical historical fiction of that account: the Revolution, the election of 1800, the duel with Alexander Hamilton, and the 1807 treason trial. A widely searched early-republic novel—the Vidal title readers look up by name (Narratives of Empire, the first), and an Aaron Burr counterpart to The Confessions of Nat Turner already on the shelf (not Lincoln).
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
North America
New York · Weehawken · Washington · Richmond
Themes
- Aaron Burr
- the duel
- the early republic
- treason
- ambition
Tags
biographical · series · classic