Burr: A Novel is a 1973 novel by Gore Vidal that challenges the traditional iconography of American history to present an alternative view of the life of Aaron Burr, presenting him as a hero, while all the other key historical figures of the time, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are depicted as self-centered individuals, who did not place the good of the country first. The main villain is Alexander Hamilton, with whom Burr fought his famous duel. 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Gore Vidal, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1948 Eugene Luther Vidal, better known as Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925), is a well-known American man of letters, a writer of novels, plays and essays, and a leading public figure for over fifty years. ... Vice President Aaron Burr Alternate meaning: Rev. ... This article is about George Washingtons general life. ... Order: Third President Vice President: Aaron Burr; George Clinton Term of office: March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809 Preceded by: John Adams Succeeded by: James Madison Date of birth: April 13, 1743 Place of birth: Shadwell, Virginia Date of death: July 4, 1826 Place of death: Charlottesville, Virginia First Lady... A portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull, 1792. ... A duel or duel of honour is a form of armed combat in which two individuals participate. ...

Like many of Vidal's other historical novels, such as Julian or Creation, the book is based on an imaginary memoir. In fact, Vidal did meticulous research of hundreds of documents to come up with his alternative reading of history.

The story is told from the point of view of a fictional illegitimate son of Burr's by the name of Charles Schuyler.

Burr is the first of a series of novels by Vidal in which he follows one family through the history of the United States. The second book in the series, 1876, tells of Schuyler returning to the United States in the year 1876, after having spent forty years in Europe. Gore Vidals 1876 was published in 1976 and details the events of a year described by Vidal himself as probably the low-point in our republics history. ...