His large book of essays, collected as United States, is an easy-to-read summary of his thinking. It is delightful. He ran with a very influential crowd, he is highly original, well-read, and independent, and he made every effort to put himself in the middle of events.
I miss Hitch and Vidal.
I read Creation by Gore Vidal and I was blown away by his imagination and knowledge of the classical world.
His other books are on my list.
For me it was Messiah. Written in the 50s, and presciently anticipates scientology, and other pseudo religions. He had tone, style, wit, vision, and cockiness.