Bit Of History

Hugh Sidey tells us that "twinkly" Ron Reagan said that in my book Lincoln the President could not have seen from his window something or other I say that he saw ((NATION, July 20)). I suspect that neither Ron nor Hugh knows that Lincoln's office was on the southeast corner of the second floor, with a nice view of sunrise, sunset, the Potomac and the Confederacy. The current, ill-fated Oval Office was built in 1902.

Gore Vidal

Ravello, Italy