Physical description

The Virginians
Author: William Makepeace Thackeray
Publisher: Henry Frowde Oxford University Press
Date: 1908
The Virginians-- A tale of the last century

Publication type

fiction

Inscriptions & markings

The label on the spine cover with typed text PAT FIC THA
Paste down front end paper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library.
Front loose end paper has a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service.

Summary

The Virginians: A Tale of the Last Century was originally published in serial numbers from 1857 to 1859. It is a sweeping historical novel set against the backdrop of the Seven Years’ War and the lead-up to the American Revolutionary War. It acts as a sequel to Thackeray’s earlier masterpiece, The History of Henry Esmond. The plot follows Henry Esmond’s twin grandsons, George and Harry Warrington. Born in Virginia, the brothers are separated when the studious older twin, George, is presumed dead after a disastrous military expedition alongside a young George Washington.
The plot goes on to tell of the younger, more impulsive twin, Harry, travelling to England to visit wealthy relatives. Mistaken for a rich heir, he gets swept up in high society, falls prey to fortune hunters, and racks up massive gambling debts. George unexpectedly resurfaces alive, saves his brother from ruin, and the narrative eventually tracks their split allegiances as the American Revolution begins to fracture the family.