The Virginians

Published in 1859, The Virginians by William Makepeace Thackeray is an extension of his earlier novel Henry Esmond. Set partly in England and partly in colonial Virginia, the work follows the lives of Esmond's grandsons, Henry and George Warringtons. The breach between them is followed as the brothers take opposite sides in the American Civil War. A subtle commentary on the Civil War and the breach between the two sides is also presented.