1850. With illustrations on wood by the author. Vanity Fair is Thackeray's masterpiece, but he also showed great skill in writing historical fiction with fine attention to period manners and customs and a dispassionate sympathy for his character's actions. The History of Pendennis concerns a young man of moderate status and his pursuit of wealth and happiness who becomes distracted by women and partying when he should be studying at university. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.