The First Gentlemen of Virginia

by Louis B. Wright

Book by Louis B. Wright

Genres: History

373 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Louis Booker Wright was an American author, educator and librarian. Wright was the director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, the author of numerous books about the American colonial period, and in 1928 he was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship.

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed exploration of colonial Virginia. It is rather scholarly while engaging and not overly dry. The early "colonels", planters, and land barons were really Englishman amassing a fortune in the colonies. As such, they reflected much of the English gentry. Most of this is told through catalogs of book collections. Some noted Virginia families get their own chapters, for example the Lees and Carters.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with a lot of insight, though a few places became tedious as Wright really focused a lot of attention on 17th C. Colonial libraries. Overall, good, however, and I'm sure it will prove useful.