Thackeray, William Makepeace: Barry Lyndon. v1, 9 May 2008
 

Description from Amazon:

The story of the adventures of Barry Lyndon, Irish adventurer, originally Barry Redmond, who became a chance soldier in the British and Prussian armies during the Seven Years War (1756-1763). After his adventures as a soldier and a spy, he becomes a professional gambler and faithful companion of the Chevalier de Balibari. Together they cheat the most famous courts of Europe with their "skill" at cards and build up a substantial fortune to add to their fame. The gambler gives up his days of adventure-seeking after conveniently "falling in love" with the Countess of Lyndon just after her extremely wealthy husband dies. His downfall comes soon after.

Although much less well-known than "Vanity Fair", "Barry Lyndon" is regarded by some as Thackeray's best work.

Enjoy!