Orange and Green

by G. A. Henty

First published 1888

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2.5(5)

Young Walter Davenant belongs to an Irish family whose fortunes are caught in the struggle between James II and William of Orange. When James lands in Ireland after losing the English throne, Walter is drawn into the Jacobite cause and experiences a war in which religion, property and political allegiance divide neighbouring communities as sharply as opposing armies.

The story carries him through the Siege of Derry, the Battle of the Boyne and the later defence of Limerick. Walter’s friendships and family connections bring him into contact with people on both sides, complicating easy divisions between Catholic and Protestant or Irish and English. The novel presents the Williamite War through campaigning, siege warfare and personal loyalty, ending in the defeat of James’s supporters and the difficult consequences of the settlement that follows.