James Branch was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles-lettres. Cabell was well-regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, and Sinclair Lewis. His works were considered escapist. Although escapist, Cabell's works are ironic and satirical. Cabell's best-known book is Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice. The eponymous hero, who considers himself a "monstrous clever fellow", embarks on a journey through ever more fantastic realms, even to hell and heaven. Everywhere he goes, he winds up seducing the local women, even the Devil's wife. A great deal of Cabell's work has focused on the Biography of the Life of Manuel, the story of a character named Dom Manuel and his descendants through many generations. Many of these books take place in the fictional country eventually ruled by Manuel, known as "Poictesme". Several other books take place in the fictional town of Lichfield, Virginia. His later novel, The First Gentleman of America: A Comedy of Conquest, retells the strange career of an American Indian from the shores of the Potomac who sailed away with Spanish explorers, later to return, be made chief of his tribe, and kill all the Spaniards in the new Virginia settlement. Cabell also wrote a number of autobiographical and genealogical works. The Eagle’s Shadow The Line of Love Gallantry The Cords of Vanity Chivalry The Soul of Melicent The Rivet in Grandfather’s Neck The Certain Hour From the Hidden Way The Cream of the Jest Some Ladies and Jurgen Beyond Life Jurgen The Judging of Jurgen Figures of Earth Taboo The Jewel Merchants The Lineage of Lichfield The High Place Straws and Prayer-Books