THE BOOK OF SNOBS (1848) by William Makepeace Thackeray is a masterpiece of British Victorian satire that spares no one, exposing every strata of society to the sublime ridicule that only the author of VANITY FAIR could dole out. The term "snob" was popularized in unmatched fashion through the publication of this classic, part-fiction, part-essay expos, and wholly a detail-rich portrait of its time.