Handsome young Bertie Cecil, star horseman, pride of the Queen's guards, and heir to the Royallieu fortune, is forced to flee England when he accepts the blame for a scandal that threatens the honour of his mistress and the reputation of his younger brother. Faking his death, Cecil heads to Algeria, where he enlists anonymously in the Foreign Legion and serves under the French flag.

Determined to live and die in obscurity and sworn never to return to England, Cecil finds his resolution shaken by his relationships with two women who love him, the haughty Princess Venetia Corona and the young "unsexed" soldier Cigarette. And when Cecil is forced to make a choice between the two flags of England and France, a terrible sacrifice will have to be made, which will lead to tragedy.

Ouida's phenomenal success Under Two Flags was first published in book form in 1867 and remained in print continuously until the mid-twentieth century and also appeared in a number of film versions. An exciting tale of war, adventure, romance, and tragedy, Under Two Flags returns in this new edition to thrill new generations of readers. This edition features the unabridged text of the exceedingly rare three-volume first edition as well as a reproduction of the cover of the 1892 "yellowback" edition. Also included are an introduction and notes by Ouida scholar Natalie Schroeder.