21 h 47 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 21 h 47 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What is a knight's honour worth in a land where power offers little protection from cruelty?
In Walter Scott's Ivanhoe: A Romance, a disinherited Saxon knight returns to an England divided by conquest and rival loyalties. Wilfred of Ivanhoe serves King Richard and loves Rowena. His father, Cedric, sees both choices as obstacles to his hopes for the Saxons.
At the tournament at Ashby, concealed identities turn contests of strength into something more dangerous. Meanwhile, Isaac of York and his daughter Rebecca face religious prejudice that wealth cannot keep away. As travellers become captives and a castle comes under siege, noble claims of honour meet the test of cruel deeds.
What you’ll discover
- Honour under pressure Follow Ivanhoe as loyalty, love, and his father's disapproval pull him in different directions.
- Courage beyond the sword Meet Rebecca, a skilled healer whose judgment and courage stand against prejudice and coercion.
- The tournament at Ashby Enter a public contest where concealed identities sharpen the tensions between knights and nobles.
- Outlaws beyond the walls Discover forest fellowship that offers a contrast to the world of wealthy, powerful lords.
- Love against political hopes See how Rowena's love for Ivanhoe conflicts with Cedric's plans for her marriage.
Who will love it
Readers who love knights and tournaments, outlaws in the greenwood, besieged castles and brave heroines will find it here. It also suits anyone curious about the Normans and Saxons, or about fairness between peoples and faiths.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two peoples under one crown
- Cedric's hall and a pilgrim's warning
- The tournament at Ashby
- Melee, archery and a toast to Richard
- Ambush in the forest
- Prisoners in Torquilstone
- Wamba in the cowl and the siege begins
- Prejudice, honor and loyalty
- How Scott tells the tale
Who’s who
- Wilfred of IvanhoeA young Saxon knight banished by his father for loving Rowena, he returns from the Crusades and fights for Richard's cause.
- Cedric of RotherwoodA fierce, proud Saxon lord who dreams of restoring Saxon rule and wants Rowena to marry a prince of the old royal line.
- Lady RowenaCedric's ward and a descendant of Alfred, she is dignified and brave, and she is loyal to the absent Ivanhoe.
- RebeccaIsaac's gifted daughter, a healer of great skill and courage, who shelters the wounded and faces danger with unshakable faith.
- Isaac of YorkA wealthy Jewish moneylender who fears the powerful, loves his daughter above his gold, and is repaid kindness with kindness.
- Brian de Bois-GuilbertA proud, scarred Templar knight who wants glory and power, and becomes dangerously obsessed with Rebecca.
- WambaCedric's jester, whose jokes hide sharp wisdom and whose loyalty to his master outlasts his fear.
- GurthA Saxon swineherd who dreams of freedom and serves his young master with fierce loyalty.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 21 h 47 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Ivanhoé
by Walter Scott · 1819
In Saxon England under Norman rule, a masked knight wins a tournament and a Jewish healer faces a Templar's lust.
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In short
Ivanhoe is a historical romance by Walter Scott, first published in 1819. It is set in England toward the end of the reign of Richard the Lionheart, when the king is held captive abroad and his brother John schemes for the crown.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Two peoples under one crown
The story opens in the forests between Sheffield and Doncaster, near the end of Richard the First's reign. The king is a prisoner abroad, and his brother Prince John is working to keep him there so he can seize the throne himself. Norman barons fortify their castles and bully their neighbors. Scott explains that four generations after the Conquest, Normans and Saxons still do not mix. French is the speech of the court and the law, while the Saxons speak their old tongue and mostly work the land.
We meet two Saxon servants in a forest clearing. Gurth is a gloomy swineherd with a brass collar riveted around his neck, marking him as the property of his lord Cedric of Rotherwood. Wamba is a jester in bells and a cap, with a collar of his own and a wooden sword. Their talk is gentle but pointed. Wamba notes that the animal in the field has a Saxon name, swine, but once it reaches the Norman table it is called pork. The same goes for ox and beef, and calf and veal.
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What is Ivanhoe about?
It follows a banished Saxon knight, his stubborn father, a Jewish healer and a band of outlaws in England under Richard the Lionheart. Tournaments, a kidnapping and the siege of a Norman castle drive a story about honor and fairness.
Who is Rebecca in Ivanhoe?
Rebecca is the daughter of the Jewish moneylender Isaac of York. She is a skilled healer who cares for wounded knights, and she meets threats to her safety with courage and dignity throughout the book.
Is Ivanhoe a true story?
No. Scott wrote it in 1819 as fiction, with a real historical setting under Richard I and Prince John. The characters of Ivanhoe, Rowena and Rebecca are invented, while the king and his brother are real people.
The author
Walter Scott
1771–1832 · Scottish novelist and poet
Walter Scott (1771–1832) was a Scottish novelist, poet and playwright. He was born in Edinburgh and lived in Scotland, including at Abbotsford near Melrose, where he died. He wrote Marmion (1808), The Lady of the Lake (1810), Waverley (1814), Rob Roy (1817) and Ivanhoe (1819).
More by Walter Scott
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