14 h 32 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 14 h 32 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In a desert divided by war, a knight may find more honour in an enemy than among his own kings.
In Walter Scott’s The Talisman, Sir Kenneth of the Leopard rides alone near the Dead Sea during the Third Crusade. Poor but proud, the Scottish knight meets a Saracen lord in combat, then friendship. Ahead lies a crusader camp where Richard the Lionheart burns with fever and rival leaders threaten the cause Kenneth serves.
Kenneth’s love for Edith Plantagenet, a woman far above his rank, must remain unspoken. Around him, ambition strains loyalties, while the Muslim physician El Hakim offers to heal Richard with a talisman. With a guard duty that goes wrong and honour under pressure, Scott explores what courage means when supposed enemies show kindness and allies pursue their own gain.
What you’ll discover
- A friendship across battle lines Follow Kenneth and a courteous Saracen from fierce combat to bread shared as equals.
- Kings at bitter odds Enter a camp where quarrelling leaders put their shared cause at risk.
- Love beyond his rank Feel the strain of Kenneth’s hidden hopes for the proud, wise Edith Plantagenet.
- Honour on both sides Meet Christian and Muslim characters whose conduct matters more than the side they serve.
- A richly drawn world Travel from burning wilderness to crowded tents and the cave of an austere hermit.
Who will love it
Readers who love knights, duels and disguises will find plenty here, as will anyone drawn to the Crusades, to rivalries between kings, or to stories of love across a wide gap of rank.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Enemies in the desert become companions
- A mad hermit guards a hidden chapel
- A sick king rules a divided camp
- A rival's medicine proves itself by healing
- Rivals plot to break the Crusade
- One night of love breaks a watch
- Death sentence, mercy and an exile in disguise
- Chivalry crosses the line between faiths
- Love, rank and pride shape every choice
- Scott builds the tale from contrast and disguise
Who’s who
- Sir Kenneth of the LeopardA poor Scottish knight and brave crusader who loves Lady Edith from far away and wants to earn honor worthy of her.
- Richard the LionheartThe warrior king of England, generous and quick tempered, who wants to lead the Crusade to Jerusalem and protect England's honor.
- Lady Edith PlantagenetA proud, clever kinswoman of the king who values honor above rank and refuses any match that shames her faith.
- Queen BerengariaRichard's young wife, playful and thoughtless, who loves her husband and whose idle pranks cause serious harm.
- Thomas de VauxA huge, blunt English baron who nurses the king, distrusts Scots, and serves Richard with fierce loyalty.
- Conrade of MontserratA polished marquis and cunning schemer who wants a crown of his own and cares little for the Crusade.
- The Templar Grand MasterA cold, ambitious priest-soldier who guards his order's power and is ready to plot against the king.
- El HakimA learned Arab physician who cures with a talisman and takes a strange interest in the fate of the Scottish knight.
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The Talisman
by Walter Scott · 1825
A Scottish knight and a Saracen emir fight to a standstill in the desert, then ride together to a hermit's cave.
Challenging5–10 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
Two armored men circle each other in the desert near the Dead Sea. One is a Scottish knight with a crouching leopard on his shield.
The Talisman at a glance
- Reading time
- About 8 h 20 min6 h 35 min fast, 9 h 55 min slow
- Length
- 118,900 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1825by Walter Scott
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Enemies in the desert become companions
The novel opens near the Dead Sea at noon. A Scottish knight of the Red Cross rides alone in heavy armor, bound for a hermit's cave. A Saracen horseman gallops at him from a grove of palm trees.
The fight shows two ways of making war. The Saracen circles on his light horse and shoots arrows, while the knight trusts his weight and his mail. The knight knocks the rider from his saddle with a thrown mace. Both men see that they have met a worthy foe, so they swear a truce and ride to a spring the Arabs call the Diamond of the Desert.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1825
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 9 h 30 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Scott, Walter. The Talisman. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-talisman.
Scott, W. (2026). The talisman. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-talisman (Original work published 1825)
Scott, Walter. The Talisman. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-talisman.
@book{scott2026talisman,
author = {Scott, Walter},
title = {The Talisman},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-talisman},
note = {First published 1825}
}
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What is The Talisman about?
It follows Sir Kenneth, a poor Scottish knight, during the Third Crusade as he befriends a Saracen emir, serves King Richard, and falls into disgrace through love for Lady Edith, then strives to win back his honor.
Who is Sir Kenneth of the Leopard?
Sir Kenneth is a Scottish crusader whose shield shows a crouching leopard. He is brave and poor, and he loves Lady Edith in silence, which drives the choices that shape the whole story.
What is the talisman in the novel?
It is a charm that the Arab physician dips in water to cure fevers. Scott's preface links it to the Lee-penny, a real amulet kept in Scotland and trusted for healing.
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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