Ivanhoe is set in 12th-century England with colourful descriptions of a tournament, outlaws, a witch trial and divisions between Jews and Christians. It has been credited for increasing interest in romance and medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the Middle Ages", while Thomas Carlyle and John Ruskin made similar assertions of Scott's overwhelming influence over the revival, based primarily...

'The Abbot' is a historical fiction novel about Mary Queen of Scots' thrilling escape from prison and is considered by many to be one of Walter Scott's finest works. The gripping novel continues the story of Halbert and Mary Glendinning from 'The Monastery' but can easily be read on its own. The protagonist is a poor orphan boy, Roland who is adopted by Halbert and Mary. Many years later, Roland is sent to spy on Mary Queen of Scots while she is imprisoned,...

In Restoration England, two young lovers must battle against a wild conspiracy. Julian and Alice's love has survived a lot. For one thing, their families supported different sides in the English Civil War. But now the monarchy has been restored, bringing with it a terrifying new danger—the Popish Plot, which alleges the country's Catholics are planning a coup. And Julian is one of the accused. Walter Scott's "Peveril of the Peak" shows an England...

Amidst the Jacobite uprising in 18th-century Scotland, a young Englishman named Edward Waverley finds himself torn between loyalty to his family and his sympathy for the cause of the Scottish rebels. Sent to serve in the army of the Hanoverian king, Waverley becomes entangled with the brave highlander Fergus Mac-Ivor and his spirited daughter Flora. Sir Walter Scott's masterful storytelling and vivid portrayal of historical events have secured Waverly's...