Waverley

Set in the time of Richard the Lion Heart, Ivanhoe bursts with unforgettable characters and nail-biting adventures, as the heroic Ivanhoe battles to defend his king. Crossing from England to the Holy Lands and back again, Ivanhoe goes on a wild and dangerous journey, one full of sieges, jousting and chivalry, as he fights to defeat the king's evil brother John and win the forbidden hand of lady Rowena. Tim Piggott-Smith, best known for his leading role in The Jewel and the Crown, brings the world to thrilling and vivid life.

Waverley by Sir Walter Scott is an enthralling tale of love, war and divided loyalties. Taking place during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the novel tells the story of proud English officer Edward Waverley. After being posted to Dundee, Edward eventually befriends chieftain of the Highland Clan Mac-Ivor, and falls in love with his beautiful sister Flora. He then renounces his former loyalties in order actively to support Scotland in open rebellion against the Union with England. The book depicts stunning, romantic panoramas of the Highlands, and is famous for being one of the first historical novels. Its influence extended to many authors, including Dickens, Dumas, Gogol, Stevenson, Thackeray and Tolstoy.

Written in 1819 but set in 12th-century England, Ivanhoe is a tale of love struggling to survive against a violent backdrop of politics and war. Wilfred of Ivanhoe was thrown out of his father's home when he fell in love with his father Cedric's ward, Lady Rowena. Ivanhoe later returns from fighting in the Crusades and is wounded in a jousting tournament. A series of events follows, including the return of King Richard to England, resulting in Ivanhoe's reconciliation with Cedric and his marriage to Rowena.

Set in the 12th century, during the reign of Richard the Lionheart, Ivanhoe tells of the love of Wilfred of Ivanhoe for the Lady Rowena, his father Cedric's ward. Cedric intends Rowena for the oafish Athelstane, and banishes his son. 'The love of battle is the food upon which we live – the dust of the mêlée is the breath of our nostrils! We live not – we wish not to live – longer than while we are victorious and renowned. Such … are the laws of chivalry to which we are sworn, and to which we offer all that we hold dear.' Set in the twelfth century, during the reign of Richard the Lionheart, Ivanhoe tells of the love of Wilfred of Ivanhoe for the Lady Rowena, his father Cedric's ward. Cedric, who is dedicated to the liberation of the Saxon people from Norman oppression and to the revival of the Saxon royal line, intends Rowena – a descendant of King Alfred – for the oafish Athelstane, and he banishes his son. Ivanhoe joins King Richard on his crusade in the Holy Land, and eventually the two men return secretly to England – Ivanhoe to regain his inheritance and the hand of Rowena, Richard to secured his kingdom from his scheming brother John who has ruled in Richard's absence. With a gallery of memorable characters, high and low, Ivanhoe is a powerful and exciting evocation of a medieval world of jousting, baronial rivalry, siege warfare and trial by combat, and makes no attempt to gloss over the violence and brutality that lay behind the chivalric ideals.

Wilfred of Ivanhoe was thrown out of his father's home when he fell in love with his father Cedrics ward, Lady Rowena. Ivanhoe later returns from fighting in the Crusades and is wounded in a jousting tournament. A series of events follow, including the return of King Richard to England, resulting in Ivanhoe's reconciliation with Cedric and his marriage to Rowena.

Rob Roy is a captivating novel of chivalry and romance set in the Scottish highlands of the 18th century. After rejecting the life his father has laid out for him, Frank Osbaldistone is sent to the North of England to live with his Uncle, where he is to repent his sins. However, when his father's wealth and reputation are threatened, he is drawn to the Scottish Highlands where he must retrieve a set of stolen documents. It is here that he is pulled into a number of skirmishes relating to the Jacobite uprising of 1715, and where his path frequently crosses with the mysterious maverick outlaw known as Rob Roy… Scott's portrayal of Scotland is remarkable in its vivid and evocative panorama of the highlands, and his insightful exploration of social, economic and historic themes.

Prince John has assembled a collection of avaricious nobles to take control of England while Richard the Lionhearted is imprisoned in Austria. This threatens to bring the country to civil war between the Norman nobles and the conquered Saxons. Standing above it all is Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a disinherited Saxon knight who has fought in the Holy Land. Now returned, he wishes to wed the fair Rowena, the highborn Saxon noble, in spite of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that stand in his way. With dozens of colorful characters, clashing swords, burning castles, kings in disguise and damsels in distress, Ivanhoe remains Scott's best-loved novel of historical romance.

The epitome of the chivalric novel, Ivanhoe sweeps listeners into Medieval England and the lives of a memorable cast of characters. Ivanhoe, a trusted ally of Richard the Lion Hearted, returns from the Crusades to reclaim the inheritance his father denied him. Rebecca, a vibrant, beautiful Jewish woman, is defended by Ivanhoe against a charge of witchcraft-but it is Lady Rowena who is Ivanhoe's true love. The wicked Prince John plots to usurp England's throne, but two of the most popular heroes in all of English literature-Richard the Lion Hearted and the well-loved, famous outlaw Robin Hoo-team up to defeat the Normans and regain the castle. The success of this novel lies with Sir Walter Scott's skillful blend of historic reality, chivalric romance, and high adventure.

Waverley by Sir Walter Scott is a seminal historical novel set against the backdrop of the Jacobite uprising of 1745. The story follows Edward Waverley, a young English gentleman who, seeking adventure and purpose, joins the Hanoverian army and is stationed in Scotland. As Edward navigates his military duties, he becomes embroiled in the political turmoil of the time, torn between his loyalty to the British Crown and his growing admiration for the Jacobite cause led by Charles Edward Stuart, known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie." His journey takes him to the estate of Baron Bradwardine, where he encounters the spirited Rose Bradwardine and becomes captivated by the romantic allure of Scottish culture. Throughout his adventures, Edward grapples with themes of identity, honor, and loyalty as he witnesses the complexities of Scottish life and politics. His experiences lead him to question his upbringing and beliefs, ultimately forcing him to make difficult choices regarding his allegiances.

Jonathan Oldbuck, the antiquary of the title, has a passion for the past - and delights in trying to convey it. He meets the mysteriously taciturn young Lovel and the two strike up a friendship, bonding over Roman ruins. When Lovel falls for Isabella, daughter of a local landowner, it looks like an impossible situation. Sharp, funny, gothic, romantic, and full of action, this is a thoroughly entertaining window on Scottish life in the summer of 1794: it was Scott's intention to show the spirit of the times, and how the past affects the present - and it was his own favourite of all his novels.