Book Description
England's past comes alive in this classic tale featuring the disinherited knight Ivanhoe, his fair lady Rowena, and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion Hearted and Robin Hood. A novel of the crusades, chivalry, and courtly love that not only recreated history, but made history as well.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

At the dawn of the Middle Ages, a gripping tale of chivalry and suspense emerges. Two distinguished knights — one Saxon, one Norman — have returned from the Crusades. Though they fought on the same side, they now have a score to settle. What begins as a joust between two rivals quickly escalates into clanwide mayhem and a fast-paced series of battles for revenge, honor, and love.Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe was one of the first great historical novels of western literature. At last, this extraordinary work has been brought to life as a lavishly illustrated storybook. Marianna Mayer's inspired adaptation combined with magnificent oil paintings by John Rush create an essential introduction to the classic. This exquisitely designed page-turning volume is perfect for anyone with a passion for adventure.

Author Biography: Marianna Mayer has written many distinguished books for children, including The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Unicorn and the Lake, and Young Jesus of Nazareth. She lives in Connecticut. John Rush is an award-winning artist whose work has appeared in galleries, on book covers, and in major magazines. He lives in Illinois.

SYNOPSIS

Ivanhoe was the first of Scott's novels to take place in the middle ages but it is far from being the fantastic, medievalist romance associated (in the critical imagination) with a visionary Britain that never was. This is the first novel in English to deal seriously with issues of race. At the same time, it provides an exciting read to

FROM THE CRITICS

AudioFile

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were the Karloff and Lugosi of the British horror film revival of the '60s. Cushing went on to better things, but Lee's breakout never quite. . .broke out. Here, narrating an abridged version of Scott's classic chivalric romance, he demonstrates one possible reason. Despite his sonorous voice, elegant accent, and spot-on characterizations, he never fully engages with the material or the listener. The abridger could have helped him also by less drastically emasculating the derring-do. Y.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Walter Scott is out and away the king of the romantics. — Jonathan Lyons