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

Scott's 1819 swashbuckler about the Disinherited Knight in the time of Richard I can still provide some thrills, chills, laughs, and tears. Harper's abridgment shaves too much from the vivid characterizations, a fault that Brian Cox somewhat corrects with his narration. For some reason, his Isaac the Jew has an odd, vaguely Eastern European accent, and all his Normans have speech impediments. Cox declaims the narrative like a town crier. While this cheats us of the more exciting moments, it does add welcome clarity to the centuries-old language. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

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