Sir Walter Scott

Edward Waverly enjoyed a privileged upbringing, despite his family's drama. Coming of age during a political uprising, Edward's time is split between his father and his uncle, who each have opposing political views, which causes a rift in the family. His uncle is a traditional British subject that wishes to overthrow the government so that Charles Edward Stuart is restored to power, commonly known as a Jacobite. However, Edward's father is a Hanoverian,...

Set in Southern Scotland among a time of religious turmoil in the 17th century, Old Morality depicts a young soldier, Henry Morton, as he becomes involved with the armed struggle between two religious groups-the Covenanters and the Cavaliers. While the Cavaliers supported the church of England, Covenanters wished for Scotland to convert to pure Presbyterianism. With neither group accepting their differences, social tensions ran high in Scotland. This...

In ill health following a stroke, Sir Walter Scott wrote 'Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft' at the behest of his son-in-law, J. G. Lockhart, who worked for a publishing firm. The book proved popular and Scott was paid six hundred pounds, which he desperately needed. (Despite his success as a novelist, Scott was almost ruined when the Ballantyne publishing firm, where he was a partner, went bankrupt in 1826.) 'Letters' was written when educated...

In "Ivanhoe", a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe is a Saxon crusader, returning home to England from the unsuccessful Third Crusade. A supporter of the Norman king Richard the Lionheart, he is disowned by his father. Featuring colorful descriptions of tournaments, outlaws, witch trials and tensions between Jews and Christians, it is also notable for its vivid and lasting depictions of historical figures such as Robin Hood,...

Members of Montrose's army, Allan M'Aulay and Earl of Menteith, navigate the perils of war after falling for a young woman with a hidden heritage. The men go on a physical and emotional journey that will put their loyalty to the test. Allan M'Aulay and Earl of Menteith are royalists in favor of Montrose. Allan has a personal vendetta against the MacEagh clan, who previously brought harm and death to his family. Both Allan and Menteith are in love...

Rob Roy: Outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor comes alive in this classic epic of the Scottish borderlands. The narrative follows the adventures of Frank Osbaldistone, a businessman’s son who falls out of favor with his father and is sent to stay in Scotland. English and Protestant, Frank has never felt more out of place, but the wild and noble land intrigues him. And he is immediately drawn to the powerful, enigmatic figure of Rob Roy, who, alongside his fiercely...

This book contains Sir Walter Scott's 1823 historical novel, "Peveril of the Peak". Julian Peveril is a Cavalier accused of being involved with the "Popish Plot". He is also desperately in love with Alice Bridgenorth, the daughter of a Roundhead. Set in Derbyshire, it is a masterful piece of English civil war fiction and part of Scott's famous Waverley Novels series. "Peveril of the Peak" is the longest novel written by Scott and constitutes a must-read...

After James Douglas and his daughter Ellen are banished from their home, they go into hiding with the help of several enemies of the king. The Lady of the Lake is an intricate story filled with political and social intrigue, romance and chivalry. James Douglas is the former Earl of Bothwell, who once mentored King James V of Scotland. He is currently exiled from the realm and living on the outskirts of the kingdom. Douglas and his daughter Ellen...

Based on true events, The Heart of a Mid-Lothian depicts two stories. The first regards the Porteous Riots of 1736 in Edinburgh, Scotland. After the execution of two smugglers, a riot breaks out in Edinburgh. Unable to control the crowd and impatient, Captain John Porteous, the captain of the city guards, ordered his soldiers to fire into the crowd, murdering civilians. While this disbanded the original riot, the captain's actions soon warrant serious...

The strengths of Walter Scott's novels are character portrayal and vivid and highly demanding language and there is both aplenty in this account from the time of the English Revolution and First Commonwealth. This is a well told and straightforward (in plot, not language!) account of the future Charles' Second's escape from his pursuers. Both Cromwell and Charles Stuart (Charles II to be )have roles in this tale, which is a vivid admixture of historical...