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Title
Country/Nationality
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, playwright, and historian. Many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and Scottish literature. Famous titles include The Lady of the Lake (narrative poem) and the novels Waverley, Old Mortality (or The Tale of Old Mortality), Rob Roy, The Heart of Mid-Lothian, The Bride of Lammermoor, and Ivanhoe.
Although primarily remembered for his extensive literary works and his political engagement, Scott was an advocate, judge and legal administrator by profession, and throughout his career combined his writing and editing work with his daily occupation as Clerk of Session and Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire.
A prominent member of the Tory establishment in Edinburgh, Scott was an active member of the Highland Society, served a long term as President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1820–1832) and was a Vice President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (1827–1829).
Scott's knowledge of history, and his facility with literary technique, made him a seminal figure in the establishment of the historical novel genre, as well as an exemplar of European literary Romanticism.
He was created a baronet "of Abbotsford in the County of Roxburgh," Scotland, in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 22 April 1820, which title became extinct on the death of his son the 2nd Baronet in 1847.
Books by Sir Walter Scott
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. At the time it was written, the novel represented a shift by Scott away from writing novels set in Scotland in the fairly rec...
Rob Roy
Rob Roy is a historical novel by Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. It is probably set in 1715, the year of the first Jacobite uprising, and the social and economic background to that event are an important element in the novel, though it is n...
The Talisman
The Talisman is one of the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott. Published in 1825 as the second of his Tales of the Crusaders, the first being The Betrothed, it is set during the Third Crusade and centres on the relationship between Richard I of Engl...
The Antiquary
The Antiquary, the third of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott, centres on the character of an antiquary: an amateur historian, archaeologist and collector of items of dubious antiquity. He is the eponymous character and for all practical purposes t...
Kenilworth
Kenilworth. A Romance is a historical romance novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels, first published on 13 January 1821. Set in 1575, it leads up to the elaborate reception of Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle by the Earl of Leices...
Harold the Dauntless
Harold the Dauntless is a narrative poem in six short cantos by Walter Scott, published in 1817. It employs a variety of metres. Set in the Durham area, the poem tells of Harold's rejection of his father Witikind's acceptance of Christianity in retu...
Quentin Durward
Quentin Durward is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1823. The story concerns a Scottish archer in the service of the French King Louis XI (1423–1483) who plays a prominent part in the narrative.
Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft
A series of letters written by Scott on the history of witchcraft and other supernatural events in England and other locations. He documents stories and discredits them with natural causes.
The Fortunes of Nigel
During the turbulent moment in English history involving King James 1 and 6, Nigel Olifaunt, a Scottish lord, seeks to protect his family home and holdings, but meets with recalcitrance and treachery, which eventually results in his imprisonment. But...
Peveril of the Peak
Peveril of the Peak (1823) is the longest novel by Sir Walter Scott. Along with Ivanhoe, Kenilworth, and Woodstock this is one of the English novels in the Waverley novels series, with the main action taking place around 1678 in the Peak District, th...
Old Mortality
It is a conflict between the Covenanters, a group of Presbyterians who opposed the rule of Charles II, and the Royalists, who supported the monarchy. The protagonist of the book is Henry Morton, a young gentleman who becomes embroiled in the politic...
The Pirate
It tells the story of a young Scottish nobleman who becomes embroiled in the dangerous and exciting world of piracy in the late 17th century. Written in 1822, "The Pirate" is set in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland and is widely regarded...
A Legend of Montrose
Can a young man torn between two families find his place in the world? A Legend of Montrose is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1819. The novel is set in the Scottish Highlands during the Civil War of the Three Kingdoms, and tell...
Knight And Wamba
In the heart of medieval England, where knights in shining armor clash in thrilling tournaments and cunning nobles plot to seize power, Sir Walter Scott's "Knight And Wamba" takes you on an exhilarating journey through a world of chivalry, adventure,...
Ivanhoe
Follows the fortunes of the son of a noble Saxon family in Norman England as he woos his lady, disobeys his father, and is loved by another. Set in late 12C England and in Palestine with Richard Cœur-de-Lion at the Crusades, it's another ripping hist...
Waverley, Volume 1
Waverley is a historical novel set in Scotland during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. It follows the story of Edward Waverley, a young English soldier who is sent to Scotland to quell the rebellion. However, Waverley soon finds himself torn between h...
Translations & Imitations of German Ballads
This collection presents Sir Walter Scott's translations and imitations of five German ballads. Each poem reworks a traditional ballad, weaving together themes of love, betrayal, fate, and the supernatural. The stories explore the consequences of h...
Bridal of Triermain
The Bridal of Triermain is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, drawing inspiration from Arthurian legend. It follows Sir Roland De Vaux, a knight errant, on a quest to rescue Gyneth, the illegitimate daughter of King Arthur, from an enchanted sleep...
Waverley, Volume 2
Set against the backdrop of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, Waverley follows the journey of Edward Waverley, a young English soldier who finds himself torn between his loyalties to the Crown and his growing sympathy for the Jacobite cause. As he trav...
Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles, a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, recounts the turbulent period in Scottish history surrounding Robert Bruce's fight for independence from England. The poem intertwines historical events with fictional characters, including the...
Ivanhoe NL
Ivanhoe is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1819. The story is set in England during the reign of King Richard I and follows the adventures of the title character, a Saxon knight who fights for justice and the restoration of...
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1810. The poem is set in the Scottish Highlands, and tells the story of Ellen Douglas, a young woman who falls in love with James Fitz-James, a knight who is fighting fo...
Monastery
Set in the turbulent Scottish Highlands, "The Monastery" by Sir Walter Scott tells the story of Elspeth, a widow whose life is intertwined with the secrets of a remote monastery. The tale unfolds with the arrival of the Baroness of Avenel and her dau...
Lay of the Last Minstrel
The Lay of the Last Minstrel is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1805. The poem is set in the Scottish Borders during the 16th century and tells the story of a feud between the Scott and Ker clans. The feud is fueled by the mu...
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