About this title: The second of Tales of the Crusaders, The Talisman is set in Palestine during the Third Crusade (1189 - 92). Scott constructs a story of chivalric action, apparently adopting a medieval romance view of the similarities in the values of both sides. But disguise is the leading theme of the tale: it is not just that characters frequently wear clothing that conceals their identity, but that professions and cultures hide their true nature. In this novel the Christian leaders are divided by a factious criminality, and are contrasted to the magnanimity and decisiveness of Saladin, the leader of the ...
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Description: Acceptable. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Everyman Paperbacks
Date Published: 1991
ISBN-13:9780460870887ISBN:0460870882
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 1980
ISBN-13:9780140058260ISBN:0140058265
Description: Good. 0140058265 back cover is worn with some tearing and creasing; marker on bottom edge; tearing at front edge of pages from page 303 through the back cover; 332 pages. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Macmillan & Co Ltd.
Date Published: 1925
Description: Good. No Jacket. Visible wear, shows aging-cover has visible marks, scuffing, bumping, chipping-marks and writing on edge of book (POS name written on edge of book), yellowing, writing on FPD, FFEP, RPD, RFEP, page before RFEP is also has writing, a few pages within text have small tears, marks within text, dogearing lightly (despite flaws still a charming well aged book, good for its age) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Fair; Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh
Date Published: 1894
Description: Illustrated by Hindley, Godfrey C. 8vo 8"-9" tall Browning, soiling on page edges; rubbing and some shelfwear on covers; slight cracks in hinges inside both covers; soiling and a little pencil writing inside covers; The Waverly Novels, Vol. 20; 433 pages. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Heritage Press, New York
Date Published: 1972
Description: Federico Castellon. Fine. No dust jacket as issued. xxvii, 369 p. illus. 28 cm. Includes Illustrations. Introduction by Thomas Caldecot Chubb. Illustrations by Federico Castellon. Beige cloth binding. No slipcase. Includes a laid in copy of the relevant issue of Sandglass. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton, Osgood, Boston
Date Published: 1878
Description: Good. Riverside Edition of the Waverly novels. Bound in embossed brown cloth with black decoration and gilt titles. Binding shows some scuffing/ wear to spine ends and light bumps to corners. Cloth has some light soil. Internally clean with the occasionallight spot. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion
Date Published: 1991
ISBN-13:9780460870887ISBN:0460870882
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Collins Clear Type Press
Date Published: 1926
Description: Good. Hardback book, no dust jacket, in good condition. Will have some shelfwear/edgewear, may have defects such as discolouration to block edges/spine slant etc. Please email for further details. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd
ISBN-13:9780460011440ISBN:0460011448
Description: Good. EXCELLENT value for money and ready for dispatch. Delivery usually within 3/5 days. Our reputation is built on our Speedy Delivery Service and our Customer Service Team. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd. London Undated
Description: Small 8vo (16.8x10.4) viii+245pp. Maroon cloth with gilt design & title to front & spine-very good. Decorative endpapers with owner's neat inscription to front-some darkening of pages but overall good. (165g). Good Hardback. read more
Edition: First Thus
Binding: Full leather
Publisher: The Easton Press, Norwalk, CT
Date Published: 1976
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Fine Small 4to DJ Not Issued Full Leather Collector's Edition Collector's Edition. One of the series "The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written" Previous owner's bookplate on FEP. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Ginn
Date Published: 1928
Description: Fair. No dust jacket. Penciled name at pastedown and notes on first free endpaper along with some smudging and foxing; binding is bumped and rubbed but remains a sound reading copy and is nearly good. 152p., ill., 19 cm. read more
Binding: Hardcover-NO DUST JACKET
Publisher: International Collectors Library
Description: VERY GOOD PLUS. There is no copyright information in book. We estimate this book was printed in the 1980s or 1990s. Dark green binding is made to LOOK like leather or leatherette but it is not. This book is part of an inexpensively-produced set of modern literature recently put out by the publisher. A handsome volume with very little reader or shelf wear. Gilt decoration on front cover and spine and gilt lettering on spine is clear and bright. Brown satin bound-in bookmark. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd
Date Published: no date
Description: Very Good / No jacket. Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd. No date, circa 1967. Small hardcover has blue cloth-covered boards with gold spine lettering. Binding tight. Hinges NOT cracked. Spine ends very lightly bumped. Covers have very light surface and edge wear. Name in ink on front free endpaper. One page has several word in one line underlined. Otherwise pages clean and unmarked. 395 pages. No dust jacket. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Blackie and Son Limited, London
Description: Good/No Jacket. Used sticker inside front cover. book is in good and highly useable condition with some small signs of use and age. read more
"'The Talisman' is set during the Second Crusade, and skilfully interweaves historical facts and personalities with the fictional narrative. Scott single-handedly invented the 'historical novel' as we now think of it, and this is one of his finest.
The story follows the fortunes of Sir Kenneth, a Scottish knight who is in the Holy Land - occupied by an army of Christian allies (France, England and Austria) - to restore his family fortunes. At the opening of the novel he has a chance encounter with an Arab doctor in the desert (who is actually Saladin in disguise), and takes him to the Crusader camp to tend the sick King Richard with his 'amulet'. He soon becomes a firm favourite with the King, but due to the machinations of Leopold of Austria, Conrade of Montserrat and the Grand Master of the Templars, he is tricked into a treasonous act and exiled from the camp. He is taken in by the 'physician', and disguised as a messenger from Saladin re-enters the Crusader camp shortly afterwards, with a proposal from Saladin for ending the conflict, and whilst there saves the King's life from a assassin.
The fanatical Grand Master has been in cahoots with Richard's enemies in the camp, and in an exciting finale he is beheaded by Saladin and the story resolves itself. Sir Kenneth is rehabilitated and united with Lady Edith, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Berengaria, whom he'd loved in the chivalric manner but because of their difference in rank had been unable to take further; he finally reveals that he is the son of the King of Scotland, travelling incognito, and that therefore there is now no bar to their union.
As well as the exciting narrative, the novel draws remarkably vivid portraits of the Royal protagonists - Richard of England, Philip of France and Leopold of Austria. Richard's queen, Berengaria, is portrayed as a spoilt adolescent, and Saladin as a model of wisdom and tolerance when compared with the brutish Crusaders.
This is the book on which all popular conceptions about Richard, Saladin and the Crusades have tended to be based, and despite being published in the early 19th century it has lost none of its appeal. Witness to this is a major BBC drama adaptation in 1999, and the Ridley Scott movie 'Kingdom of Heaven' contains many of its elements."
"Sir Walter Scott writes wonderfully enjoyable historical fiction. He first ventured into this realm in 1814 with the novel, Waverley which was published anonymously as Scott's first venture into prose fiction and possibly the first-ever historical novel. His subsequent novels came to be called Waverley novels, including this story. The Talisman is the middle in the trilogy about one of England's most popular kings ~~ King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted), which begins with The Betrothed and concludes with Ivanhoe.
There are many times Scott (through his characters) gets a bit carried away in song and verse, but if you can overlook (or skim through!) these, it's a fine adventure story about the Third Crusade. Some might say the history is a bit fanciful, some might even say it's more fantasy than history. Well, never mind, standards were different then. Indeed, Scott rather set the standard as it were. It is true he was a staunch Protestant and thought most of the problems with the period had to do with Roman Catholicism, and could be cured by the Reformation, but we're all entitled to our opinions, especially when it's your book.
All that said, if you haven't read it, it's worth the reading from the perspective of Scott's perspective, even if it weren't a rollicking good tale, which it is!
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