The Talisman

Rating:
Summary: The Talisman
Review: An excellent book! Very informative historical fiction, gripping plot, lofty descriptions. It deserves it's name of classic, and I am thrilled that it is back in print!

Rating:
Summary: Great historical fiction
Review: I read this when I was a kid and reread it recently and it's an absolute pleasure! The book deals with the period of the Crusades. It's set in the deserts around Syria/Palestine. The armies of the Crusaders have set up camp after a temporary truce. King Richard the Lion-Heart lies ill and members of the European nobility are scheming to make a profit at the expense of the Crusade. Around all this, a knight (the main character) is sent on a mission to negotiate a potential peace with Saladin.

This book has the classic images of the Crusades: duels, secret convents hidden in the harsh, craggy rocks of the desert, hermits, sultans, kings, dukes, Nubian slaves, conspiracies, Arab doctors and the like. It makes fascinating reading and reveals a lot about the imagination of Scott and his time.

This book is one of Scott's less famous works but very undeservedly so. I think it's as good as Ivanhoe.