In Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott gives reality to the life of twelfth century England through his gallery of flesh-and-blood characters. The disinherited knight Ivanhoe and his fair lady Rowena, Richard the Lion Hearted, and Robin Hood - these are people shaped by the forces of tradition, molded by their nation's history. Through them the pat of England comes alive - a past of crusades, chivalry, and courtly love.