Sir Walter Scott has written a number of novels set in various historical periods, mainly Scotland and England. Historical footnotes shed light on the times in which his stories are set. A great deal of knowledge and reading has gone into his books. I get a sense of history coming alive in Scott's pages, as well as a rich narrative woven with romance.
Ivanhoe was published in 1819. Scott populates the pages of "Ivanhoe" with jousting knights, Robin Hood and his merry men, a disguised Richard the Lionheart, subjugated Saxons, sinister Knight Templars, and rich Jews. The story of Ivanhoe, a knight returning to England after the crusades, may seem stodgy to those used to today's easy reads. But it is a rich romantic read shedding light on what has been.