Ivanhoe

By: Sir Walter Scott

Narrated by: James Cosmo

This is one of Sir Walter Scott's greatest adventures, set amongst the roaring battles of the struggle between the Normans and the Saxons for control of medieval England. It deals with the rivalry between King Richard the Lion-Heart and his brother, John.

We follow the adventures, skirmishes and romances of the hero, Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight loyal to King Richard, as he attempts to survive the England of King John alongside the disguised Richard and, of course, Robin Hood.

Author Sir Walter Scott, first Baronet (1771-1832), was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet. His father was a lawyer who had brought himself from the family's rural background into legal eminence in Edinburgh, married a well-born girl and was very anxious that his children should continue his process of advancement for the Scott family.

Scott himself was an early victim of polio, only just surviving by dint of being sent back to what remained of the family seat to live with his grandmother. It was she who introduced him to Scottish folklore and ballads, which were to be so influential in his writing career, with novels such as Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.

Public Domain (P)2007 Silksoundbooks Limited

Amazing!

Sir Walter Scott concocts an unforgettable adventure, read by James Cosmo, with an accent and voice that fit the time

James Cosmo makes this great

Voice and performance is everything in an audiobook and James Cosmo is fantastic. If only more classics had his narration!

A must-listen!

Engaging and fascinating, the characters have such depth and the reader was wonderful! Truly a must for any anglophile or lover of Robin Hood.

Classic for a reason

What a wonderful tale of knights and Chivalry. Truly a classic


James Cosmo is phenomenal

A brilliant rendering of a classic

What did you love best about Ivanhoe?

It gives a better reading of history and culture than dry academic discourse. And within a children's tale there is more nuance and sincerity than most of modern politics.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The swineherd. His honesty moved me and his predicament has a telling similarity to the one of the modern middle class.

What about James Cosmo’s performance did you like?

His voice. It was not overtly full of fake rural tones, but naturally so. Romantic in the spirit of the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Cedric's destiny and his struggle to keep his family and his nation alive.

Good classic action romance

This was a very interesting historic fiction tale. I liked the virtue of Rebecca and the strength and determination of Wilfred. It had all the parts of a good story. The only drawback was some of the more lengthy descriptions of landscape or a persons clothing. The descriptions weren’t that over done and if I just accepted them as part of the style of the writer and of his time period it was fine.

20 very well spent hours

What an incredible story of high minded idealism, base selfishness, romance, all written in an incredibly elegant style. James Cosmo is pitch perfect. In a Donald Trumpian era of cheap and vile discourse, Ivanhoe is a breath of fresh air and an inspiration to the highest and most noble within all of us.

Perfect Narrator

Amazing book with an absolutely perfect narrator. I hear his voice in my head long after listening, and I can’t say I’m displeased. Excellent choice. Looking forward to more books with him.

Perfect audio book experience.

Loved the story, the nuanced and dry comic relief with dramatic deep storyline. I really enjoyed Mr. Cosmo’s interpretation and never experienced the annoyance that can happen as an audio book goes on. Highly recommend!

an incredible story with Shakespearean twists

First I'd like to say I previewed multiple versions for this book before coming across James Cosmos narration. His voice adds depth of character as well as keeping me enthralled. I will be looking for more narration from him.

Truly an adventure set in a time that is so foreign to our own. I was surprised by the twists which reminded me of a Shakespeare play in its drama.