The Scottish Chiefs (N. C. Wyeth: Scribner's Illustrated Classics) (Hardcover)

by Jane Porter (Author), Nora A. Smith (Editor), Date Douglas Wiggin (Editor), N. C. Wyeth (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A romantic, suspenseful novel of Scotland's 14th-century heroes, Sir William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. First published in 1809 to spectacular success throughout Europe, this new edition captures the grandeur of the earlier edition, with Wyeth's glorious paintings reproduced from the original canvases.

About the Author
Fiona Price is Lecturer in English at the University of Chichester. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: Scribners (September 30, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068419340X
• ISBN-13: 978-0684193403
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #740,405 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Family Fare, November 11, 2002

By	"drpegnwiz" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This tale of Scots resistance against English King Edward is essential to those who grew up with "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled" in their ears. Others may enjoy it more for its romance. What pleased me most was seeing the medieval (turn of 13th-14th century) history through the focus of the English author Jane Porter, whose text was published in 1809, and the 1921 edition's illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. Atheneum's reissue is well bound and printed; the book feels pleasant to the hand. Most of all, Porter's latinate sentences beg to be read aloud. Although sold for ages 9-12, the text would be difficult for many of my college freshmen. Lucky the child with a parent to read it aloud! Lucky the adult with a child to read it to, or, failing that, to have these 500+ pages on the bedside table to peruse at day's end.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, May 29, 2002

By	Zack Davisson "All Good Things" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"The Scottish Chiefs" is a classic adventure tale, told in the style of Sir Walter Scott's "Rob Roy." The National Hero of Scotland, William Wallace, gets his story told with a heavy emphasis on romance and drama.

Those seeking a book version of "Braveheart" may be disappointed, as the story is quite different. The William Wallace of "The Scottish Chiefs," like the historical William Wallace, is a castle dwelling nobleman who surrenders his fortunes to fight for Scotland. The writing style is thick, and should be familiar to readers of this genre. "The Scottish Chiefs" is a huge, heavy book with a plot that unfolds at a patient pace.

This edition of "The Scottish Chiefs" contains illustrations by N.C. Wyeth, and acclaimed illustrator of Children's books and the father of artist Andrew Wyeth. The paintings are all direct scenes from the book, and capture the spirit of the adventure in fine detail.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One the best historical documentaries on Wallace and Bruce, November 13, 1999

By A Customer

This book remains one of my all time favorites right up there with Les Miseables and the Forsythe Saga; my 1883 edition published by John Wurtele Lovell in New York has 652 pages of very small print but it will be well worth a third reading. The historical detail in the footnotes is as interesting as the main story; e.g., referring to a shattered tower of the castle of Lammington a footnote reads, "The ruins of this tower are still visible; and near to them the people of this country point out the place where Wallace encamped his brave army". I had difficulty relating the movie, "Braveheart", with Jane Porter's account of Wallace and Bruce, and favor Porter's version of the relationship between Wallace and Bruce. During the second reading I was more aware of all the embracing and weeping by the cast of characters as portrayed by Porter; it seemed a little unreal and overdone, but she calls her novel a "romance" so she is forgiven. I have shared this book with many of my friends and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone from 9 yrs of age to 90.