Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, and playwright who is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 19th century. His novel Ivanhoe, published in 1820, is a classic of English literature and is set in 12th-century England. The novel follows the adventures of the Saxon knight Ivanhoe, who is trying to regain his family's honor and reclaim his ancestral lands. Ivanhoe is a hero of the novel, and his story has been adapted into numerous films, television series, and plays.