His name and image are everywhere—from Bank of Scotland fivers to the monument in Edinburgh's city center—yet who reads Walter Scott these days? The ninth child of a lawyer, Scott enjoyed phenomenal success with his novels Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, but was often catastrophically in debt. Taking a voyage around Scotland, Stuart Kelly explores the enigma of Scott and the disparity between his influence and his status, his current standing and his cultural legacy.

"In a smart, refreshingly uncynical book, Kelly examines Scott, Scotland and himself in an intelligent, lively analysis of a great small country."—Times (London)