The second of Tales of the Crusaders, The Talisman is set in Palestine during the Third Crusade (1189-92). Scott constructs a story of chivalric action, apparently adopting a view of the similarities in the values of both sides that is to be found in medieval romance. But disguise is the leading theme of the tale: characters frequently wear clothing that conceals their identity, and professions and cultures hide their true nature. In this novel the Christian leaders are divided by a factious criminality, and are contrasted to the magnanimity and decisiveness of Saladin, the leader of the Islamic armies. In a period when the west was fascinated with the exotic east, Scott represents the Muslim other as more humane than the Christian west.<BR>The Talisman is one of Scott's great novels. It is a superb tale. It is also a bold departure as, for the first time, Scott explores cultural conflict in the opposition of two world religions.