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The Eagle Of The Ninth (The Dolphin Ring Cycle #1)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 2,773 ratings · 329 reviews

One of Rosemary Sutcliff's acclaimed books set in Roman Britain. The Eagle of the Ninth tells the story of a young Roman officer who sets out to discover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of the Ninth Legion, who marched into the mists of northern Britain and never came back.

Rosemary Sutcliff spent most of her life in a wheelchair, suffering from Still's disea...more

Paperback, 293 pages

Published (first published 1954)

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Oct 07, 2011 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, ya, historicals

Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars

My first Rosemary Sutcliff book, but it will not be my last. This tale of Roman Britain and the lost Ninth Legion brings the reader into a fully imagined yet realistic world in which honor and duty are sacrosanct and the meeting of two cultures can be either a time of mutual respect or bloody conflict and distrust. Sutcliff is one darn brilliant writer of characters and settings. I could fully picture the time period, the people and the atmosphere. It rang true, an...more

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Dec 24, 2010 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: greek-roman, children-s-and-ya, historical-fiction-alternatehistory, favourites

This book is fully as good as I remember. That's a lot to say for a book that I adored from the age of eight until about fourteen, reread at seventeen-ish, and then haven't read for a few years... In my head, it was always one of the most amazing books of my childhood, and my memory didn't overstate it. It is written for children, so it's very easy to read and perhaps a little less than subtle, in places -- particularly with foreshadowing. "Little did he know how important this piece of informat...more This book is fully as good as I remember. That's a lot to say for a book that I adored from the age of eight until about fourteen, reread at seventeen-ish, and then haven't read for a few years... In my head, it was always one of the most amazing books of my childhood, and my memory didn't overstate it. It is written for children, so it's very easy to read and perhaps a little less than subtle, in places -- particularly with foreshadowing. "Little did he know how important this piece of information was going to become" sort of thing.

But Marcus and Esca are still the bright, real characters I remember. I always loved the parts that show the bond between them, the friendship, that transcends the initial fact of Esca's slavery. In fact, reading it again, it kind of amazed me how strong their friendship was -- realistic, yes, and with boundaries, but strong. I can picture both of them as characters, down to the way they move, can almost hear their voices. Part of that is years of imagination as a child, but I wouldn't have bothered if I didn't have good material to work on.

It's been a while since I did Classics, and longer since I learnt anything about the Roman occupation of Britain, but I think the historical details are reasonably accurate, too. I like the development of the two mysteries -- the entombed Roman Eagle, and the disappearance of the Hispana.

One thing I did notice was similarities in description and ideas to The Capricorn Bracelet, which I read for the first time last week. That was a little disappointing.

Edit: Reread again because I'll be getting the rest of this series for Christmas. Each book stands alone, I gather -- certainly The Eagle of the Ninth does, in any case, with no trailing plotlines left behind -- but I wanted to revisit a childhood favourite, and this made an excellent excuse.

For some reason, the moment that sticks in my mind right now is when Esca tells Marcus he saw the march of the ill-fated Hispana to where they fell, and Marcus replies that his father's crest was the scarlet hackle next after the eagle...(less)

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Dec 12, 2008 Carmen rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

In Rosemary Sutcliff's books the history of Britain comes alive through sensuous descriptions of luscious forests and ragged mountains, and characters so deeply imagined that linger in your mind after the book has ended, like childhood friends untouched by time and the drudgery of life.

Her books are not popcorn historical fiction novels with anachronistic characters dressed in the costumes of the time but keeping the ideas and sensibilities of their XX/...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Gale rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ancient-civilzations-young-adult

"The Honor of a Roman Eagle"

Rosemary Sutcliff is expert at recreating ancient civilizations, so this novel comes as no surprise. In her SUN HORSE, MOON HORSE the native tribes are the heroes, pursued by invading Romans. In this novel it is the Romans who are the protagonists, with the tribesmen mostly the enemy. Set in Roman Britain in the early AD's, this book recounts a personal quest by Centurion Marcus Drusillus Aquila, lamed in a fierce battle. He and his faithful former slave, Esca, unde...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Shelley Fearn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, teen, manly-fiction

I must admit to having watched the less that stellar movie "The Eagle" before I read this book. And I am glad that I did so. Had I read the book first on which the movie is based, I would have had to stop watching the movie.

Sutcliffe wrote a much more believable and historically accurate portrayal of the Roman Legions. Her depiction of camp life, tactics, and manpower organization was outstanding. (I researched many of her terms and could find no discrepancy in her descriptions.)

She tells the st...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Sineala rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, fiction, favorites, historical-fiction, owned, roman-britain, rome, young-adult, paper-books

I have read this book four or five times now, and I like it more and more every time, enough that by now I think I have to give it five stars. It's the story of a young man in Roman Britain, Marcus Flavius Aquila, and his quest for the lost Eagle standard of the Ninth Legion, his father's legion. (I have by now entirely stopped snickering at the fact that his name is Aquila, but I think this used to strike me as funny.)

This is a children's book of the sort that I don't think anyone writes anymor...more I have read this book four or five times now, and I like it more and more every time, enough that by now I think I have to give it five stars. It's the story of a young man in Roman Britain, Marcus Flavius Aquila, and his quest for the lost Eagle standard of the Ninth Legion, his father's legion. (I have by now entirely stopped snickering at the fact that his name is Aquila, but I think this used to strike me as funny.)

This is a children's book of the sort that I don't think anyone writes anymore -- it is a quest story, but an occasionally slow, very richly described one. Descriptions, especially landscape descriptions, are one of Sutcliff's strong points. I am not sure how it would appeal to the youth of today -- it contains some words I still don't know -- but I really love it. It's also the story of the friendship between Marcus and his slave (very soon former slave) Esca, who is a native Briton. Even though Esca is not from the tribe they're taking the Eagle back from, there are layers of complexity in their relationship, and in the descriptions of Britannia as a province in the midst of colonization.

Now that a film has been made, comparisons with it are more or less inevitable, and I have to say that I like them both a lot. They are, however, entirely different stories -- even though they have basically the same premise, that's about it. I did like that in the film, Esca was angry about Rome and angry about his slavery. In the book, Esca never is, and it used to bug me. He pretty much adores Marcus unequivocally from the beginning ("it was in my heart that it might be you that we went to"), and the most negative he is about Rome is the shield-boss conversation, which is wistful ambivalence at most. Only Cottia gets to be angry about Rome. Of course, she's not in the movie at all.

So essentially you have to accept that this is the kind of book where Esca (though at least he's not a slave for long) is going to be happy about slavery -- it problematizes Roman imperialism, but not slavery -- and move on. There are plenty of things it does right, though. I appreciate that Marcus, a disabled character, gets to be the hero and go on a quest.

If there is a flaw, I think it's that Sutcliff doesn't really know what to do with her minor characters, especially her minor female characters. I like Cottia a lot, and the happy ending everyone gets (at least, the portion of the ending that is happy) is very nice, but Cottia really has very little to do and it seems like even the author forgot about her for the bulk of the story.

Other than that, though, recommended highly, and I am now going to read all the rest of the Sutcliff I can find. If this is the sort of thing you will be into, you will be into this. It's a boys' own adventure story about Roman Britain, with epic quests and deep friendships! You can't go wrong with that!
(less)

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Nov 22, 2012 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: disability, fiction, historical

Before I picked this book up, I had gathered two points from, respectively, the title and the edges of assorted flailings by my friends: (1) that it was about baseball or something, and (2) that it was about a couple of boys who love each other very, very, very much and who have talks about their innermost feelings and so on.

Turns out, not about baseball! Actually about Romans, which makes a certain amount of sense, since a book about Romans is one of the few things with a decent chance of being...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Muccamukk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I will admit to having seen the movie first, which was probably not the best choice because on reading the book I was... kind of underwhelmed? Like it had lots of great background information, and much greater historical accuracy, and an actual girl, and she was fierce and awesome, and a puppy, and a map (which was great, the first scene was in Cornwall, who knew?), and less battle scenes and gaps in logic. So that was great, but they kind of took out the part I actually liked. It just read a lo...more

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May 07, 2012 Jean added it

“I think that I should not go to your uncle’s private sanctum,” Esca said stubbornly. “I have been a slave in his house.”

“You are not a slave now.”

“No, I am your freed-man now. It is strange. I never thought of that until this evening.”

Marcus had never thought of it either, but he knew that it was true. You could give a slave his freedom, but nothing could undo the fact that he had been a slave; and between him, a freed-man, and any free man who had never been unfree, there would still be a diff...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I came into this book with a very elementary knowledge of Roman history, specifically Roman history in Britain. Whether this book taught me anything directly is still up in the air; however, the topics presented in the story led me to seek out more information - about Roman legions, about the significance of the Eagle, about Hadrian's Wall. So in that regard, I DID learn something from this book.

I found the story interesting, and unlike other reviewers, I enjoyed the characters, specifically Esc...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Diana Wilder rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-by-me

I have read Rosemary Sutcliff, most recently being a few decades ago. Her writing is splendid, her characters vivid and understandable. The problem with being a writer is that you often don't have time to read - this is bad. You need to read in order to keep up with things, with trends, with your own voice.
At any rate, I was in a large bookstore with a friend, who was looking for something to read and had seen a book, issued at the time of a movie. The title was THE EAGLE. The cover showed a y...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Nigel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought I'd read this, but no. I've certainly read a few of Sutcliffe's books, and I know I picked this up often enough in bookshops and libraries to look at and I certainly saw bits of the BBC adaptation, so I was familiar with the basic plot. A young man sets out to recover the Eagle of his father's old legion, which marched north beyond Hadrian's Wall years before and was never seen or heard from again. It's one of the great adventure story plots that taps right in to a young imagination an...more I thought I'd read this, but no. I've certainly read a few of Sutcliffe's books, and I know I picked this up often enough in bookshops and libraries to look at and I certainly saw bits of the BBC adaptation, so I was familiar with the basic plot. A young man sets out to recover the Eagle of his father's old legion, which marched north beyond Hadrian's Wall years before and was never seen or heard from again. It's one of the great adventure story plots that taps right in to a young imagination and excites the primal yearning for a meaningful quest, a loyal friend and companion, a mystery whose solution lies in wild misty lands and a family honour to restore. But I never read it!

I think I just didn't get on with the setting, and Sutcliffe's fidelity to the social mores and culture of the Romans and the tribes of Britain confused and alienated me, not being terribly familiar with the period or the setting. I loved her High Deeds Of Finn McCool, though, and her Roman Britain novels always exerted a fascination over me, so I'm delighted to finally read this one, and definitely not disappointed.

So, yes, it is one of the great classic adventures of children's fiction and deserves to be remembered as such. Young Centurion Marcus Flavius Aquila arrives in Britain at the head of a cohort of Gaulish auxiliaries and takes command of the fort of Isca Dumnoniorum. Raw and inexperienced, he has soldiering in his blood, but is haunted by the memory of his father, who vanished along with the rest of the Ninth Legion when they marched north and was never heard from again. Marcus' dreams of a military career are cruelly dashed when he is injured in battle and invalided out of the army. Recovering in his uncle's villa, he impulsively acquires a slave, a defeated gladiator in whom he recognises a kindred spirit. As Marcus heals, the bond between the two men grows until, unexpectedly, an opportunity arises to go and recover the lost eagle of the Ninth Legion and redeem his father's memory.

From the civilised south, where Roman rule is strong and the roads are straight to the wild reaches of the north where the tribes worship gods of their own and follow their own laws, Marcus and Esca's epic journey is vivid, haunting, moving and exciting. It's a boy's tale, with only one semi-major female character, and is full of the lads and their exploits and their friendship and the bond of respect between them that transcends their respective cultures and their master/slave status. That's not to say that it's a book to be read only by boys or, indeed, only by the young. It's a great book and I'm glad I finally got around to it.(less)

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Dec 26, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was published in 1954 and, as a result, is written in an older and less accessible style than most readers are used to. Marcus Flavius has a promising career as a Roman Centurion. Posted to a British outpost he puts down a rebellion from the natives but receives a grave injury in the process. Taken to his uncle's home to recover he acquires a British slave, Esca. Marcus and Esca become like brothers and decide to risk a foray north of Hadrian's Wall to retrieve the golden eagle lost by...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Saphirablue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english, historical, read-in-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 18, 2011 Julia Hughes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historic, roman-britain

Based on The Ninth Legion who disappeared behind Hadrain's Wall into the mists of Scotland never to be seen again.
A young Roman officer, Marcus Flavius Aquila, is unimpressed when he's first posted to the remotest part of the Roman Empire: Britain. He is a professional though, & does his best to get on with the native Celtic tribes. He's even making friends when without warning there is an uprising and Marcus is left with a life changing injury to his leg, resulting in him being discharged....more

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Aug 11, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

A wonderful story exploring themes of love and friendship, duty and responsibility in Roman Britain. Briefly, the plot concerns a young centurion whose father disappeared into the wilds of Caledonia more than ten years previously, when Marcus was just a small boy. After he is injured in a battle, Marcus is unable to resume his duties as a soldier. But there is still something he can do for Rome. Along with his slave, Esca, he can travel north and try to find out what happened to his father, the...more

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May 16, 2011 Lois rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I announced that I was picking this up again, my father reminded me that he had read it to me as a child. While I'm sure that this is true, I have to confess that most of the memories of this book were hazy, and most of the info I had on it, was either picked up in the ether, or from Dad speaking about it at a later point in my life.

He did make one telling point about the book though, and this was what I found to be true: it's a boy's hero/action story.

Now, my bookshelves comprise mainly of...more When I announced that I was picking this up again, my father reminded me that he had read it to me as a child. While I'm sure that this is true, I have to confess that most of the memories of this book were hazy, and most of the info I had on it, was either picked up in the ether, or from Dad speaking about it at a later point in my life.

He did make one telling point about the book though, and this was what I found to be true: it's a boy's hero/action story.

Now, my bookshelves comprise mainly of boys' hero/action stories, so it ought to be a perfect fit.

Here's why it wasn't.

The main reason: it was published in 1954. In the days where children could read. Where children read books, that today would be considered of a standard where an adult could read and enjoy them as it it was their own age category.

Sentences meandered. Used to both writing and reading in clipped, sometimes rhythmic sentences, I was distracted from the story by stumbling over never-ending sentences. The opening paragraph, while not excessively long, is still long enough that I could have done without it being only one sentence. I appreciate that this is my fault, and not the writer's, but it meant that the story could never properly engage me.

Having said that, I do approve of the story's premise. For a mighty Roman legion to travel north and vanish is a fantastic mystery, and I love that the author has mingled real facts with her fictional characters. I initially thought Marcus, the main character, to be a bit of a Mary-Sue, but I found myself liking him for his risk taking, his compassion, his bravery and funnily enough, the fear he felt when he knew he had to get an agonising wound reset. I'd also forgotton (or didn't know) that he would be injured so early on in the book, which humanised him very quickly. I loved Esca very much also, and the way the friendship developed was very sweet. It probably was too unrealistic to not be a children's novel, but I still didn't feel cheated by the way the slave and master bonded, and there was a refreshing sincerety to both of them in this regard. Cub was adorable. Uncle Aquila was both humourous, wise and kind, and Cottia was tolerable! She was actually a bit old for the events aluded to at the end of the book by my reckoning, but it probably wouldn't have done to have that in a children's book in those days.

The other main drawback to the book, for those of us who are not up to scratch on their Ancient Rome factors, was that sometimes descriptions were written as if the reader already knew the places and lifestyle being discussed. While this makes the POV of the characters more realistic, it also serves to shut the reader out a little, because you have to stop and work out what's being discussed.

I am glad to re-read this though. The premise was amazing, the adventure was decent, and the characters were warm and loveable. The story lacked depth, and sometimes the scope to include the reader, but I think that the children who first read this book must have been truly delighted with it. It's certainly a helpful example for the boy-hero-action authors of today!(less)

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Apr 29, 2011 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-count-2011, historical-fiction

Marcus, like his father before him, is an officer in the Roman army stationed on the barbaric island of Britain. Many years ago, Marcus' father and his Legion marched north of Hadrian's Wall and never returned. Rumors are now coming south of the Wall: the Eagle, the standard and symbol of the Ninth Legion has been seen in one of the temples of the barbaric tribes of the north. With such a symbol, the tribe could rally others and mount an attack on the lightly defended Wall. Marcus knows that thi...more

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Apr 28, 2011 emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction-historical, fiction-young-adult

Ok, I admit it, I read this because of the movie. I knew it was different, but I didn't know how different before I started. I love Sutcliff's prose, first of all; it's beautiful and descriptive and emotive, just the kind of language I would have eaten up with a spoon when I was younger, and still love now. Marcus is quite the same as he is in the movie: noble, brave and passionate. It's Esca who's altogether different, though I think it's a case of having taken the seed of who the character is...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Basicallyrun rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: asnc-y

A reread, and one that absolutely lived up to my fond memories of it. Why so awesome, Rosemary Sutcliff? I've probably already babbled in my other reviews of her books about how much I adore her writing style, so we'll just take that as read. If you have seen the film, read the book. I'm biased, of course, but it's far better (and I liked the film). Much more room for character development, for one thing. More time for Marcus and Esca to be gloriously awkward and proud around each other (and eve...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Durdles rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, 20th-century-classic-fiction, historical-fiction

Why hadn't I been aware of these books when I was young? The real-life mystery of the disappeared Roman Ninth Legion and the loss of their standard, the eponymous Eagle, north of Hadrian's Wall and the Eagle's subsequent discovery hundreds of years later buried at an archeological site at Silchester is woven into a classic quest in which a disabled Centurian undertakes to recover the standard and restore the legion's, as well as his missing father's, honour.
Why did it take the filming of this st...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Sue Bursztynski rated it 5 of 5 stars

What can I say? I love Rosemary Sutcliff! This one is where it all starts in her Roman Britain stories. Marcus Flavius Aquila, a young Roman, comes to Britain to serve with the legions. When he's too badly wounded in a battle to be able to continue in his job, he decides to go up north to find out what happened to the standard of his father's legion, the Ninth. What he finds out may not be what he was hoping, but he learns from the experience and settles in Britain, to become the ancestor of cha...more

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Mar 10, 2011 ambyr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: acquiredㅡbought-new, acquiredㅡlibrary, authorㅡfemale, favorites, genreㅡhistorical-fiction, ownㅡcurrently, protagonistㅡmale, rereads, stand-alone-novel, ageㅡya, characterㅡdisabled

I'm grateful to the movie The Eagle for two things: Jamie Bell, and the fact that it made me reread the book.

I love Sutcliff's language, not just her poetic descriptions of the landscape but also how, in a few, brief words, she's able to sum up complex emotional states. "He was very afraid of kindness just then" never fails to make me tear up.

(view spoiler)...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Erik rated it 4 of 5 stars

With the imminent release of the cinematic adaptation of Sutcliff’s ALA Notable Book – written way back in 1954 – I recently borrowed a copy from my neighborhood library so that I could be familiar with the original story first; knowing full well that a 21st century movie version would be more of an action film – or at least from the looks of the trailer with Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, as they cross swords with blue-body painted Picts in Roman-era Britain.

Unlike the hyperkinetic trailer, Sut...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens

First published in 1954, The Eagle Of The Ninth was once to be found in every children's library in the UK. For the last fifteen or twenty years, however, Rosemary Sutcliff' has been somewhat forgotten as the solid, carefully written style of her books has given way to fiction that thrusts itself more brazenly upon its readers.

Hearing that there was a film coming out in 2011, I thought I would renew my acquaintance and I am very glad that I did. Based upon the mystery of the fate of the Ninth Le...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Jason Golomb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ancient-rome, roman-empire, historical-fiction, literature

Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 classic "The Eagle of the Ninth" is an archetypical tale of human connections, self-discovery, redemption and choice. In tone and emotional scope, one is reminded of John Knowles' "A Separate Peace" or J.D. Salinger's "A Catcher in the Rye". The book will resonate with fans of Roman Empire-era fiction; and those that are familiar with the story from their youths, will reconnect warmly and fondly with Marcus Flavius Aquila and his cadre.

The book is written for young adult...more Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 classic "The Eagle of the Ninth" is an archetypical tale of human connections, self-discovery, redemption and choice. In tone and emotional scope, one is reminded of John Knowles' "A Separate Peace" or J.D. Salinger's "A Catcher in the Rye". The book will resonate with fans of Roman Empire-era fiction; and those that are familiar with the story from their youths, will reconnect warmly and fondly with Marcus Flavius Aquila and his cadre.

The book is written for young adults; however, vocabulary and phrasing nod to the book's British origins in the 50's. It's a quick and fun read, and I found myself pausing at different points, tying together the symbolic links between characters. The book will appeal to a broad audience who'll enjoy Sutcliff's adventure and vividly real experience, while connecting to her characters and their growth as the story progresses.

Sutcliff explains in her original introduction that "Eagle" is based on the legendary disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion after marching to Northern Britain in response to a rising among Caledonian tribes. The Eagle of the Ninth is the traditional legionary standard - a bronze eagle sculpture with bolts of lightning clutched tightly in its claws. Sutcliff combined this tale with modern excavations at Silchester that uncovered a wingless Roman eagle, a cast of which is still on display at the Reading Museum.

Marcus Flavius Aquila is the son of the Commander of the First Cohort of the infamous IX Legion Hispania. Marcus is Pilus Prior Centurion of the Fourth Gaulish Auxiliary of the Second Legion, based in southern Britain - leading his six hundred troops to relieve a command in Durinum. Marcus' connection to his father runs deeply and the tenor of our character is set early.

Marcus is left wounded and unable to continue with his military career after successfully leading the defense of his fort from a local native uprising. He removes himself to the home of his paternal Uncle in nearby Calleva (home to the modern day Reading Museum of Silchester).

Enter Esca - a defeated gladiator that Marcus purchases as his personal slave. Their relationship quickly becomes much more than master and slave, and we find that Esca and Marcus are almost mirror reflections of each other. Esca is from the Brigantes tribe from northern Britain - his father, like Marcus', was a commander, a clan chieftan. In a battle against the Legions, Esca was injured, taken prisoner and enslaved to fight as a gladiator. But Esca describes how, ten years earlier, he watched a Legion marching north that never came marching back - "I had never seen such a sight before. Like a shining serpent of men winding across the hills; a grey serpent hackled with the scarlet cloaks and crests of the officers."

This memory of Esca's echoes Marcus' own memories of his father's farewell, watching the Ninth march off, never to return.

This symbolic tether that binds the characters is but the first of several similarly themed relationships: Pup, the wolf cub rescued by Esca after a hunting trip results in the death of the mother wolf; Cottia, the parentless pretty young thing living with her Aunt and Uncle next door to Marcus; Guern the Hunter, a former Ninth legionary who went native after fighting under the command of Marcus' father.

"Eagle" is rife with symbols that seep in and throughout the book like the mists so prevalent in Sutcliff's Caledonia and Valentia. Marcus' name - Aquila - in fact, means eagle in Latin.

Roman Britain is the uniquely penetrating texture to a story that could, conceivably, take place in the early American West, Colonial Africa or even Exploration-era Central and South America. Sutcliff is passionate in her exposition of Britain. The reader feels the claustrophobia and breathlessness as she writes of the weighty softness of the mists of the North. It's no wonder that "Eagle of the Ninth" is currently in production for the big screen. It's ready-made for the mood-riddled cut-aways of Marcus and Esca riding through Caledonia, and the mist-lined fort skirmishes as they battle their way home.

Hadrian's Wall and the northern Roman forts and signal-towers bring to mind the image of ancient ruins and crumbling stones that are strewn across the modern British landscape. These portals are very alive in Marcus' world, representing the wild, a passage from one world to another, the past and future.

In addition to the expansive symbolism and vivid realism, "Eagle of the Ninth" is simply a terrific story. Esca and Marcus' escape with the Eagle moves at a lightning pace, leaving the reader with intense anticipation at each phase of their race south to the safety of the Wall.(less)

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Oct 04, 2009 rr added it

At the Classics & Children's Literature conference I went to this summer, I learned a lot about British children's literature dealing with Roman Britain. It's a complex subject, analogous (though not identical) to American children's literature dealing with Native Americans and early European settlers. How to present colonial, post-colonial, and imperial complexities to a younger audience? (Especially since we don't do so well as adults when grappling with such issues.) People repeatedly men...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Jacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, childrens, favorites

One of my favourite books forty years ago, I got a good deal on the three connected Rosemary Sutcliffe's Roman Britain novels for my Kindle. So this was a re-reading after perhaps twenty years and in the meantime I've seen the movie 'Eagle' which is based on the book.

Marcus, intent on following his deceased father into the Roman legions is sent north to command a small post on Hadrian's Wall – his first command. Unfortunately it's a short command because, though he acquits himself well, he's ser...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Andre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction

When I saw the Eagle of the Ninth was to be made into a movie, I was excited and went to dig out my copy but couldn’t find it. I don’t know what happened to it, so I bought a new one, now called The Eagle and the two sequels as well and spent a wonderful week back in the Romano-Britain of my youth (see "Andre's writing" for details). Rosemary’s work is subtler and subdued when it comes to violence. She does not avoid the issue as the era she depicts is one hallmarked by violence and upheaval, bu...more

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May 02, 2011 Gary Land rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this novel about Roman Britain a terrific read. Although what might be termed a young adult novel, it is written with a mature style and rich historical detail that I think it should appeal to many adults as well. The book begins a bit slowly--it was written in the mid-1950s--as the author establishes her two main characters, but picks up quite a head of steam as they go on a quest to recover the Eagle, the standard of the Roman Ninth Legion, which had disappeared some twelve years befor...more

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Book and Movie! Anyone?????	8	49	28. Dezember, 14:31 Uhr
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About Rosemary Sutcliff

Rosemary Sutcliff was a British novelist, best known as a writer of highly acclaimed historical fiction. Although primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults, she herself once commenting that she wrote "for children of all ages from nine to ninety."

Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her fa...more

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Quotes from The Eagle Of The Ninth

“Esca tossed the slender papyrus roll onto the cot, and set his own hands over Marcus's. "I have not served the Centurion because I was his slave," he said, dropping unconsciously into the speech of his own people. "I have served Marcus, and it was not slave-service...my stomach will be glad when we start on this hunting trail.” — 13 people liked it

“You cannot expect the man who made this shield to live easily under the rule of man who worked the sheath of this dagger . . . You are the builders of coursed stone walls, the makers of straight roads and ordered justice and disciplined troops. We know that, we know it all too well. We know that your justice is more sure than ours, and when we rise against you, we see our hosts break against the discipline of your troops, as the sea breaks against a rock. And we do not understand, because all these things are the ordered pattern, and only the free curves of the shield-boss are real to us. We do not understand. And when the time comes that we begin to understand your world, too often we lose the understanding of our own.” — 12 people liked it

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