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9th out of 371 books
—
183 voters
The Eagle and the Raven
by
Pauline Gedge,
Donna Gillespie (Goodreads Author)
Spanning three generations, this historical novel tells the tale of Boudicca, the most famous warrior of ancient Britain, and Caradoc, the son of a Celtic king, who sets out to unite the people of the Raven and lead them against Rome.Caradoc's objective is not easily accomplished as the Roman army advances into Britain, raping Celtic women and burning villages to the groun...more
Paperback, 704 pages
Published
October 28th 2007
by Chicago Review Press
(first published 1978)
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One of my managers at the bookstore recommended this book to me, I had no idea who Pauline Gedge was and when I did my research I just found a mediocre wikipedia entry; normally I wouldn't go for a complete unknown author but a book about Celtic Historical Fiction is sort of hard to disregard.
Well, to my delight the Eagle and the Raven turned out to be extraordinary, Pauline Gedge may not be a certified historian but she's got her facts straight. Moreover, the way she writes this book is so incr...more
Well, to my delight the Eagle and the Raven turned out to be extraordinary, Pauline Gedge may not be a certified historian but she's got her facts straight. Moreover, the way she writes this book is so incr...more
The theme of the book was freedom of the invaded and occupied Britons. I liked that the Roman invasion of Britain was presented from the British tribes' points of view for a change. I saw how they possibly would have interacted, got a feel for some of their culture and sympathized completely with them. After many years, Caradog asks Plautius--the two have become friends: "How would you feel if this country [Rome] lay under the rule of the tribes who had taken everything, even your values, from y...more
A great novel if you like historical fiction. The author really makes the past come alive, and the story seems to be carefully researched. This is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn about Britain in Roman times, a subject not really covered in American schools. In fact, I've read extensively on the history of the Roman Empire, and believe that it should receive much more attention in World History classes. The novel format makes the historical information "go down easy." This book has adult...more
The most beautiful book I've read in a long time. Magically in it's scope, a real tour-de-force. The writing is full of dark, beautiful, whispering lyric and completely original. The style of prose is some of the best I've ever read. The history is just amazingly potent. Damn! This story made me feel and I was thoroughly immerged. It's really for the greater part about Caratacus the Boudicca unlike blurb says, but she finishes off the book with her specular death, and I felt a kindredness with h...more
Apr 17, 2012
Lynda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those interested in Celtic/Roman England
Recommended to Lynda by:
A special friend who also read historical fiction
Shelves:
literature
It's years since I read this book, but it's unforgetable. The vividness of the prose has stayed with me all these years. I still recall details of the peaceful life prior to the Roman wars; especially the storytelling traditions of the peoples, festivals they celebrated, travelling through the forests when hunting. The relationships of the principal characters as they developed and matured were memorable too; believable for the times in which they lived yet timeless in that it was so easy to und...more
Very little is written about the Roman takeover of Albion. I don't know a lot about this angle of Roman history at all, so The Eagle and The Raven started off slowly for me. During the first several chapters, I found myself looking up people and places with every turn of the page; there is a lot to keep track of. And Gedge has a tendency to overwrite. Much can get lost in her beautiful yet dense descriptions so one must read slowly and pay close attention--it's not a book you can just breeze thr...more
I normally avoid historicals if they contain the words "sweeping" or "three generations" - but this book deserves both without irony. It tells the story of the Roman invasion of Britain, first opposed by the less well-known Caradoc whose guerilla tactics might have been successful if he'd had better luck, and followed by the revolt of the better-known Boudicca. The characters are complex and moving, the battle scenes wrenching, and the history meticulous. Caradoc is a moving hero, a man determin...more
What an amazing, amazing book.
Pauline Gedge manages to recreate a pre-Roman England (Albion) that feels so alive and so real, which is a skill that few historical fiction writers have, particularly in a setting so far removed from us today. The story she creates is fast moving, keeping me glued to the pages, but she still has a way of packing an emotional punch – I was in tears by the last pages.
I was expecting the story to be more focused on Boudicca, based on the book cover, but I don't neces...more
Pauline Gedge manages to recreate a pre-Roman England (Albion) that feels so alive and so real, which is a skill that few historical fiction writers have, particularly in a setting so far removed from us today. The story she creates is fast moving, keeping me glued to the pages, but she still has a way of packing an emotional punch – I was in tears by the last pages.
I was expecting the story to be more focused on Boudicca, based on the book cover, but I don't neces...more
As I read this I kept thinking of "The Once and Future King". Then I did a little research on the characters and wasn't surprised that the arviragus, Caradoc, is found in Arthurian legend. In any case, the book was well written, amazing setting, with fantastic characters. I enjoyed the fact that it based on actual people and events but she made a story that was believable out of those events. I would read this again and I am sorry to see that Pauline did not write more books on Roman Britan.
after reading some good reviews and then reading some SCATHING reviews of this, I gave it a shot anyway. it was -eh-. (random: I always judge a book by its cover, and this is one of the few times I have been misled. the thrust of this book is not on Boudicca, but on Caradoc, er, a man.)
so, the women were deadly awful. despite showing promise in the beginning. their characters are not developed AT ALL, and they are completely one-dimensional, up until the point at which they DRAMATICALLY transfor...more
so, the women were deadly awful. despite showing promise in the beginning. their characters are not developed AT ALL, and they are completely one-dimensional, up until the point at which they DRAMATICALLY transfor...more
I first read this book more years ago than I care to remember. I do recall it was a very rainy, grey day when I finished it and that enhanced my melancholy when I finished it. It's a glorious, sweeping story about the Roman conquest of Britain. It's a book a go back to now and again. In fact, I still have the original paperback I bought way back in the late 1970s.
The last line of the book gets me every time.
The last line of the book gets me every time.
I was gifted this book in 1982, and read in virtually one sitting. The story tells the struggle for freedom - and it's eventual loss - of an island nation against an invading culture. The emotions are given a good airing, the characters grabbing you with both hands and taking you with them on their journey. The thing that gets me every time I read it? It's all true. I recommend it to you - highly.
Jul 17, 2010
Raiveran Rabbit
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Hardcore historians and fans of UK cultural history. No one else.
Pauline Gedge is a wonderfully rich author. The historical details and backgrounds she provides are breathtaking. It only stands to reason, then, that when she writes of pure tragedy, it is also terribly vivid. Unfortunately, when she does tragedy, it's awful. This book started out interesting, but from the beginning has a steep and dark descent. By about 2/3 of the way through this book, you will heartily wish you had never picked it up and clapped eyes on the first line. While there are intere...more
Brutal! Beautiful! This a great historical fiction novel. I didn't know anything about the time period in which the book is set. Now, I want to learn about the Roman empire was destroyed in the end. They were vicious. I suppose the French, Spanish and British took their lessons from the Romans when they started conquering the world. The main theme is freedom and what that really means to everyone. What is more precious, freedom or civilization? Another topic explored is humans' need to conquer a...more
I really enjoyed being transported in time back 2,000 years to learn about the tribes that lived in England and fought for their freedom against the Roman Empire. It's 900+ pages, so it took a while, but that's what was great - I was able to enjoy the story for longer.
LONGEST BOOK EVER. But seriously enjoyed it. The thing about reading historical fiction is: you already know how it ends. But that's okay! This one filled in a lot of gaps for me about a subject I knew a little about already. Left more room for additional research and reading, which I love.
* As stated in another review - the cover and summary are pretty misleading. Boudicca DOES figure into the book and her story is the climax, but Caradoc is the hero of the book, for sure. That's not a bad thin...more
* As stated in another review - the cover and summary are pretty misleading. Boudicca DOES figure into the book and her story is the climax, but Caradoc is the hero of the book, for sure. That's not a bad thin...more
The Eagle and the Raven by Pauline Gedgec is an excellent story about the primitive people of Britain and how they struggled against the disciplined legions of Rome. The leaders change from the charismatic and intelligent Caradoc and his beautiful wife, Eurgain; to Venutius, the spurned husband of Aricia; to Boudicca, the fiery red-haired queen of the Iceni. Battles rage throughout the saga and the sorrow of the defeated implants on one's heart the meaning of freedom that is sometimes lost in sp...more
I love love love this book so much. I've read it a few times and just started reading it again. After the first time I read it, I did some research to see just how much of the book was fictionalized. Much of it is, out of necessity - not much is known about Caratacus/Caradoc. There's a bit in Tacitus but that's about it. I did like that the story told here is at least possible and I think does an excellent job of explaining why Caradoc made one particular historical choice. Caradoc's reasons for...more
Could Caradoc be made any more real? I cannot imagine how. Darned good read that brings the British resistance to the Roman conquest to life.
Oct 23, 2010
Rebecca Huston
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ancient-rome,
england
I have a copy of the mass market paperback edition for swap, not the trade paperback, which I am keeping.
Historical fiction about the Roman invasion of Celtic Britain. History correctly portrayed. Text engaging.
Mar 30, 2008
Virginia Owl
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Dalrhaidians
Recommended to Virginia by:
Brian Weise
upon re-reading, not as great as i remembered it. But this book has been a crucial part of my life. It was the basis for the founding of an iron-age Celtic re-enactment group that i've been a member of for 20+ years.
The book is a retelling of the Roman occupation of Britain & the resistance to that occupation. It has everything i want in historic fiction- history, passion, a sense of time & place, and how events & the landscape changed peoples lives. Read this book if you are intere...more
The book is a retelling of the Roman occupation of Britain & the resistance to that occupation. It has everything i want in historic fiction- history, passion, a sense of time & place, and how events & the landscape changed peoples lives. Read this book if you are intere...more
I'm not a huge fan of this genre - historical romance books - and didn't think it was particularly well written, but then I didn't get past the first 100 pages. It irritates me when writers start off books with poorly written sex scenes, obviously written by and for women. I'm sure I approached this book with a negative attitude, but the author reinforced it with the opening sex scene which had me rolling my eyes. Add to that was the fact that I couldn't keep the various men straight - all of wh...more
Jan 03, 2010
Alyxandra Harvey
added it
i love historial fiction, and celtic fiction and pauline gedge. enough said.
Apr 12, 2009
Annette
marked it as to-read
I picked this one up...have to wait until I get a chance to read it-then I'll be back
Blew me away and started my lifelong love of all things British History.
I read this book many years ago, but it is one that I have never forgotten.
This was a massively-long, historically-based book about the Roman invasion of the Celtic tribes about 2,000 years ago. It took me a long time to keep all the characters straight, and then the story only developed characters that I did not want to know more about. I would have probably stopped reading it but I was so far into it that I just wanted to finish. It was an okay book, not what I was hoping it would be. I guess I thought it would be better from a different point-of-view.
This still remains one of my most favourite historical fiction reads.
I just love this book.
Full of bright characters and an excellent plot, although as it deals with the Bodicea story the ending is as expected; not a victory over the romans. The book ends on a very bittersweet note which leaves the reader wondering how very different it might have all been had Bodicea managed to turn the tables.
I just love this book.
Full of bright characters and an excellent plot, although as it deals with the Bodicea story the ending is as expected; not a victory over the romans. The book ends on a very bittersweet note which leaves the reader wondering how very different it might have all been had Bodicea managed to turn the tables.
I loved the plot. I hated the length and detail of the time spent in the mountains and gathering forces to fight against the Romans.
Overall this book was great. It's great historical fiction and I found it easy to relate to the characters. I'm usually not interested in books/movies from this period, but I gave this book a chance and I wasn't disappointed.
Overall this book was great. It's great historical fiction and I found it easy to relate to the characters. I'm usually not interested in books/movies from this period, but I gave this book a chance and I wasn't disappointed.
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I was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on December 11, 1945, the first of three girls. Six years later my family emigrated to England where my father, an ex-policeman, wanted to study for the Anglican ministry. We lived in an ancient and very dilapidated cottage in the heart of the English Buckinghamshire woodland, and later in a small village in Oxfordshire called Great Haseley. I grew up surrounde...more
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“... but now men who could work preferred to beg, and the artists forgot that their calling was noble and became imitators instead of creators, charging exorbitant sums for the rubbish they churned out with one eye closed.”
—
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Apr 04, 2011 03:55pm