| The Eagle of the Ninth | 
 enlarge | Author: Rosemary Sutcliff
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Category: Book
List Price: $7.95
Buy Used: $1.39
You Save: $6.56 (83%)
New (35) Used (30) from $1.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 24658
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 264
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 0374419302
EAN: 9780374419301
ASIN: 0374419302
Publication Date: September 1, 1993
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Standard used condition.
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| Customer Reviews:
 The Eagle of the Ninth August 15, 2005
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Brilliant information about the workings of the Roman army in Britain and the lives of Britons under Roman rule wrapped up in a splendid adventure. Characters and story are exciting and beautifully written. A marvellous story to read aloud to Year 4 while they 'do' the Romans and a great read for everyone.
Historical fiction with the ring of truth March 3, 2005
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
It is true that the beginning of this historical adventure is slow and surprisingly sketchy in places - the first attack of the local tribesmen on the fort at Isca Dumnoniorum (sp?) has a great build-up, but is over in a matter of sentences, with no mention of blood or wounds or casualties - and a good third of the book is really construction and mood-setting, before the main plot truly begins.
It is also true that the plot is a pleasing and gripping quest of young heroes seeking a lost relic (a Roman Eagle) in enemy territory. It's based on true events (more so than, say, the abominable Clive Owen King Arthur film) and the author's mastery of period detail keeps the story feeling real and well-rooted, without ever overwhelming the narrative in senseless trivia.
Rosemary Sutcliff could be compared to Richard Adams in her evocative descriptions of nature and environment. This is true as well.
But nothing in the novel rings more true than one scene, late in the tale, when one of our heroes' allies, a shaggy old wildman of the British tribes remembers, just for an instant, the Roman Centurion he was in youth, and snaps to a parade-perfect salute as he bids them farewell, and is lost in the morning mist. The poignancy of the moment brought tears to my eyes.
This is the truth.
"It has been good hunting, brother." December 26, 2004
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Rosemary Sutcliff is one of those authors whose books I can pick up and know they will be satisfying.
The Eagle of the Ninth does not fail to meet that rather strict expectation. It is a rip-roaring ride that follows a young Roman named Marcus and his good friend, Esca, through the wastes of Northern England and Scotland.
Marcus' purpose for this journey is the recovery of the lost eagle of the Ninth Legion--his father's legion. The Ninth Legion marched into the mists of the North some twelve years before Marcus set out, and never returned. Some time later, rumor reaches the Roman provinces that a Roman eagle was in the hands of the northern tribesmen, and Marcus determines to go and find it.
High adventure follows.
I have been a Sutcliff fan for years, and the Eagle of the Ninth certainly makes a place for itself among the ranks of her other works as a masterful work of fiction about the Roman era. If you buy this book, you can safely say with Marcus and Esca, the two protagonists, that "It has been good hunting, brother."
If you want to fire the imagination of your child.... September 12, 2004
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Read Rosemary Sutcliff to your children 8-10 or encourage your 10-14 year old. Try the first four or five sentences of any of her books together and see what images she conjures in your minds' eyes. She imparts so much color and action, once a child is able to get into these books either listening or on their own, there is no storyline closed to them. These books require thinking and reward the reader with an experience that lasts a lifetime. Do read them, especially if you have kids.
The Eagle of Awesomeness! September 9, 2004
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
First off, you should be reading The Eagle of the Ninth right now. But anyways. This book is really well written and historically accurate. It also develops the characters well and has an intriguing plot. And, if you are a Roman buff, as I myself am, this will definately be one of the best books you have ever read!
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