For those of you in North America who have found your way to this blog after watching The Eagle film based on Rosemary Sutcliff‘s great story The Eagle of the Ninth, the publishers (and I!) invite you to check out the reissue of the entire Roman Britain Trilogy from Square Fish! You can experience “the guts and glory with the movie tie-in edition of The Eagle of the Ninth” and “get the conversation started with their discussion guide“.
Month: February 2011
The Eagle film released today February 11th in USA and Canada. Thank you Duncan Kenworthy!
Well, here we are. Today is the big day, and we can start finding out what you all – well those of you in North America – think of the film The Eagle. To mark the day I am re-reading the actual book The Eagle of the Ninth! Many, many thanks to Duncan Kenworthy the producer and the team he assembled to bring Rosemary Sutcliff’s book lovingly to the big screen.
The Shining Company award-winning novel by Rosemary Sutcliff
See now, for a good blade, one that will not betray the man in battle, rods of hard and soft iron must be heated and braided together. Then is the blade folded over and hammered flat again, and maybe yet again, many times for the finest blades … So the hard and soft iron are mingled without blending, before the blade is hammered up to its finished form and tempered, and ground to an edge that shall draw blood from the wind. So comes the pattern, like oil and water that mingle but do not mix. Yet it is the strength of the blade, for without the hard iron the blade would bend in battle, and without the soft iron it would break.
Source: Goodreads quotations from Rosemary Sutcliff
The Eagle film release dates
Century City News’s reviewer in Los Angeles was not wild about The Eagle; but did list some world-wide release dates:
Canada – 11 February 2011
USA –11 February 2011
Greece – 17 February 2011
Finland – 18 February 2011
Malaysia – 25 February 2011
Germany – 3 March 2011
Netherlands – 3 March 2011
Sweden – 11 March 2011
Egypt – 23 March 2011
Hungary – 24 March 2011
Norway – 25 March 2011
UK – 25 March 2011
Portugal – 30 March 2011
Lithuania – 1 April 2011
Spain – 8 April 2011
Teen Classic Dragon Slayer: Story of Beowulf by Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff‘s re-telling of Beowulf is praised at Suz’s Place, an online supplier of used and secondhand books. ‘She’ wrote that her softcover volume was published by Penguin Books in 1961. “It has a little rubbing on all corners and edges but is looking incredibly good for it’s age. I wish I looked this good.”
Lionhearted Beowulf, the hero who had the strength of thirty men in his arms, sailed away over the whale road in his war-boat, his fast floater, to rid the Danes of their deadly scourge, the prowling monster who struck terror into the bravest warriors of Denmark as they waited night after night in King Hrothgar’s court. Great glory came to Beowulf before he died, the renown from his three great battles, with Grendel and his fearful mother, and with the dragon who guarded the brilliant treasure-hoard hidden away in the earth.
Rosemary Sutcliff’s retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf grasps the splendour and mystery of the original poem. It is a story to feed the imagination powerfully, and fill the mind with a trembling awe.
ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF (1920-92) 
