“With excitement about “The Eagle” movie building up, I thought maybe other readers might like to check out this information sheet (with photo) from the Reading Museum on the Silchester Eagle, the discovery of which was the inspiration for Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel ‘Eagle of the Ninth’.”
Posted by ‘Anne’.
Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic children’s novel The Eagle of the Ninth (now a film The Eagle) was given a fantastic review on the historical novels website. Margaret Donsbach wrote:
The Eagle of the Ninth is about a young Roman centurion posted in Roman Britain. Marcus Flavius Aquila is discharged from his legion after being badly injured in his first battle. Years ago, his father was lost when the Ninth Legion mysteriously disappeared in northern Britain. When this novel was first published in 1954, the Ninth Legion’s disappearance in Britain was believed to be fact. More recent evidence shows the legion was actually moved to the Rhine River after serving in Britain. Whether the legion’s disappearance is fact or fiction, though, makes little difference to a reader’s enjoyment of the novel.
Crippled, his military career gone forever, Marcus thinks his useful life is over. Still, he makes friends with a native Briton in spite of unpromising circumstances. He acquires a wolf. He attracts a girl. And he sets off on a dangerous adventure in quest of the golden eagle standard of his father’s legion. Without it, the disbanded legion can never regain its honor and be revived. Worse, in the hands of hostile British tribes the eagle could become the focus of a serious uprising …
This beautiful illustration of Little Cullen from Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel, The Silver Branch is from The Folio Society’s 2004 edition, drawn by Roman Pisarev. (From another great comment from Anne ).
You can buy this beautiful edition of the book from the Folio Society’s website. There is also a stunning version of The Eagle of the Ninth, probably Rosemary Sutcliff’s most famous novel which you can buy it here.
ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF (1920-92) 