For award-winning, internationally-acclaimed author Rosemary Sutcliff (1920-92). By Anthony Lawton: godson, cousin & literary executor. Rosemary Sutcliff wrote historical fiction, children's literature and books, films, TV & radio, including The Eagle of the Ninth, Sword at Sunset, Song for a Dark Queen, The Mark of the Horse Lord, The Silver Branch, The Lantern Bearers, Dawn Wind, Blue Remembered Hills.
Author: Anthony Lawton
Chair, Sussex Dolphin, family company which looks after the work of eminent children’s & historical fiction author Rosemary Sutcliff (1920-92). Formerly CEO, chair & trustee of various charity, cultural & educational enterprises in UK. Sometimes a consultant.
Compelling historical fiction relies on characters welded so smoothly to actual events that the seams are nearly invisible. A smooth blend of fictional and historical figures provides the depth of a documentary with the sweep and emotion of a good yarn. This mixing makes Rosemary Sutcliff‘s Roman Britain novels (The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, Frontier Wolf, and The Lantern Bearers, along with the Romano-Celtic Sword at Sunset and Dawn Wind) the great books that they are. Their re-creation of Roman Britain is vivid and exquisitely detailed. The result, novels that convincingly transport the reader back to the Empire, is compelling reading. The family connection of the main characters in all but Sword at Sunset (where the Aquila family plays a minor role) builds on the historical details to create a personal connection between the novels.
Rosemary Sutcliff‘s The Eagle of the Ninth became The Eagle film earlier this year. Any chance of a BAFTA? One of the problems on the internet is knowing the authority of particular sites; but my Google alert on Rosemary Sutcliff threw up this comment today at ScreenDaily, which was not encouraging.
Director Kevin Macdonald has shared in two Korda award wins for Touching The Void (2003) and The Last King Of Scotland (2006). Producer Duncan Kenworthy is a Bafta stalwart with multiple nominations to his credit and a best film win for Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994). The adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s 1954 children’s classic The Eagle Of The Ninth may have been a labour of love for both producer and director, but the lack of widespread critical support for the film and a UK release date back in March would seem to work against either of them adding to their Bafta renown this year.
In a comment on a recent post yesterday Robert Vermaat points me to a blog post from a few years ago which explores how Rosemary Sutcliff passed a dolphin ring down many generations of the Aquila family over several books. Thus:
“Marcus took it from him and bent to examine it. It was a heavy signet-ring; and on the flawed emerald which formed the bezel was engraved the dolphin badge of his own family … ”
As to why this was a dolphin, he’s not sure it was ever explained? Does anyone know? The books, by the way, in order of century setting, not order of writing, are:
A Twitterer, who is “reading Knight’s Fee now” asks “is there a chronology of (Rosemary Sutcliff) books re the family with the dolphin ring?”. I think it goes like this – but do put me right any of you Rosemary Sutcliff experts out there … And does anyone know or recall WHY a dolphin is the image on the ring?
The Eagle of the Ninth (AD 133), The Silver Branch (about AD 280), Frontier Wolf (AD 343), The Lantern Bearers (AD 450), Sword at Sunset (immediately follows the time of The Lantern Bearers)
and Dawn Wind (AD 577).
The sequence of stories of the descendants of Marcus Flavius Aquila, hero of The Eagle of the Ninth, continues with Sword Song (about AD 900) and The Shield Ring (about AD 1070).
Compelling historical fiction relies on characters welded so smoothly to actual events that the seams are nearly invisible. A smooth blend of fictional and historical figures provides the depth of a documentary with the sweep and emotion of a good yarn. This mixing makes Rosemary Sutcliff‘s Roman Britain novels (The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, Frontier Wolf, and The Lantern Bearers, along with the Romano-Celtic Sword at Sunset and Dawn Wind) the great books that they are. Their re-creation of Roman Britain is vivid and exquisitely detailed. The result, novels that convincingly transport the reader back to the Empire, is compelling reading. The family connection of the main characters in all but Sword at Sunset (where the Aquila family plays a minor role) builds on the historical details to create a personal connection between the novels.
ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF (1920-92) 