Tag: books

Warrior Scarlet (1958) by historical novelist Rosemary Sutcliff was illustrated by Charles Keeping

Anthony Lawton2 Comments

From Warrior Scarlet by Charles Keeeping

Warrior Scarlet Cover

Warrior Scarlet by Rosemary Sutcliff was illustrated by Charles Keeping

More about the illustrators of Rosemary Sutcliff’s books here on the Rosemary Sutcliff blog

“The stories of Finn Mac Cool belong…not to Epic, but to Folklore and Fairytale” |Rosemary Sutcliff on retelling the story of Finn MacCool

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Illustration from From The Author's Note to The High Deeds of Finn MacCool by Rosemary Sutcliff

The stories of Finn Mac Cool belong…not to Epic, but to Folklore and Fairytale; and only here and there … something of the Hero Tale remains.

… The stories of the Fianna are full of loose ends and contradictions, and unexplained wisps of strangeness that seem to have drifted in for no especial reason except that they are curious or beautiful and happened to be floating by.

They are stories made simply for the delight of story-making, and I have retold them in the same spirit – even adding a flicker or a flourish of my own from time to time – as everyone who has retold them in the past thousand years or so has done before me.

Source: Author’s Note to The High Deeds of Finn MacCool

Dawn Wind (by historical novelist and children’s writer Rosemary Sutcliff) |Reprint reviewed in Historical Novels Review

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Over at Twitter I am tracking down people who can say #Ireadsutcliff , and their favourite(s). Merrian Weymouth in Australia favours —possibly— Dawn Wind, which was recently reprinted. The Historical Novel Society had this to say of it:

First published in 1961, this reprint keeps its original charm by reproducing the black and white illustrations by Charles Keeping. Dawn Wind represents historical fiction at its best. It was written by an author who delighted readers with her detailed and atmospheric stories. It is equally suitable for both young adult and adult readers. A thoroughly enjoyable book.

The novel starts:

The first paragraph of Rosemary Sutcliff’s Dawn Wind

List of 36 Rosemary Sutcliff titles in-print in the UK | Which online bookseller(s) should www.rosemarysutcliff.com link to?

Anthony Lawton4 Comments

(amended 27/2/14)

HELP PLEASE and QUESTIONS!

Here is list of all the 36 Rosemary Sutcliff titles that I think are available new in printed editions in or from the UK. (The original year of publication in the UK is in brackets). These involve 36 different ‘stories’: The Arthurian Trilogy combines three separate titles that are also available separately; and Eagle’s Honour combines two stories which were originally published separately, but are now not separately available.

Is it accurate? Do tell me what should or should not be there, in your view, with evidence! Please also share with others you think know or might be interested – especially those booksellers out there!

Also, I have a question: if I decide to link books mentioned on this list with an appropriate online bookseller, what should I use? I am not minded to help UK-tax-avoiding Amazon, although I do use it myself at times ….

  1. BEOWULF: DRAGON SLAYER (1961), Random House
  2. BLACK SHIPS BEFORE TROY (1993), Frances Lincoln
  3. BLOOD FEUD (1976), Random House (Print on Demand – PoD)
  4. BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS (1983), Slightly Foxed
  5. BONNIE DUNDEE (1983), Random House (PoD)
  6. BROTHER DUSTY-FEET (1952), Random House
  7. CAPRICORN BRACELET (1973), Random House
  8. DAWN WIND (1961), OUP
  9. EAGLE’S HONOUR (1995) (Contains A Circlet of Oak Leaves, and Eagle’s Egg), Random House
  10. FLAME-COLOURED TAFFETA (1986), Random House
  11. FRONTIER WOLF (1980), Random House  (PoD)
  12. KNIGHT’S FEE (1960), Random House
  13. OUTCAST (1955), OUP
  14. SIMON (1953), Random House  (PoD)
  15. SONG FOR A DARK QUEEN (1978), Random House  (PoD)
  16. SUN HORSE, MOON HORSE (1977), Random House
  17. SWORD AT SUNSET (1963), Atlantic Books
  18. SWORD SONG (1997), Random House
  19. THE ARMOURER’S HOUSE (1951), Random House
  20. THE ARTHUR TRILOGY (Binding together 25, 28, 31), Random House
  21. THE CHRONICLES OF ROBIN HOOD (1950), Random House (PoD)
  22. THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH (1954), OUP
  23. THE HIGH DEEDS OF FINN MACCOOL (1967), Random House
  24. THE HOUND OF ULSTER (1963), Random House
  25. THE LANTERN BEARERS (1959), OUP
  26. THE LIGHT BEYOND THE FOREST (1979), Random House
  27. THE MARK OF THE HORSE LORD (1965), Random House
  28. THE MINSTREL AND THE DRAGON PUP (1993), Walker Books
  29. THE ROAD TO CAMLAAN (1981, Random House
  30. THE SHINING COMPANY (1990), Random House
  31. THE SILVER BRANCH (1957), OUP
  32. THE SWORD AND THE CIRCLE (1979) , Random House
  33. THE WANDERINGS OF ODYSSEUS (1995), Frances Lincoln
  34. THE WITCH’S BRAT (1970), Random House  (PoD)
  35. TRISTAN AND ISEULT (1971), Random House  (PoD)
  36. WARRIOR SCARLET (1957), Random House  (PoD)