Customer Reviews

The Eagle's Conquest

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a sequel to Scarrow's first book, Under the Eagle, and is every bit as good as its antecedent. Both provide us with a series of interesting, new twists. Few novels have been written of Ancient Rome that do not feature christians, the triumph of christianity, or the excesses of Latin civilization. This is one of the few that has none of that. It follows the career of a slave who was once in the Emperor's service and who so pleased that worthy that he was freed and sent into the Roman army in a position of responsibility (highly unusual for a recruit). The legion to which he's assigned is destined to invade and conquer Britain and I, being of British extraction, surprisingly find myself cheering for the efforts of the legions.

There is one important inaccuracy (I believe) that should perhaps be challenged. Claudius was the emperor during the conquest of Britain and that is accurate enough. However, he is portrayed as a bumbling dolt which, according to my old Ancient History professor at UCLA, he was not. Suetonius wrote of him as such, as did many of his contemporaries, but that was evidently because of physical disabilities and a speech impediment that made him appear retarded. Apparently those physical flaws masked a real ability for organization. Civil war abounded in republican Rome and had it remained a republic, many historians feel it would have collapsed shortly after Caligula's death. Claudius was the one who pulled that republic out of the hands of self-seeking senators made them responsible for their acts, and established a firm government administration as well as a standard of succession to supreme power. It was Claudius, not Augustus, who made Rome into the Empire that survived for another 300 years. But I digress.

Scarrow has given us a slightly watered-down, but exciting, view of life within the legions, and has filled his adventure with historical facts and some speculations that are nothing short of fascinating.

I cannot recommend this book too highly.

If you read novels to take your mind off the bills or the divorce or tax time, then this novel may please you. If you are hoping to learn more about Roman history or Latin or whatever, then this is not the book for you. Several reviewers have complained about the lack of depth of the characters, but they are deep enough. Others have said that the scenes are not realistic or the Optio, Cato, not believable because of his youth and inexperience. This isn't Moby Dick, people. It's like a romance novel for guys (d*** lit) -- there are lots of characters, lots of action, some love scenes, heroes, villains, exotic locations (well, I don't know if the British Isles count as exotic), historical people... Fun! I spent many a night telling myself "only one more chapter..." and paying for it the next day. I thought the scenes moved quickly, the conversations were pretty believable (despite the PC modernity of a few of them), the battle scenes easy to follow, and the characters drawn well enough to maintain my interest. You may never see this novel offered up as great literature at the local college, but judging by what passes at literature these days, I may have to eat my words.

In the summer of 43 AD the Roman invasion of Britain is being bitterly contested by the brave natives. The battle-weary men of the Second Legion are faced with a new challenge; the heavily fortified crossing on the Medway. A treacherous tidal river and massive earthworks seem to present an impenetrable obstacle to Roman Army.

Having shown his worth to his comrades in a recent fight, Cato - optio of the sixth century of the third cohort, must now prove that he can be trusted to lead the hard, experienced legionaries in his unit.

The Britons are not the only enemy Cato and Macro must face in the coming months. The same sinister forces they had confronted in UNDER THE EAGLE are still working to depose Emperor Claudius. A chance encounter on the misty banks of the Thames and a mysterious coded message plunge the two legionaries into the dark world of traitors and assassins.

Discredited in the eyes of their comrades and manipulated by corrupt and powerful schemers Cato and Macro become involved in a desperate race to save Claudius from the hands of a killer when the Emperor arrives to lead his army into the decisive battle against the Britons.

I'm amazed by the range in reviews on Scarrow's books, from the fawning praise to those who seem to loathe it. The latter are typified by doug bail. Short, inaccurate (the historical details are there all right - Scarrow knows his stuff)and incomprehensible (how could such gritty page turners ever be considered dull?) If doug bail truly reviews books I hope he runs his material through a grammar and spell checker before daring to submit them...
Anyway, the second book is even better than the first in the series. Macro and Cato and the rest of the Roman army are clawing their way up country towards the enemy capital. Aside from the brave and savage enemy they have to worry about a secret organisation plotting to overthrow the emperor, the dastardly Vitellius ( a truly evil and therefore likeable villain), and a native assassin out to kill Claudius. The battle-scenes are excellent and take the reader right to the heart of a very bloody business. The characters are well rounded and very likeable. This is achieved largely through first rate dialogue that sounds just about right (though you do have to get used to a certain amount of soldierly profanity). Scene-setting is superb and you get the sense of a real cinematic imagination behind the writing. I'd be surprised if this wasn't made into a film or TV series soon. It's a great series to follow, and I cheated a bit by buying the third from amazon.co.uk. That book, WHEN THE EAGLE HUNTS, is better still and my only worry is that Scarrow might not be able to keep the standard (no pun intended) up over a long series. We shall see. Until then, enjoy these books for what they are; page-turning actioners that also happen to be extremely well-written.
Oh, and it's about as far from Asterix as you can get. That's probably why the book is way over doug's head.

For some reason these books are hard to get here in the US. ... .
Scarrrow has begun what will (hopfully) be a long historical series focused on the legions of Imperial Rome. He manages to convey a high level of historical accuracy without turning his novels into glorified textbooks and he definately strikes home in his descriptions of the thoughts, speech and actions of 'average' soldiers. Just going to show that things really don't change that much, even after 2000 years.

Luckily, I read `The Eagle's Conquest' straight after `Under the Eagle', and this was somewhat fortuitous as there's no break in the timeline. Literally, `the next day'...
The continuing adventures of Macro and Cato, centurion and Optio, in Britain with the Augusta II makes for more delightful reading. Yes there are historical inaccuracies, yes the charcterisations are usually parodies, but it works! Just like Marilyn Todd's Claudia, both these two trip through the ancient Roman Empire with an irreverance that makes this series both fun and immensely readable.
Most of the opening novel's characterisations were two-dimensional, but, with the exception of the Carthagininan, Nisus Barca (direct descendant), the assorted cast remain true to their earlier depiction and some depth appears. If you are a student of the actual history then the portrayals of Claudius as the bumbling, inept owner of the purple takes Suetonius one step overly far just as Vitellius' (given his eventual ascension) as a wicked conspirator is a delightful farce. But somehow, it just doesn't seem to matter.
Cato and Macro plunge headfirst into the conquest of Caracatus and his hordes of Britons - who do seem to leap straight out `Braveheart' sometimes - together with the ever-scheming Vitellius' murder plot and the wince-worthy `Liberators'. They pave the way for Claudius' triumphal entry into Camulodunum on his elephants and along the way Macro escapes death. In his absence Cato assumes temporary command, ends up with major burns, they have multiple fights along the Tamesis, the command structure of the legions is as strange under Plautius as ever and it remains to the stoical Vespasian to save the day. Throw in Cato's broken heart and Flavia's aspirations and you end up with a marvellously gripping read.
So, `The Eagle's Conquest' - a delightful addition to the Roman historical novel genre and whilst there are novels out there who strive to echo reality as much as possible, the genre was crying out for a more lighthearted approach. Scarrow is providing it and long may Cato's and Marco's adventures continue.

The author, Simon Scarrow teaches at a leading Sixth Form College. He has run a Roman History programme taking parties of students to a number of ruins and museums across Britain. This is the first in a series of books about Quintus Licinius Cato, Optio (second in command) to Macro a centurion and veteran of more than one campaign in the Roman legions.

Centurion Macro and his Optio (second in command) Quintus Licinius Cato have arrived in Britain as part of the Emperor Claudius's invasion force in AD43. The Roman army are easily outnumbered by the local natives, so it is essential that the Roman's engage the enemy before they have a chance to grow strong enough to overwhelm the legions.

However the Britons are not the only danger facing Macro and Cato. An organisation opposed to the Emperor is secretly betraying the Legions and when rumours of an assassination plot coincide with Claudius arriving on British soil, the soldiers know that they are up against a force much more dangerous the British.

Book 2 in what has to be one of the best series of historical fiction. Simon Scarrow's previous book started with a bang and introduced Macro and Cato, a thoroughly engaging duo of heroes. Fresh from the early days of the Claudian invasion they now have to face a series of bloody battles against a determined native enemy. At the same time the plotting within the ranks of the legions festers on. Only this time the plotters' ambition is nothing less than the assassination of Emperor Claudius himself. As Cato and Macro struggle with enemies within and without, time is running out for the emperor.
As before the plotting is tight and fast moving, the action makes you feel as if you were there in the thick of battle and the characterisation makes it seem as if you know these men personally. The writing, like Hemmingway's, is clear and uncluttered, with wonderful descriptive flourishes and a genuine sense of humour and an intelligent wit. Now you know what to put at the top of the list when you write to Santa!

Mr. Scarrow just gets better and better - I thought that 'Under the Eagle' was great, and again, I read this in one sitting.
This continues straight on from that last episode with a full-blown invasion of Britain.
All does not go smoothly, the untrained Brits prove to be berserkers, giving twice as good as they get and making up in courage what they lack in co-ordination, while the Romans are consistently stymied in their attempts to press the advantage by the leaders, in particular Emperor Claudius, whose tactical skills are worse than his diplomacy.

The duo Cato & Macro are having a hard time of it; not only the Brits, but internal espionage is wreaking havoc with morale, discipline & logistics, and Cato is flung into the thick of it, discovering just what it takes to be a leader.

Fantastic fight scenes, historical accuracy, sabotage, some humour and a bit of romance ... make this as good as ... Mr. Cornwell's best.

I think I read `Under the Eagle' about two years ago. I remember really liking it, but (as most book lovers can relate) I got caught up in reading other stuff and never made it back to Scarrow. Until now. Man, I didn't realize how much I missed Macro and Cato until I started reading about these two again. I LOVE reading (fictional) books about Rome and it's shouldn't have taken me this long to get back into the series. I hope you don't make the same mistake I did. This is a magnificent story within a magnificent series with magnificent characters told by a magnificent author. The "ending" was about as perfect as a lead-in to the next book as you would want. Absolutely perfect. Need I say more? Only this: `When the Eagle Hunts'... you're next.