The Shining Company [Hardcover]

Rosemary Sutcliff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1990

Young Prosper joins the fighting forces of Prince Gorthyn as they prepare to fight the fierce Saxons gaining strength in the East. Word comes that the Saxons have taken another kingdom, and Prosper, Prince Gorthyn, and his Three Hundred Companions must stop the marauders in an all-out war!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Britain in 600 A.D., this extraordinary novel tells of the mustering of an army and its ill-fated campaign against the invading Saxons. Prosper, younger son of a feudal chieftain and the story's hero, is called to the company as a shield bearer, trained in the arts of war and sent into battle. Seen through his eyes, this is both a gripping action-adventure yarn and a moving, carefully wrought coming-of-age story. Sutcliff's richly evocative writing captures the feeling of life 1400 years ago; her realistic details provide a gritty background against which the tragic action unfolds. The Shining Company deserves a place with Adam of the Road , The White Stag and other classic adventure stories. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up --Fans of Sutcliff's historical fiction will welcome her return to the post-Roman British setting of some of her finest novels as she tells a stirring tale based on "The Gododdin," the earliest surviving poem set in Northern Britain. Set in a.d. 600, the story is told by Prosper who, with his bodyservant Conn, joins Prince Gorthyn as a shieldbearer when the prince enlists in a company formed by King Mynyddog of the Gododdin in an effort to unite the British kingdoms against the ever-present Saxon threat. The bulk of the story concerns the forging of men from disparate parts of Britain into a fighting unit, combined in a common cause. The rousing climax comes with their first mission when, sent deep into Saxon territory, they are abandoned by Mynyddog. Prosper, Conn, and Cynan, the lord they serve after Gorthyn's death, are among the survivors, and they return to discover that their betrayal had been planned from the beginning. As the story closes, Cynan and Prosper have turned their backs on Britain to find new lives as soldiers in Byzantium. Sutcliff has called all of her considerable talents into play here, creating strong memorable characters, sweeping action, and a vivid sense of place and time. Her depiction of the final, hopeless charge of the Companions is unforgettable: Prosper's references to the Celtic Wild Hunt ring with haunting truth. Sutcliff remains a mistress of the delineation of the strong bonds that combat and a collective purpose can create among men. Her descriptions of the inevitable violence of war are honest and matter of fact. This is a challenging book, with many names and places that will be unfamiliar to readers not acquainted with early British history, although the map and pronunciation guide should help. Readers willing to surrender to Sutcliff's demanding yet hypnotic language will be drawn into a truly splendid adventure, containing powerful themes of heroism, friendship, loss, betrayal, and sacrifice. --Christine Behrmann, New York Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 295 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (J); 1st edition (June 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374368074
• ISBN-13: 978-0374368074
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,019,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rosemary Sutcliff wrote more than 40 historical novels for young adults-including The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, The Lantern Bearers, The Sword and the Circle, and Black Ships Before Troy-five adult novels, and several books of nonfiction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars They were real people from a real time..., April 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Shining Company (Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

I got this book for my 7th grade son who is studying Medieval times at school. When I scanned the first few pages and found references to the Spartans at Thermopylae (I'm a Greek history buff), I started reading in earnest--and didn't stop. The author creates characters that are achingly real, involved in compelling situations that breathe life into ancient history. This is the best kind of historical novel; one that builds a realistic world that reveals culture and creates a "feel" so that you can understand it.

The people in this book seem very alive. They act consistently with the natures the author has created for them, and they are people one would want to know. Their way of speaking, customs, clothing, food, names--everything is couched in an impressive amount of historical detail that is soaked up by the reader without apparent effort.

I enjoyed this "juvenile" book thoroughly. I would have devoured Ms Sutcliff's books if I had found them younger, and--since the best children's books can hold their own with the best adult books--I will enjoy devouring them now!

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I just picked it up today but am still reading, March 28, 2003

By 

Christiane N. Hulet "Tiane" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shining Company (Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

Good books need lots of great reviews to persuade converts. =) I picked this up as Celtic/medieval literature for a college class and wondered whether this "juvenile" book would contain enough depth, but found myself immediately intrigued. Sutcliff's writing is consistently true to the era she portrays, and is often poetic, as well. The characters are refreshingly real; I care more about their development as individuals than how the battles will turn out. So far, I'm totally happy to rate this book 5 stars. I can't wait to finish it!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Shining Company, March 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Shining Company (Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

As I was reading The Shining Company I was thinking this is the best adventure book I ever read. I also couldn't keep my eyes off it and a number of times my teacher kept telling me to put the book down and pay attention. At first I didn't want to read it but I did and it got better and better until I couldn't stop reading it. It's also the first Rosemary Sutcliff I've ever read and I will probably read more.