"Simon Scarrow's Pulp Fiction-esque Roman adventure is a win for me and nil for the bores"Simon Scarrow use to be on the Goodreads author, but apparently after some embarrassing comments by a well known member he removed his account. After confirming this with the author, it rather made me think, really some people need to step back from the keyboard! An opinion is one thing, stupid is something else.The year is 42AD - what a boring opening! Never start off with dates, it'll kill interest faster than you can speak!Let's talk about Under The Eagle by Simon Scarrow. It's good, in a sort of balls-to-the-wall way. Having read this before, I knew what to expect. Blood, betrayal, lots of swearing and gladius slashing fun. With any historical novel, there's a fine line between historical accuracy and story-telling. Conn Iggulden, as much as I respect him for taking on Caesar is a fine example of bad story-telling set against historical accuracy (which in part is well researched). Simon Scarrow doesn't pretend to be 'historical accurate', yes it is accurate in the sense of being set within the reign of Claudius-I've-The-Mind-Of-A-Child-And-The-Eating-Habit-Of-A-Ox. Yes it is accurate given the timeline, the invasion of Britain was what solidified Claudius's Emperor-ship - without it, he would have been history (ironic). Ok tangent there. What's the story about? Picture this, 42AD, Rome isn't doing too bad - yes it still stinks there, a mixture of sweat, people and shit - I swore, for which is common place in Rome with the rabble. Caligula has just been assassinated, Claudius is placed as Imperator and ruler of the Empire. He has to have a triumphant quickly, something that will enthor him to the plebeians and stop 'noble' daggers piecing him from the dark. Welcome to Germania - tales of several Legions being lost in a particular Rheine forest is common place here. A border has been established and in some respects the flow of the river is a natural wall that keeps the conflict from eschewing. More recruits are needed, so newly appointed Centurion Marco and the somewhat unusual appointment of Cato to his second-in-command 'Optio' begin the story. Well after a few harsh words from Centurion Bestia "You there, shut you're fucking mouth or I'll be spitting you on my gladius - you won't be smiling then will you book boy". Not all Roman's spoke like politicians of the day, some had to get down and fight the attritional battle that Rome was famous for. Think of the Legions as a meat grinder and everything the meat, you won't be far wrong. While the new recruits get a daily dressing down, Vespasian, Legate of The Second Legion Augusta receives secret orders that a invasion of Britain will take place. This really begins the story and shoves you arse-first into a serious of events that are (at times) a bit too quick, From the skirmish with Germanic hordes, to plotters from Rome and with the Second Legion itself, things become a tad overawing you would think. Not so, Simon Scarrow seems to have the ability to tell several side-plots while not having to deviate from the main story. It helps keep the pace flowing fast but not to the point where I'm going '... the hell just happened?' I like that- what I also liked was how well thought out Cato and Macro are. They couldn't be further from each other in upbringing and attitudes to life - Cato a 17 year old, who has known nothing more that palace life, that being easy living and books, a lot of books. Macro, a hardnosed bastard, who cannot read or write but is very good with a gladius. Seems a good balance, and it works very well. The humour is brilliant between the two, not to mention how dumbfounded Cato comes across at times. Foils within foils, if you like. There's plots and intrigue to find here, a few choice fights 'where the metal meets the meat' and beyond this, a intelligent plot that leads Macro and Cato above the call of duty - that's a very bad game by the way! If you want something story-driven rather than historically accurate, then I'd suggest Simon Scarrow's Eagle series as a good yarn. I was going to talk about why some readers find swearing and curse words to be abhorrent to them. I was also going to share some 'historically' accurate Latin phrases, that highlight that not all were well mannered individuals - am I going to? Maybe a little. The problem is, we all come from different backgrounds. Swearing, I'm always told, isn't intelligent. Swearing isn't acceptable in society and shows a clear lack of intellect. Using curse words reflects badly upon one-self. Bollocks. Swearing, whether you do or don't, has no bearing upon one's intelligence. It is the makeup of a individual and those who judge upon well used paths really should lighten up - especially when taking offense from written words in a novel. Now I was going to sit on the fence and say... neither side is right or wrong. However, it is wrong to sit judgement upon someone else - imagine if myself, as a academic dismissed Livy's work because it 'read' like propaganda for Augustus reign. Or thought, no Hipponax is a sexual deviant and I don't want to read his work, neither does it have any merit within Classical antiquity. Herodotus wrote with fanciful words, embellishing his stories with tales of grandeur and inaccuracies. He spent time with Persians, so his evidence must be dismissed as both propaganda and potentially being one sided. Most Latin insults (that we know of) are generally referring to a individuals mentula (penis), coleus/colei (testicle/s). Do you want examples? Read Martial, Hipponax, Sallust, I could suggest many more. One of Martial's lines was "If you want to piss over a boat, do so, and do so again, until you piss on some Greek's" - Even Cicero is at it in Brutus something about mentioning cunnus. They must have been ALL thick and stupid - I mean who would use rude words - heaven forbid. By the way - I respect those who are offended by profanity, just not in a judgemental context.
Original Post: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/06/....“A gritty, realistic, page-turning experience that will lead the reader wanting more.” ~The Founding FieldsThis is the first historical fiction book that I’ve read in a long time (excluding Bernard Cromwell’s Sharpe series), and I really enjoyed it, and if I’m being honest it’s not really the first time that I attempted to read it, as I picked it up and begun reading it a few months ago, only to put aside for some new releases that had come my way in the post.I read the first half of the novel. I liked it, I really did – I just never got around to returning to it. However, for a random reason, I seem to now be wanting to read every historical fiction novel out there on the market today. I’m a huge fan of the Roman period, so I figured, where better to start my historical fiction-reading crusade with Under the Eagle, a novel which I already had?As it turned out, it was the perfect place to start.It is 42 AD, and Quintus Licinius Cato has just arrived in Germany as a new recruit to the Second Legion, the toughest in the Roman army. If adjusting to the rigours of military life isn’t difficult enough for the bookish young man, he also has to contend with the disgust of his colleagues when, because of his imperial connections, he is appointed a rank above them.As second-in-command to Macro, the fearless, battle-scarred centurion who leads them, Cato will have more to prove than most in the adventures that lie ahead. Then the men discover that the army’s next campaign will take them to a land of unparalleled barbarity – Britain.After the long march west, Cato and Macro undertake a special mission that will thrust them headlong into a conspiracy that threatens to topple the Emperor himself…I wasn’t expecting Under the Eagle to be as good as it was. The main characters, Cato and Macro, come from entirely different backgrounds and are well developed throughout the novel, and they quickly become memorable and Scarrow makes you want to read more. Cato and Marco are quite clearly different characters, and are, like everybody in the novel, flawed and imperfect. Under the Eagle has captured the gritty realism of life in the Roman Army, and as far as I noticed (I’m no expert historian myself), there were no glaringly obvious historical innacuracies that I found within the pages of Under the Eagle, such as Romans using forks, which apparently was seen in 2011′s Roman film entitled The Eagle, which I wanted to see, but never got around to doing so.Another notable character in this novel is Vespasian, one of the high ranking figures of the second legion, and he is really brought to life in Under the Eagle. For those familiar with Warhammer 40k (as most readers of The Founding fields will be), will no doubt recgonise Vespasian being one of the named characters in Graham McNeill’s Fulgrim, and as you read Under the Eagle, you’ll start to see more and more where McNeill drew his inspiration for character names from, but don’t let that deter you from reading Under the Eagle, or indeed – Fulgrim, if you haven’t already. Both are fantastic novels, and I can offer my recommendation for them. Fulgrim is easily one of the better novels in the Horus Heresy series, I should add.The pace of the novel is fast, action packed and with plenty of fight scenes that are well-detailed, realistic and really entertaining. Scarrow makes you want to root for Cato and Macro, and he makes you want to get behind them as they struggle through wars against the enemy barbarians. There are a wide variety of conflicts presented in Under the Eagle, ranging from simple skirmishes to full-scale battlezones, which provide an entertaining experience, and also provides an accurate look as to how the Romans fought their battles. If you’re a fan of Roman military then, the first book in this series is one that you’ll not want to miss, especially as it’ll leave you desperate for more.You can tell that Scarrow has done his research for Under the Eagle. At the beginning of the novel he provides the reader with an in-depth look as to how the Roman Army (or at least, the Second Legion) works, which only adds to the whole reading experience as newcomers to Roman-era historical fiction novels won’t find themselves lost as to what the difference is between an Centurion and an Optio.The plot is captivating, entertaining and enjoyable, as well as being a ‘gateway drug’ into more of what the sword and sandals section of historical fiction has to offer, as after reading this novel you’ll really want to read some more set in this period. I’ve even picked up the sequel to this novel, The Eagle’s Conquest, which I’m really looking forward to reading.Verdict: 4/5
What do You think about Under The Eagle (2001)?
If given the choice between being attacked by foul-smelling, weirdly-painted Germans, and being attacked by foul-smelling, weirdly-painted Celts, which would you choose? For Centurion Macro, it's rather obvious: the Germans! At least monitoring the Rhine doesn't involve crossing a temperamental sea and fighting on the edge of the world, where foggy bogs hide all manner of monsters and men. But the Emperor Claudius says, "Invade Britain!" and so it's off across the channel and into the slime. To make matters worse, his second in command is a gangly boy who the emperor wanted appointed centurion despite the fact that he was a palace slave who knows more about literature than combat. The boy can't even throw a javelin without almost decapitating the man in front of him! But you can't defy the emperor, not unless you're plotting to assassinate him, and it's hard to do that in Germany. So it's off to Britain, and so starts a fairly entertaining series of Roman military fiction.Under the Eagle is the first book by Simon Scarrow, and he makes it easier on himself and readers by having his Romans speak what makes for contemporary English. That's British English, of course, complete with slang, reinforcing the Hollywood-based conceit that the Romans went around chatting in RP. (New recruits' induction features a screaming DI who might as well be R. Lee Ermey in sandals.) That slight absurdity, coupled with the author's deliberate humor -- including some physical, like the aforementioned javelin foul-up, but mostly rendered in dialogue -- provide plenty of laughs. Part of that is laughing at little Cato, the aforementioned gangly youth, for whom army life is a decidedly harsh adjustment. He is a prim and proper boy in the company of rough and tough men, and worse yet, in a position of trying to force them to take him seriously as their commander despite the fact that he's still going through basic training. The amount of danger the plot throws at them (ambushes by screaming Germans, ambushes by screaming Celts, ambushes by scheming Romans, and every altercation ending with something on fire) offers him plenty of opportunity to prove his Roman manliness, often to his own surprise.It's an interesting start to the series, no doubt; my sympathies are wholly with both of the leads, Marco and the boy-on-his-hero's-journey, and considering that the invasion of Britain just started there's a lot more to look forward to. Most of Under the Eagle takes place in Germany, with the final chapters featuring the British landing and a quest to recover something buried during the last Roman invasion of Britain, led by Julius Caesar. It's part military fiction, and part political intrigue which is unavoidable given the setting of Rome. The battles are more interesting at this point, though I hope the Britons become more than just generic screaming hordes; considering how new the invasion is there is plenty of room for them to develop as proper antagonists. I'll be continuing in the series, no doubt about that!Related:The British History Podcast; season one covers the Roman period. I'm up to the aftermath of Boudica so far.http://thebritishhistorypodcast.com/?...
—Stephen
8/10A very good start to the series. I enjoyed the style of writing which made it a quick and enjoyable overall. The two main characters were both interesting and I can see them growing more and more as the series continues and the friendship growing with each battle they enter into. The plot isn't groundbreaking but allows for some great action such as the siege in the German village which was excellently done and allowed Cato to really shine and show his potential, especially with his bravery.There is political plotting throughout with some of the fringe characters seeking ways to progress up the career ladder which leads to a major part of the final third of the book. Nothing is really resolved in this book which means I'm expecting some big things from this series and some of these issues to roll on.I've noted in a couple of reviews that they didn't like the interactions between characters and said the vocabulary they use is too modern etc but I quite liked it and it gave it a good style that flowed and allowed me to get involved quickly. I don't know what terms the Romans would have used back then but as far as I'm concerned I think it works well. A good start to the series which is easy to get into, quick to read and I am keen to pick up more. Well worth a read if you're interested in this time period and/or life in the army.If you like this try: "The Gates of Rome" by Conn Iggulden"
—Richard
Goodreads just fucking ate my first copy of this review, which means this is gonna be a short one (I can just hear the masses crying "NO!") It was a short one anyways, as I usually don't have enough steam to bitch about books I didn't like for more than a couple paragraphs. I really had good expectations for this one, I wanted something shorter and more fast-paced than the usual tomes I've been reading lately and this seemed like a good one, even bearing a Cornwell endorsement on the cover...those sneaky marketing pricks. Why would you lie to me, Uncle Bernie? It started out well enough, I liked being introduced in detail to the roman military system including the chain of command, ranks, equipment, etc. and I definitely enjoyed the author's sense of humor. I was also charmed by Macro and Cato's dynamic. I didn't even mind the fact that the "Roman" soldiers are clearly English (it's the same on HBO's Rome and that didn't bother me). But about halfway through the book I just hit this brick wall. The plot seemed almost nonexistent, and when it began to focus on the future Emperor Vespasian's intrigues and the Legion's march from the Rhine to the impending invasion of Britain I just became acutely bored with the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, I love me some good intrigue but it just lacked the taste of danger and suspense that that kind of stuff needs. Every time I'd come to a Vespasian chapter I just wanted to groan. Even Macro and Cato's chapters became dull, lacking the fun and spark in the first few hundred pages. There seemed to be whole chapters where nothing happened, and what was with the whole "two-page chapter" concept? It's funny, I just finished reading a David Anthony Durham novel and he seems to think that two hundred pages is a good chapter point (in a 500 page book.) Honestly, I prefer the latter to the former. The constant back-and-forth just really began to break up the momentum for me. So yeah, obviously there's good things and merit in this book--plenty of people adore them and he's written like seventy of them at this point. I suppose I'm just not gonna be one of those people.
—Nate
