Why this book?
Possibly the best historical fiction for kids set in Roman times. Set in Roman Britain rather than Rome, it is full of action and suspense. Although it was written in 1954 it is still considered a classic.
The Eagle of the Ninth
Why should I read it?
6 authors picked The Eagle of the Ninth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
The Everyman edition reprints the classic black and white illustrations of C. Walter Hodges which accompanied the first edition in 1954.
Around the year 117 AD, the Ninth Legion, stationed at Eburacum - modern day York - marched north to suppress a rebellion of the Caledonian tribes, and was never heard of again. During the 1860s, a wingless Roman Eagle was discovered during excavations at the village of Silchester in Hampshire, puzzling archaeologists and scholars alike. Rosemary Sutcliff weaves a compelling story from these two mysteries, dispatching her hero, the young Roman officer Marcus Aquila, on a perilous journey beyond…