Favourite Children's Authors: Rosemary Sutcliff

Rosemary Sutcliff: The Eagle of the Ninth (1954)

I wonder how kids nowadays would respond to a book like this? It's exerted a strange fascination over me ever since I first read it in our little school library when I was about 10 or 11 - not so much the details of Roman Army life as the curious atmosphere of the land beyond the frontier: the tribal territories past Hadrian's wall which Marcus Flavius Aquila is forced to negotiate in order to recover the Eagle emblem of his father's legion, the lost Ninth.

In particular, I was impressed by the decision of the sole survivor of the massacred army to stay where he was: "There is no way back past the waters of Lethe." I didn't know (then) what the waters of Lethe were, or even how to pronounce the word, but I got the point. Like a white settler adopted by a Native American community, his incentive to rejoin "civilisation" seemed strangely lacking.

Kevin Macdonald, dir.: The Eagle (2011)

That was where the (fairly) recent movie fell short for me - there was too much emphasis on macho heroics, and Channing Tatum was not at all my image of the sensitive, cerebral Marcus of Sutcliff's book.

Michael Simpson & Baz Taylor, dir.: The Eagle of the Ninth (1977)

There is, apparently, an old British TV miniseries as well, but I've never seen it. It looks pretty clunky from the excerpts included on the imdb, but it would be rather amusing to see Patrick Malahide playing a Pictish tribesman at what must have been the very outset of his career ...

So popular was The Eagle of the Ninth when it first appeared, that Rosemary Sutcliff decided to use Marcus's family, the Aquilas, as the basis for a whole series of novels about the last days of Roman rule in England - and the growth of a new, Anglo-Saxon culture in its place. In each of these books reference is made at some point to an emerald seal ring with a dolphin embossed on it, which had been handed down in the family for generations.

Here (courtesy of Wikpedia) are all eight novels in order - not of publication, but of fictional chronological sequence:

Rosemary Sutcliff: Three Legions (1980)

The Eagle of the Ninth Series:

1. The Eagle of the Ninth (1954)
2. The Silver Branch (1957)
3. Frontier Wolf (1980)
4. The Lantern Bearers (1959)
5. Sword at Sunset (1963)
6. Dawn Wind (1961)
7. Sword Song (1997)
8. The Shield Ring (1956)

Sutcliff herself was clearly someone who had to surmount more than her fair share of challenges. Confined to a wheelchair from most of her adult life as a result of contracting Still's disease (or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) as a child, she grew up in Malta and various other bases where her father, a Naval Officer, was stationed.

As a result she had a rather unconventional education, not even learning to read until she was 9 years old. She eventually left school at 14 to attend Art College. After graduating from there, she worked initially as a painter of miniatures. She published her first book, The Chronicles of Robin Hood, in 1950, at the age of 30. The Eagle of the Ninth, her sixth novel, came out in 1954.

Having been runner-up for the Carnegie Medal for the year's best children's book by a British writer on four previous occasions, she eventually won it in 1959 for The Lantern-Bearers.

Perhaps I'm prejudiced, but the books she wrote in the 1950s and early 1960s seem to me more powerful and lasting than much of her later work. That may simply be a matter of having read them at the right age, however. Certainly it was during that period that her own engagement with the Arthurian legend began.

Rosemary Sutcliff: Sword at Sunset (1963)

Arthurian novels:

1. The Lantern Bearers (1959)
2. Sword at Sunset (1963)
3. Tristan and Iseult (1971)
4. The Arthurian Trilogy:
   1. The Sword and the Circle (1981)
   2. The Light Beyond the Forest (1979)
   3. The Road to Camlann (1981)
5. The Shining Company (1990)

Her most powerful and enduring contribution to the subject, Sword at Sunset, begins - like Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave - with an epigraph: Francis Brett Young's poem "Hic Jacet Arthurus Rex Quondam Rexque Futurus

Arthur is gone . . . Tristram in Careol
Sleeps, with a broken sword - and Yseult sleeps
Beside him, where the Westering waters roll
Over drowned Lyonesse to the outer deeps.

Lancelot is fallen . . . The ardent helms that shone
So knightly and the splintered lances rust
In the anonymous mould of Avalon:
Gawain and Gareth and Galahad - all are dust.

Where do the vanes and towers of Camelot
And tall Tintagel crumble? Where do those tragic
Lovers and their bright eyed ladies rot?
We cannot tell, for lost is Merlin's magic.

And Guinevere - Call her not back again
Lest she betray the loveliness time lent
A name that blends the rapture and the pain
Linked in the lonely nightingale's lament.

Nor pry too deeply, lest you should discover
The bower of Astolat a smokey hut
Of mud and wattle - find the knightliest lover
A braggart, and his lilymaid a slut.

And all that coloured tale a tapestry
Woven by poets. As the spider's skeins
Are spun of its own substance, so have they
Embroidered empty legend - What remains?

This: That when Rome fell, like a writhen oak
That age had sapped and cankered at the root,
Resistant, from her topmost bough there broke
The miracle of one unwithering shoot.

Which was the spirit of Britain - that certain men
Uncouth, untutored, of our island brood
Loved freedom better than their lives; and when
The tempest crashed around them, rose and stood

And charged into the storm's black heart, with sword
Lifted, or lance in rest, and rode there, helmed
With a strange majesty that the heathen horde
Remembered when all were overwhelmed;

And made of them a legend, to their chief,
Arthur, Ambrosius - no man knows his name -
Granting a gallantry beyond belief,
And to his knights imperishable fame.

They were so few . . . We know not in what manner
Or where they fell - whether they went
Riding into the dark under Christ's banner
Or died beneath the blood-red dragon of Gwent.

But this we know; that when the Saxon rout
Swept over them, the sun no longer shone
On Britain, and the last lights flickered out;
And men in darkness muttered: Arthur is gone . . .

It's interesting, in retrospect, to observe just how much this "End of Empire" theme resonated with Sutcliff, as with many other writers of the post-war generation. Imperial Rome was clearly, for them, almost interchangeable with Imperial Britain - and their intense nostalgia for the order and unquestioned assumptions of childhood creeps into all their accounts of "Saxon hordes" overwhelming the last few urbane flickers of Roman civilisation.

Sutcliff, however, was unusual in being able to see the other side of the equation as well. Her doomed Saxon warriors facing the oncoming Norsemen in The Shield Wall shows an evenhandedness of treatment, as well as a determination to back underdogs against aggressive invaders somewhat reminiscent of the revisionist historical novels of her near-contemporary Geoffrey Trease.

Sutcliff's later works on King Arthur largely content themselves with retelling Malory. But Sword at Sunset is still well worth reading. Her intimate knowledge of weariness and despair seems to have made her exceptionally good at depicting self-doubting, non-triumphant heroes.

That's what continues to ring true in her books, and makes her portrayal of the savage, tormented Cuchulain, the so-called "Hound of Ulster", so much more successful than her dutiful recital of The High Deeds of Finn MacCool.

Rosemary Sutcliff: The Hound of Ulster (1963)

When I think now about my first acquaintance with her books, I remember that I was almost afraid of them. She wasn't content with simple plots about everyday dilemmas: there was genuine violence and fear in almost all of them, as well as a lot more squalid (and smelly) local detail than was typical in children's historical novels of the time.

I can't help thinking that the hardships of her own life must have played against the sentimental romanticism implanted by her mother to create a strikingly realistic - and, for the time, very well researched - series of fantasies of the past. Books such as Warrior Scarlet or Outcast do not sugarcoat the subjects of violence and dispossession.

At times, as in Dawn Wind, she let her guard down and allowed a few rays of hope to steal in - her preference though, as in Francis Brett Young's poem, seems always to have been for the defiant last stand.

Anthony Lawton: Which book do readers think is Rosemary Sutcliff’s best? (2022)

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Rosemary Sutcliff (1984)

Rosemary Sutcliff
(1920-1992)

Books I own are marked in bold:

Children's Novels:


1. The Chronicles of Robin Hood. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges (1950)
2. The Queen Elizabeth Story. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges (1950)
3. The Armourer's House. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges (1951)
   • The Armourer's House. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. 1951. Oxford Children’s Library. London: Oxford University Press, 1962.
4. Brother Dusty-Feet. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges (1952)
   • Brother Dustyfeet. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. 1952. Oxford Children’s Library. London: Oxford University Press, 1961.
5. Simon. Illustrated by Richard Kennedy (1953)
   • Simon. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. 1953. Oxford Children’s Library. London: Oxford University Press, 1959.
6. The Eagle of the Ninth. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges (1954)
   • The Eagle of the Ninth. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. 1954. London: Oxford University Press, 1973.
   • Included in: Three Legions: The Eagle of the Ninth; The Silver Branch; The Lantern Bearers. 1954, 1957, 1959, 1980. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985.
7. Outcast. Illustrated by Richard Kennedy (1955)
   • Outcast. 1955. Illustrated by Richard Kennedy. 1955. New Oxford Library. London: Oxford University Press, 1980.
8. The Shield Ring. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges (1956)
   • The Shield Ring. Illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. 1956. London: Oxford University Press, 1957.
9. The Silver Branch. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1957)
   • The Silver Branch. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1957. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1980.
   • Included in: Three Legions: The Eagle of the Ninth; The Silver Branch; The Lantern Bearers. 1954, 1957, 1959, 1980. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985.
10. Warrior Scarlet. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1958)
    • Warrior Scarlet. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1958. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1976.
    • Iincluded in: The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff: Warrior Scarlet; The Mark of the Horse Lord; Knight's Fee. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1958, 1963, 1960. London: Chancellor Press, 1987.
11. The Lantern Bearers (1959)
    • The Lantern Bearers. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1959. London: Oxford University Press, 1972.
    • Included in: Three Legions: The Eagle of the Ninth; The Silver Branch; The Lantern Bearers. 1954, 1957, 1959, 1980. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985.
12. Knight's Fee. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1960)
    • Knight's Fee. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1960. Oxford Children’s Library. London: Oxford University Press, 1974.
    • Iincluded in: The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff: Warrior Scarlet; The Mark of the Horse Lord; Knight's Fee. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1958, 1963, 1960. London: Chancellor Press, 1987.
13. Bridge Builders. Illustrated by Douglas Relf (1960)
14. Beowulf: Dragonslayer. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1961)
15. Dawn Wind. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1961)
    • Dawn Wind. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1961. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
16. The Hound of Ulster. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus (1963)
    • The Hound of Ulster. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus. London: The Bodley Head, 1963.
17. The Mark of the Horse Lord. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1965)
    • Iincluded in: The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff: Warrior Scarlet; The Mark of the Horse Lord; Knight's Fee. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1958, 1965, 1960. London: Chancellor Press, 1987.
18. The Chief's Daughter. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus (1967)
    • The Chief's Daughter. 1966. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus. 1967. Piccolo. London: Pan Books, 1978.
19. The High Deeds of Finn MacCool. Illustrated by Michael Charleton (1967)
    • The High Deeds of Finn MacCool. Illustrated by Michael Charlton. London: The Bodley Head, 1967.
20. A Circlet of Oak Leaves. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus (1968)
21. The Witch's Brat. Illustrated by Richard Lebenson (1970)
22. The Truce of the Games. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus (1971)
23. Tristan and Iseult (1971)
    • Tristan and Iseult. 1971. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1974.
24. Heather, Oak, and Olive: Three Stories ["The Chief's Daughter", 1967; "A Circlet of Oak Leaves", 1968; "A Crown of Wild Olive", 1971]. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus (1972)
25. The Capricorn Bracelet: Six Stories. Illustrated by Charles Keeping & Richard Cuffari (1973)
26. The Changeling. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus (1974)
27. [with Margaret Lyford-Pike] We Lived in Drumfyvie (1975)
28. Blood Feud. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1976)
    • Blood Feud. 1976. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1978.
29. Sun Horse, Moon Horse. Illustrated by Shirley Felts (1977)
    • Sun Horse, Moon Horse. 1977. Decorations by Shirley Felts. Knight Books. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1982.
30. Shifting Sands. Illustrated by Laslzo Acs (1977)
31. Song for a Dark Queen (1978)
32. The Light Beyond the Forest. Illustrated by Shirley Felts (1979)
33. Three Legions [aka Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles (2010)] ["The Eagle of the Ninth", 1954; "The Silver Branch", 1957; "The Lantern Bearers", 1959] (1980)
    • Three Legions: The Eagle of the Ninth; The Silver Branch; The Lantern Bearers. 1954, 1957, 1959, 1980. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985.
34. Frontier Wolf (1980)
    • Frontier Wolf. 1980. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1984.
35. Eagle's Egg. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus (1981)
36. The Sword and the Circle. Illustrated by Shirley Felts (1981)
37. The Road to Camlann. Illustrated by Shirley Felts (1981)
38. Bonnie Dundee (1983)
    • Bonnie Dundee. 1983. Puffin Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985.
39. Flame-coloured Taffeta. Illustrated by Rachel Birkett (1986)
40. The Roundabout Horse. Illustrated by Alan Marks (1986)
41. A Little Dog Like You. Illustrated by Jane Johnson (1987)
42. The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff ["Warrior Scarlet", 1958; "The Mark of the Horse Lord", 1965; "Knight's Fee", 1960]. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1987)
    • The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff: Warrior Scarlet; The Mark of the Horse Lord; Knight's Fee. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 1958, 1965, 1960. London: Chancellor Press, 1987.
43. The Shining Company (1990)
44. The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup. Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (1993)
45. Black Ships Before Troy. Illustrated by Alan Lee (1993)
46. Chess-Dream in a Garden. Illustrated by Ralph Thompson (1993)
47. The Wanderings of Odysseus. Illustrated by Alan Lee (1995)
48. Sword Song (1997)
    • Sword Song. 1997. Red Fox Classics. London: Random House Children’s books, 2001.
49. King Arthur Stories: Three Books in One [aka The King Arthur Trilogy (2007)] ["The Sword and the Circle", 1981; "The Light Beyond the Forest", 1979; "The Road to Camlann", 1981] (1999)

Novels for adults:


50. Lady in Waiting (1957)
51. The Rider of the White Horse (1959)
    • The Rider of the White Horse. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1959.
52. Sword at Sunset (1963)
    • Sword at Sunset. London: The Book Club, 1963.
53. The Flowers of Adonis (1969)
    • The Flowers of Adonis. 1969. London: Hodder Paperbacks, 1971.
54. Blood and Sand (1987)
    • Blood and Sand. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1987.

Autobiography:


55. Blue Remembered Hills: A Recollection (1983)
    • Blue Remembered Hills: A Recollection. 1983. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984.

Non-fiction:


56. Houses and History. Illustrated by William Stobbs (1960)
57. Rudyard Kipling (1960)
58. Heroes and History. Illustrated by Charles Keeping (1965)
59. People of the Past: A Saxon Settler. Illustrated by John Lawrence (1965)

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Rosemary Sutcliff: Blue Remembered Hills (1983)

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