The Eagle's Prey

This was very interesting reading. The flow is there, not eneven and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient history.

Once again Scarrow pleases!!. Marco and Cato almost seem part of the family now that I have blasted through the first 5 books. Scarrow almost puts you in a time machine and...poof... You are now part of the secnd legion chasing the Druids and blue faced Britons led by Caraticus.

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. In this, the fifth book in the series Cato has recently been appointed as a centurion as reward for the services he and Macro have given to both the legate of their Legion and also the Emperor Cludius himself. It is Ad44 and Claudius is eager for Britain to be pacified and is commander in Britain, Plautius is clearly feeling the strain of trying to bring peace to the British tribes . . .

I don't know how Simon Scarrow does it, but this book continues to thrill in his great 'Eagle' Roman military adventure series. The brutality of campaign life and the consolidation of Roman control in Britian is brought to life so vividly in this story, and you find yourself unable to stop reading just to find out how the story ends. A brilliantly written, gripping, and entertaining novel. It's so hard to believe the two heroes, Macro and Cato, are fictional characters. Or perhaps they are so real because between them, they embody the Roman ideal! A 'must have' for Christmas!

Scarrow's characters ring true, as do his on and off duty activities. I'd read these to my Latin classes, except his legionaries talk like legionaries. Nevertheless, they are on my recommended list for students, and anyone interested in the Roman army. Cliched as it sounds, this is most assuredly a page-turner I didn't want to put down.