Product Description

Bestselling Simon Scarrow's brilliant adventure novels about the Roman army appear in B-format.

Trouble is brewing in Syria, on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire. With the troops in a deplorable state, centurions Macro and Cato are despatched to restore the competence of the cohort. But another challenge faces them as Bannus, a local tribesman, is brewing up trouble and preaching violent opposition to Rome.

As the local revolt grows in scale, Macro and Cato must stamp out corruption in the cohort and restore it to fighting fitness to quash Bannus – before the eastern provinces are lost to the Empire forever...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1445 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Review

'Simon Scarrow has developed a strong following... a former ancient history lecturer who knows his stuff, and brings the ancient world back to life with verve and plenty of action.'

About the Author
Simon Scarrow is a former teacher who now devotes himself to writing full time. He lives outside Norwich with his family.

Customer Reviews

The best one yet, without a doubt
It must be hard for a writer of a series to keep the standard up from one book to the next, yet alone improve it. But that's what Scarrow has achieved with this magnificent series of books. The Eagle in the Sand is set in the Roman province of Judaea, some years after THE crucifixion. The land is torn by civil strife and savage terrorist attacks, while the hapless Roman garrison struggles to keep a lid on it all - so not a million miles from today's Iraq in fact. And it's this shimmering between the two historical periods that makes the book rather more intelligent and thoughtful than most other historical fiction novels. That's not to say that Scarrow has dropped action and replaced it with speculation. Eagle in the Sands is as exciting and action packed as the pervious novels, I just don't know how he manages to combine the two aspects so effectively. But it works.
Macro and Cato arrive in the middle of this mess with orders to take command of a desert fort on the very fringe of the empire. Their task is to put down a local rebellion led by one of the followers of a certain nationalist rebel executed at the time of Pilate. This latest rebellion is being aided by the Parthians as part of the great game being played out between their empire and Rome to dominate the east.
A tough mission, and as ever a dangerous one. Macro and Cato are as engaging as ever and the setting is described so finely that you'll break out in a sweat as they trek through the desert, visit Petra and have a final showdown in the blood red sand dunes of Rhum.
So then, here I am stuck with waiting another year before the next book comes out... sigh.

First Rate
After a brief sojourn into the eighteenth century with the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon, Simon Scarrow is back to sorting out the problems of the Roman Empire with his two lead characters Cato and Macro. Cato was once Optio (something like the equivalent of a sergeant) to the Centurion macro, but they are now both centurions and have been through many encounters together. This has made them the closest of friends. Friendship that only standing side by side in battle can mould. Each would happily die for the other, though neither would admit it.

Both men have been sent on a mission to the Roman frontier, where trouble is brewing and the for once the troops seem to be in disarray. When they arrive a local revolt is beginning to grow in scale, with a local tribesman preaching violence and death against Rome

Macro and Cato must use their knowledge and expertise as centurions to stamp out the corruption in the cohort and get the men back to being a unified fighting force before the East Provinces are lost forever

I will read anything and everything about the Roman legions, be it fact or fiction so these books are like manna from heaven for me. Simon Scarrow's books are very authentic and an extremely enjoyable read.

superb!!!
Any fan of the Eagle Series will love this book!
It's fast paced, rip roaring ride around Judea. It must be one of the funniest of the series too, i couldnt finish it quick enough!
And for anyone who hasnt read Simons Eagle's all i can say is....why not!!!!
for any reader who likes historical fiction, read this series. you'll not regret it!