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The Eagle of the Ninth
- Narrated by: Charlie Simpson
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Categories: Children's Audiobooks, Action & Adventure
Non-member price: $17.42
Publisher's Summary
Marcus Flavius Aquila, a young centurion in Roman Britain, is forced into retirement after receiving a wound in his first major engagement against a rebel British tribe. It allows him the freedom to embark upon a dangerous mission to find out what happened to the Ninth Legion, which, years before, disappeared in the savage lands of the Picts. Will he find out what happened to the men, led by his father, who never returned? And will he recover the Eagle, the symbol of Roman dominance and power?
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
Critic Reviews
"Decades later, I can still hear echoes of The Eagle of the Ninth in my head: the chink of mail, the tired beat of the legionaries' feet." (The Independent)
"What a splendid story it is, compulsive reading!" (Junior Bookshelf)
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What listeners say about The Eagle of the Ninth
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Alison
- 10-02-2020
Brilliant story, wonderfully written and narrated.
Thoroughly recommended. enjoyable, gripping, good use of sound and superb narration. a book for every age group.
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- Sarah
- 09-08-2019
Well read
A great reader for a great story. Much enjoyed by the entire family (2 years to 45)
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- C. Liddiard
- 12-01-2011
Give it to us unabridged!
My rating is 3 stars because this is an abridged version and so Sutcliff's lyrical style is lost. She isn't one for fluff, unnecessary plot twists, excess conversation or needless explanatory narrative so the only thing to remove to shorten things up are her beautiful descriptions. The story and characters are up to her usual 5 star standards but after listening to unabridged versions of "The Silver Branch," "The Lantern Bearers," "The Shining Company," and "The Outcast," I knew something was wrong with this audio almost immediately. I should have looked closer because I never would have purchased an abridged version on purpose. Her books are not long enough to need to be abridged to make people read them.
33 people found this helpful
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- Cat
- 14-07-2011
Give us the Unabridged version, please
The abridged version strips out everything except action, and leaves us wondering about setting and interior dialogue. Come on, anyone who isn't familiar with the late Ms. Sutcliffe's uncluttered yet evocative prose, or who came to this story after seeing the (shudder) movie which was VERY loosely based on this book, would have little encouragement to try her other books. They just are not long enough in the original to justify this bowdlerized version. That said, if you don't have access to the print version, try this one anyway. Or another of her unabridged books to discover what you are missing.
21 people found this helpful
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- Eric
- 09-06-2007
Phenomenal!!!
The characters are not merely words on a page; they are people, with traits and flaws like any other people. The reader is transported back to Roman Britain more surely than in a time machine.
A must read, and a must love.
2 people found this helpful
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- Martihi
- 16-08-2009
Excellent Living Book
A basic understanding of the time period would be helpful to the listener. The first chapter was a bit hard for my 10 year old to grasp. After the 1st chapter the story takes off and never slows down. A great story about Rome's struggle to maintain its sprawling empire and one officer's struggle to find meaning in it all.
1 person found this helpful
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- N. Ludwig
- 14-12-2020
I remember this from my childhood
love it, the only criticism is the music between chapters but a good book nonetheless.
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- Mary K.
- 23-01-2020
A fine book that is enhanced by music between chapters and read with perfection
I have read this book before but so enjoyed having it read to me. It is an exciting and satisfying story, rich with history and description.
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- patrice morgan
- 16-01-2020
Awesome
This was amazing. There was nothing bad about this book. I recommend this book all the time.
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- Kindle Customer
- 11-01-2020
Mixed
i have lived Rosemary Sutcliffe for many many years and thought the narrator did a good job but what is with the music? Found it totally incongruous with the telling of the,story and very disruptive to the flow.
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- Cheryl G. Best
- 25-10-2019
Fantastic story, wonderfully read.
This book weaves an enthralling story of courage, friendship, and loyalty. The historical references, the relationships, and the adventure make this a great story for young boys, their fathers, and everyone else.
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- Joel Campbell
- 22-09-2018
LOVE IT!!!!!
This is an amazing book! I wish there was a sequel! Recommended by official book geek and book nerd
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- barbara
- 27-06-2011
Revisited
Although I read this book many years ago I found the audio version spellbinding. It is a great adventure story for any age but an iconic book of heroism for youngsters. As a teacher I read sections of it to classes over the years to encourage them to seek the book out once I returned it to the school library. I used to get wonderful feedback. With some trepidation I choose the audio verson so that I could enjoy having the book read to me on my long journeys. It was beautifully read with the magic of the times recaptured. I frequently found myself sitting in my car in car parks or even outside my own house unable to move until I heard the end of that chapter. I did find it frustrating not being able to call it up chapter by chapter as it appeared to be saved in large chunks which were difficult to navigate.
3 people found this helpful
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- Paula
- 17-12-2006
Totally terrific!
As soon as I saw this audiobook listed I snapped it up! I had first read the book over 30 years ago and it had a fond place in my memory, therefore I had always planned to read it again. I was delighted to see it listed on Audible and I was not disappointed.
The story is terrific - a real adventure with likeable characters and a real sense of history. The pace of the story is also very pleasing and the addition of some very pleasant music to punctuate the chapters is a nice touch.
This book was originally written for children/young teenagers and I was 11 when I first read it. Now in my 40s, I still found it a great story. And the narration was excellent too!
My favourite Audible download to date!
7 people found this helpful
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- Jean
- 03-05-2011
A classic brought to life
This would not have been a usual choice for me but having enjoyed the new film of this book - 'The Eagle' - I thought I would give this a try. So glad I did! Following the adventures of Marcus Aquila, the young Roman centurion who was injured on his first posting as a garrison commander and who then decided to search for eagle standard of his father's missing legion, I became completely absorbed in his quest. As he travels through the wilds north of Hadrian's Wall with his companion Esca, he comes to terms with his own injury and restores his father's good name. Simply written but with lovely evocative descriptions of the countryside, each chapter is separated by atmospheric music which is unusual but works beautifully. Recommend this as a good family listen.
2 people found this helpful
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- subangi+0404conepod
- 14-04-2011
Awesome
This was an awesome listen. Very entertaining and exciting. I enjoyed it very much. Highly recommended to everyone.
1 person found this helpful
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- B J Waters
- 02-04-2011
from Brian
I really enjoyed the book and when I heard that last sentence, I wondered if it was leaving a door open for a sequel seems as if the story was not over?
1 person found this helpful
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- Stephen
- 02-04-2011
The Ninth Eagle
Accidentally downloaded but decided to read the book and found it very entertaining I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the narration was fantastic
1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 01-04-2011
golden oldie
I still have the hardback copy of this book which I bought with my pocket money in the early sixtys plus a couple of other Rosemary Sutcliffe books about the same period. I have enjoyed listening to the audio of this story and will probably loan it to my Grandsons, I hope more of her books are added to the audio list.
1 person found this helpful
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- Eamon Honan
- 22-05-2019
A classic
A wonderful book and I enjoyed it as a man just as much as I loved it as a boy. The story is pacy, the characters, both protagonists and antagonists, are real breathing people. There are no cartoon villains here. The ancient world sings through every line and I could smell the woodsmoke and see the Roman camps and British villages. Fantastic.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-04-2019
young people's fiction
This is one of the best novels ever written for young people.. The final chapters with escape to safety behind the Wall and return south are full of suspense and 'cliff-hanger' moments. I first read this book soon after it was first published when I was a teacher and have read all Rosemary Sutcliffe's books. She had a great gift for re-creating a world so distant we have lost all connection with it. The only jarring note to me was the music at the chapter endings. Otherwise this was an enthralling and riveting story.
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- Russell Tomlinson
- 29-08-2017
As good as I remember
I remember reading this book as a child and it helped to ignite in me a love for historical fiction.The audio book helped me to relive that time again.A great story with excellent narration.
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