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The Eagle in the Sand is another Scarrow classic, that blends murky political manoeuvring , with balls out action that throws you into the heart of Roman warfare. The easy friendship of his protagonists grows ever deeper, extending the father and son dynamic. All the more reinforced when Macro is given the prefecture at the fort of Bushir and is set the task of cleaning up the corruption spread by Prefect Scrofa and Centurio Posthumous. Corruption that has deliberately lead to the incitement of all out rebellion. Faced with combating the threat from Bannus, a surviving follower of the Messiah Jehoshua, Macro and Cato find themselves for the first time besieged and on the receiving end of an all out assault by the Judaean rebels and their Parthian allies. With the Governor of Syria implicated in the plotting, our two heroes are on their own, with only Symeon, of one of Bannus old friends, offering a possible lifeline that will embroil the two in the politics of the Kingdom of Nabataea. This epic adventure carries them on a journey from Jerusalem, to the Dead Sea, through the wilderness of Judeaea, to the defence of Bushir and ultimately the glory that is Petra. Scarrow deftly weaves the history of the early Christian church into a political morass that teeters on the outbreak of war. As with much of Roman history, the situation seems all too modern. You can almost imagine the news crews on the ground. You can certainly relate to Cato’s feelings of helplessness at being unable to prevent, and in many ways understand, why Bannus will never cease to fight, even at the cost of the lives of his own people. The sights, and particularly the sounds of the Empire are caught with perfection, but never overburdened by facts and figures. Scarrow quickly, and succinctly, sketches the Eastern Empire in terms that are accessible to the non-historian, and gets down to the nitty gritty of telling a damn good story. Along with Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow is adept in presenting the rush , the confusion , the incredible violence and the pain of ancient combat. He perfectly captures the voices of real people living in an amazing, and utterly foreign place for most of us - the past. But we don’t find them bizarre or different, they are recognisable - they get angry, they get greedy, they get scared, they laugh and they love - so much so that you feel you could reach out and touch them, talk to them. That is the real achievement and the magic of the Eagle series. If you aren’t in the mood for actually donning a Lorica and joining the ranks, putting your life on the line for the Emperor, the Senate and the people, then this is the next best thing. Long may Macro and Cato march. There are many enemies to still face, and old acquaintances, good and bad, to meet again, and Macro still has to make it to the fleshpots of Syria… Gary Marshall August 2006
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