Britannia – Roman Britain, AD 52. The western tribes prepare to make a stand. But can they match the discipline and courage of the legionaries? Wounded Centurion Macro remains behind in charge of the fort as Prefect Cato leads an invasion deep into the hills. Cato’s mission: to cement Rome’s triumph over the natives by crushing the Druid stronghold. But with winter drawing in, the terrain is barely passable through icy rain and snowstorms.

Macro and Cato each face deadly battles against enemies who would rather die than succumb to Roman rule. The future of Britannia hangs in the balance. The Roman army are made aware of Boudica leading a rebellion, where thousands of rebels are joining her to rid the country of the invading Romans. Brothers in Blood – The Roman Empire’s conquest of Britannia is under threat from within. Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro must uncover a traitor to prevent unthinkable defeat. A messenger on the streets of Rome has been intercepted and tortured, revealing a plot to sabotage the Roman army’s campaign against Caratacus. Unwarned, Cato and Macro are with the Roman army pursuing Caratacus and his men through the mountains of Britannia. Defeating Caratacus finally seems within their grasp. Day of the Caesars – The Emperor Claudius is dead. Nero rules. His half-brother Britannicus has also laid claim to the throne. A bloody power struggle is underway. All Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro want is a simple army life, fighting with their brave and loyal men. But Cato has caught the eye of rival factions determined to get him on their side. To survive, Cato must play a cunning game, and enlist the help of the one man in the Empire he can trust: Macro. Young Bloods (2006) – As two mighty Empires embark on a bloody duel, Arthur Wesley (the future Duke of Wellington) and Napoleon Bonaparte prepare to face a sworn enemy, unaware that the fate of Europe will one day lie in their hands…

How to read Simon Scarrow’s Books in Order?

The first book, Under the Eagle, concerns the induction of Cato, his transition from imperial slave to optio (junior officer) and the lifelong friendship he forges with Centurion Macro. It would be fair to say that it is a blood thirsty book, but then you have to remember the times and the people the Romans were fighting, the battles scenes are described in glorious detail, you can feel each sword and axe stroke being taken, again the writing gives you a sense of what was endured Bound together more by their hatred of Rome than anything else, the rebel tribes take brutal and bloody revenge on the Roman settlements they pass through. Whipped up into a religious frenzy by their Druids, their treatment of prisoners is especially cruel and merciless. Those who are squeamish may wish to skip a couple of the scenes. Praetorian – The city of Rome in AD 50 is a dangerous place. Treachery lurks on every corner, and a shadowy Republican movement, ‘the Liberators’, has spread its tentacles wide. It is feared that the heart of the latest plot lies in the ranks of the Praetorian Guard. Uncertain of whom he can trust, the Imperial Secretary Narcissus summons to Rome Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro. Tasked with infiltrating the Guard, Cato and Macro face a daunting test to win the trust of their fellow soldiers.

Rebellion– AD 60. Britannia is in turmoil. The rebel leader Boudica has tasted victory, against a force of tough veterans in Camulodunum. Alerted to the rapidly spreading uprising, Governor Suetonius leads his army towards endangered Londinium with a mounted escort, led by Prefect Cato. Soon it’s terrifyingly clear that Britannia is slipping into chaos and panic, with ever more tribal warriors swelling Boudica’s ranks. And Cato and Suetonius are grimly aware that little preparation has been made to withstand a full-scale rebellion. The Eagle in the Sand Audiobook | Simon Scarrow | Audible.co.uk". Audible . Retrieved 4 January 2020. Scarrow has also stated that whilst initially he only planned to write around ten novels in the series this has since changed to 25. Scarrow also hinted at two potential endings for Eagles of the Empire. One being Cato and Macro facing each other on alternate sides of a battle during the Year of four Emperors, AD 69 resulting in the death of one of them. The other being their retirement in AD 69 in Pompeii. [69] This has significance due to the supporting and reoccurring characters through the series, Vespasian becoming Emperor at the end of that year. Facing disaster, Cato prepares his next move. Dare he hope that Macro - battle-scarred and fearless - has escaped the bloodthirsty rebels? For there is only one man Cato trusts by his side as he faces the military campaign of his life. And the future of the Empire in Britannia hangs in the balance. I was happy to catch up with Cato and Marco, felt for them and hope to read soon their new story as the aftermath of the rebellion won’t be easy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Because of his palace upbringing, Cato is well-read, often portrayed as more cerebral and forward-thinking than Macro. Macro is dismissive of this at first, but eventually comes to respect Cato's talent for thinking ahead and seeing "the big picture." For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane - unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other. Simon Scarrow really makes you care about his characters, over the course of the book and indeed the series you get to know them as real people, it is evident as your Rebellion of the bond and friendship that Cato and Marco share. Fair to say that all the characters within the book come at you in a way that you sense who they are, I particularly enjoy the way that Boudica is portrayed Fire and Sword (2009) – 1804. Napoleon Bonaparte is Emperor of France, his ultimate aim: to rule Europe. After defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar, he wins a glorious victory against Austria at Austerlitz. He then deposes the Spanish king and places his own brother on the throne. But he is yet to triumph over his most hated enemy: Great Britain. Alerted to the rapidly spreading uprising, Governor Suetonius leads his army towards endangered Londinium with a mounted escort, led by Prefect Cato. Soon it's terrifyingly clear that Britannia is slipping into chaos and panic, with ever more tribal warriors swelling Boudica's ranks. And Cato and Suetonius are grimly aware that little preparation has been made to withstand a full-scale rebellion.

Boudica’s rebellion is described in a lot of books but I think this one that describe is it could have been. It was gory, violent, sometime very cruel insurrection, a sort of guerrilla that nearly defeated Rome. Barbarian (2012) – It is AD 41. The savage Gaul Britomaris has defeated the best of the Roman gladiators in the arena. Now a young volunteer, Marcus Valerius Pavo, the son of a murdered general, has been given a month to prepare to face Britomaris in a fight in which only one man can survive. He is to be trained by veteran soldier Macro, who fears for his young trainee’s chances. Full of non stop action and vicious battles, and it all leads to the final nail biting heart pounding battle with Queen Boudica’s rebel army. Claudius: Emperor of Rome, portrayed in The Eagle's Conquest and Praetorian as a forgetful, half-witted buffoon. As the streets run red with blood, the army's heroes face an enemy as merciless and cunning as any barbarian tribe. The honour of Rome is in their hands ...

The Cato and Macro / Eagles of the Empire Series in Order (22 Books)

You are also treated to the inner workings of the Roman Army and the thought processes involved, you see a sense of forlorn hoplesness and foreboding of what is to come within the Romans, afterall they are facing an army in the thousands