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Title: Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem ISBN: 1-59071-011-8 Publisher: Rugged Land Pub. Date: 23 June, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.42 (19 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Orgin of Pressfield's Gates of Fire?
Comment: It is quite telling that this reprinting of Wallace Breem's 1970 novel "Eagle in the Snow" has a forward by Steven Pressfield, author of the best selling novel, "Gates of Fire." Because upon reading "Eagle in the Snow," it's very evident that this is where Pressfield got the idea of his novel being narrated by the sole survivor of a lost battle retelling his story for an audience. It is little wonder that Pressfield is so praiseworthy in the forward because "borrowing" the narrative format from "Eagle in the Snow" helped make him a very wealthy man.
Breem has an eye for detail in some matters, but not in others. For instance, he gives few details on how these people looked like. How are these barbarians dressed and what do they use for armor and weapons? Do these early 5th century Roman legionnaires look anything like the 1st century Legionnaires shown on the cover of the book? (The cover of this reprint was obviously designed to attract fans of the movie "Gladiator." It also helps that the main character is a Roman general named "Maximus." Did "Gladiator's" screenplay writers read this book?") I would have really appreciated more detail on arms and equipment, but Breem gives very little. Also, I was curious why Breem didn't even bother giving a name to one of the few female characters in the story- she's just "Rando's daughter" or "the girl."
Where Breem does give detail is on the personalities of various characters- ruthless, opportunistic barbarian kings; cowardly, venal civilian authorities; and proud, professional Roman soldiers. (Breem, a former British Army officer, does not hide his sympathies.)
Breem also goes into great detail on the tactical and operational situation facing his Roman general. With too few troops, Maximus must defend a 50 mile stretch of the Rhine River against a threatened mass migration of Germanic barbarians. How Maximus keeps these tribes ignorant as to his weakness through subterfuge and diplomacy while at the same time maximizing his own tactical abilities to keep them off-balance is the crux of the novel. Meanwhile, he must also combat apathetic and pessimistic civilian authorities for his supplies and, above all, reinforcements. It is a very tenuous situation, but Maximus does have one huge ally- the Rhine River, deep and wide, it is an almost impregnable, naturally-made barrier to invasion. But, if the upcoming winter is exceptionally cold then the Rhine could become his greatest enemy....
Overall, if one can stick through the rather weak beginning then "Eagle in the Snow" becomes a very engrossing read. How Maximus deals with the challeges of a very difficult military situation is gripping.
Rating: 5
Summary: A genuine epic
Comment: Breem's novel about the collapse of the Roman Empire's frontier on the Rhine in the early 5th century AD is a genuinely epic story. It should be reissued - especially given the market for intelligent, complex and sweeping historical drama revealed by the success of the movie 'Gladiator'. Breem delivers a grim, exciting story centred on the finely drawn character of the narrator Maximus, a Roman commander in Britain who is called to defend the Rhine frontier against increasingly desperate Germanic tribes. The historical background is accurate and is filled in deftly - no reader can fail to learn a lot while being swept along by the story. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the novel is the overwhelming sense of melancholy and foreboding that builds up as more and more details accumulate to show the decay of the Roman Empire - such as the rusty armour of the troops on Hadrian's Wall, who have neglected their military skills in favour of growing food. Breem conveys a magnificent picture of a whole civilisation, which thinks itself invincible, beginning its final slide towards a long period of fragmentation and military collapse.
Rating: 5
Summary: Quite a book!!
Comment: An excellent work. Told in the first person, this is significantly different from "Gates of Fire". The heroism is of a different variety. The tone is grim from the beginning. It is, after all, a part of the story of the end of Rome. I found Maximus, the storyteller, to be a compelling figure. The historical context seems to be accurate and the story is skillfully told, particularly the overall mood of the book and the descriptions of the battles. Might appeal more to males.
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Title: Legion by William Altimari ISBN: 0972872604 Publisher: Imperium Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Last King: Rome's Greatest Enemy by Michael Curtis Ford ISBN: 0312275390 Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Pub. Date: 15 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: When the Eagle Hunts by Simon Scarrow ISBN: 0312305354 Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Eagle's Conquest: A Novel by Simon Scarrow ISBN: 0312305338 Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Legate's Daughter by Wallace Breem ISBN: 1590710193 Publisher: Rugged Land Pub. Date: 21 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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