Simon Scarrow

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue February 8th, 2011, 6:34 am

I see that the first in Simon Scarrow's new YA Gladiator series is out already - the title is Fight for Freedom. Going for the teenage market marks a change of pace for Simon Scarrow, known for his adult Roman and Napoleonic War series. I'm recommending that the library gets on to buying a copy as soon as - I want to read it!

Apparently SS has dedicated Fight for Freedom to another one of my favourite authors, Rosemary Sutcliff- good one, Simon

aglawton · Post by **aglawton** » Tue February 8th, 2011, 12:15 pm

[quote=""annis""]I see that the first in Simon Scarrow's new YA Gladiator series is out already - the title is Fight for Freedom. Going for the teenage market marks a change of pace for Simon Scarrow, known for his adult Roman and Napoleonic War series. I'm recommending that the library gets on to buying a copy as soon as - I want to read it!

Apparently SS has dedicated Fight for Freedom to another one of my favourite authors, Rosemary Sutcliff- good one, Simon

[/quote]
He does and indeed 'good one Simon'; but unfortunately the dedication in the Puffin publication slipped past the proof-reader and spells Sutcliff wrongly, with an E! The dedication reads "For Rosemary Sutcliffe (sic) who has inspired so many of us to love history." Another won for what I call Sutcliff Spelling watch at http://www.rosemarysutcliff.com!

But it is the dedication which really matters, and that "impact on so many of us".

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue February 8th, 2011, 5:07 pm

Posted by aglawton

unfortunately the dedication in the Puffin publication slipped past the proof-reader and spells Sutcliff wrongly, with an E! The dedication reads "For Rosemary Sutcliffe (sic) who has inspired so many of us to love history." Another won for what I call Sutcliff Spelling watch at http://www.rosemarysutcliff.com!

Oh, that is a pity - and once a book's been published nothing can be done about mistakes like this which have slipped through.

Rosemary Sutcliff herself used the gladiator character several times - there was Pandarus in Silver Branch, and most famously Phaedrus in The Mark of the Horse Lord, which I think is one of her most powerful novels.
Discussion about MOTHL here:
http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... php?t=2484

aglawton · Post by **aglawton** » Wed February 9th, 2011, 2:22 pm

May I reproduce your post here, which kicks off this discussion thread, at http://www.rosemarysutcliff.com?

annis · Post by **annis** » Wed February 9th, 2011, 4:47 pm

Certainly, Anthony

And if anyone at your blog wants to add their thoughts about The Mark of the Horse Lord to the discussion here they are most welcome.

parthianbow · Post by **parthianbow** » Wed February 9th, 2011, 9:44 pm

Hi Anthony!

You might be interested in this link to the BBC, where Rosemary Sutcliff's surname is misspelt again! (And I remember when I did the same thing, only for you to remind me.

)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld ... UnhnEJkAAw

annis · Post by **annis** » Thu February 10th, 2011, 1:41 am

Blimey, fancy the Beeb getting it wrong

Impatience got the better of me- I've gone and ordered Fight For Freedom from BD. Sigh- no wonder I'm always broke!

annis · Post by **annis** » Fri February 18th, 2011, 7:17 am

Well, I've since received and read Fight for Freedom. It's an entertaining and lively adventure set around the Spartacus Rebellion of 73 BC and its aftermath. It's clearly aimed at boys aged 10 to 14, and perfectly pitched for the target readership. Scarrow wins kudos from me for the presentation - the print is clear and lines double-spaced. This has been proven to help boys who are reluctant or struggling readers and for the same reason the language is kept fairly simple without spoiling the pace and excitement of the story.

It's great to see an author making an effort to bring the joy of reading to this often overlooked group, yet underachieving boys are a major concern and deserve all of our encouragement. Boys need a male hero to identify with in fiction. Scarrow understands this and provides a sympathetic, believable one in young Marcus - he has the vulnerability of a boy, yet does his best to be brave and help his family without any superman-style heroics which no real boy could actually manage. There is an accompanying website with further information for readers who want to find out more. I'm guessing Simon Scarrow will pick up a loyal following of youngsters for this series. Bravo!

Gordopolis · Post by **Gordopolis** » Sun April 10th, 2011, 11:33 am

Plaudits to SS for this - I totally agree that there is a gap there to be filled for the YA market. And presenting an inspirational role model for this age group (okay apart from advocating the use of a sword

) can only be a good thing.

How does it read as an adult - still enjoyable?

annis · Post by **annis** » Sun April 10th, 2011, 7:05 pm

An enjoyable read, but definitely designed for a younger reader, so a bit simplistic for adult readers. I'd stick to the Cato & Macro books by choice

(Just finished Legion a short while ago and enjoyed it.)

Historical Fiction Online

Simon Scarrow

Simon Scarrow

Mark of the Horse Lord

Sounds good