Book review: The Eagle and the Raven by Pauline Gedge

Ten years ago, when I first read The Eagle and the Raven, I was awed by the scope and power of this story. Being a borrowed book, I vowed that someday I would find my own copy and read it again. At the time, I was fully entrenched in what I call 'my Celtic thing' back in the early 90's, and chewed through enough reference material to make your head burst from all the knotwork.

This book is 'historical fiction' about the Roman conquest of Britain, seen through the eyes of various chieftains, and ending with Boudicca, the Queen of the Iceni. Most of the dust jackets and press that has been written about this book focus completely on her, but in reality, only about a quarter of the book is from her point of view.

I will try not to spoil the ending, but the last climactic battle is worth the 900 pages of story. Makes me want to go beat some Romans. In fact, ten years ago, after the first read, I was so moved that I went out and bought Iceni coins to show my support for the Boudiccan Revolution.

The character development of the chieftains, warriors and tribes ( like the Catuvellauni and the Iceni ) along with the sprawling plot make this book a MUST READ for anyone interested in the roots of Celticism, British History or Roman influence.

Pauline Gedge certainly tweaks a few of the names and possibilities, but overall does a great job of telling this story. She makes the chieftains seem very real, and her good use of drama helps move the story along during the slower parts.

It appears to be back in print now, which is good. I had to scour used bookstores for ten years to find this copy. No, you can't borrow it. Get your own.