Book Reviews,  Europe,  FICTION,  History,  Middle Ages,  Prize Winner

The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff ** (of 4)

Lantern_Bearers_coverIt is the middle of the fifth century, though you would have to know that on your own, as there is no indication in the book, and the Roman Empire is coming to an end.  For Rome the benefit of maintaining its long-term occupation of Great Britain is no longer worth the cost and it withdraws its forces.  Aquila, an 18-year-old Roman soldier, having lived his entire life in Britain deserts the Roman army only to be instantly subdued by the first invasion of  Saxons.  In this book, Saxons are brutish vikings, and despite the fact they are to become the forebears of the Anglo-Saxons of Great Britain, they are described as not much more than seafaring guerillas.  Written ostensibly as a children’s book in 1959, and winner of many awards, now more than half a century later, The Lantern Bearers can be difficult to penetrate.  It presumes mastery of mid-century British language interspersed with working knowledge of early British history.  As historical fiction runs, this one is not all bad, but by today’s standards the characters are thin and the plot more than a little contrived.