Sword at Sunset

By Rosemary Sutcliff

For fourteen centuries the story of Arthur was a legend, misted over by the tradition of romantic hero-tales. But Arthur was real - a man of towering strength, a dreamer and a warrior who actually lived, fought and died for his impossible dream.

In Sutcliffe's now legendary retelling, King Arthur is brought passionately to life.

This brilliant reconception of the Arthurian epic cuts through the familiar myths and tells the story of the real King Arthur: Artos the Bear, the mighty warrior-king who saved the last lights of Western civilization when the barbarian darkness descended in the fifth century. Artos here comes alive: bold and forceful in battle, warm and generous in friendship, tough in politics, shrewd in the strategy of war - and tender and tragically tormented in love. Out of the braiding of ancient legend, fresh research, soaring imagination and hypnotic narrative skill comes a novel that has richly earned its reputation as a classic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Release date: Dec 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9780857892447

Rosemary Sutcliff

Rosemary Sutcliff (1920-1992) wrote dozens of books for young readers, including her award-winning Roman Britain trilogy, The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, and The Lantern Bearers, which won the Carnegie Medal. The Eagle of the Ninth is now a major motion picture, The Eagle, directed by Kevin MacDonald and starring Channing Tatum. Born in Surrey, Sutcliff spent her childhood in Malta and on various other naval bases where her father was stationed. At a young age, she contracted Still's Disease, which confined her to a wheelchair for most of her life. Shortly before her death, she was named Commander of the British Empire (CBE) one of Britain's most prestigious honors. She died in West Sussex, England, in 1992.

Reviews for Sword at Sunset

[varielle_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a realistic account of the life of Arthur told from his perspective. Realistic in that is devoid of the magic, myths, and legends that surround his story, though superstitions abide. The politics of tribal infighting and Saxon depredations in post-Roman Britain are detailed as if they are current events. This is the best account of the life, loves and politics of Arthur (Artos the Bear) that I’ve come across.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In spite of being a huge Rosemary Sutcliff fan, and a lover of King Arthur stories, I didn't care for this book. I couldn't get past 50 pages. The first person narrative grated, the total unfamiliarity and complicated names didn't grab me. It is quite possible that it was not the right time in my life to attempt this read, so don't hold this comment against the book.

[louisnosko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

my favorite novel of Arthurian fiction

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The climax of Sutcliff's Roman Britain series, a longer, more adult story of Arthur as a Roman-British leader, generally well done but inevitably tragic. One variant --the role of Lancelot is taken by Bedivere, since Lancelot is alater French addition. Sutcliff accurately follows the theories current in her time about Arthur as a cavalry leader, thugh some later scholars have rejected them.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The fifth century is not always the easier time period to lose yourself in, but the writing of Rosemary Sutcliff is the exception. Her vivid imagination combined with great storytelling brings Artos the Bear to life. I will admit, I am not an avid reader of Arthurian tales. I do not have the details of the legend down-pat and would not know where Sutcliff takes artistic liberty. Probably the best part about Sword at Sunset is the personality of its hero, Artos the Bear. His complex character as a warrior and companion is crystal clear and believable, and dare I say, attractive? In times of battle all of his decisions are calculated and fair. I especially liked his reaction to Minnow's news that he must leave the company to marry a merchant's girl who is with child. I also liked his treatment of animals, particularly his taming of a fallen commander's wolfhound. The scenes of battle are appropriate and gut-wrenching. And speaking of gut-wrenching, the final betrayals by Bear's best friend and son are tragic.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favourite novel about King Arthur. It pretty much sums up the historical Arthur as of 1963, and I was swept into the story, which I had earlier known from the series of books by Howard Pyle, and "The Great Captains" by Henry Treece. I found Cerdic ap Vortigern an engaging villain, and haven't found any replacement for this novel in writings on the topic since. An apotheosis!First read in 1963, and lotsa dipping since.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is the sequel to the author's famous and wonderful Eagle of the Ninth trilogy. Although ostensibly written for a more adult audience, it is written in the same ageless and beautifully written style that can truly be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The narrative viewpoint changes from that of the Romans at the centre of the trilogy, to that of Artos (Arthur) the Romano-British leader fighting over several decades against the growing incursions of Saxon invaders, including Cerdic. Some of the classic elements of Arthurian myth are present, but this is very much a realistic and reasonably gritty historical novel (Sutcliff also wrote a more mythology-based trilogy on King Arthur). My only criticism would be that, at 500 pages, it is probably a bit too long, but with writing this good, it is a joy to read.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I didn't think I was going to like Sword at Sunset as much as I typically like Rosemary Sutcliff's books, even though it was surely combining two of my favourite things -- Sutcliff's writing and realism, and Arthurian myth. It began slowly, I think, and it was a surprising change of tone for Sutcliff -- her books are mainly written for children (of any age!), but this book had decidedly adult themes, with the incest and more explicit references to sexuality than I'd expected. It's also unusual for her in that it's written in first person, and narrated by Arthur himself.

It also, to my surprise, had a couple of LGBT themes -- a gay couple among Arthur's men, to begin with, and then the relationship between himself and Bedwyr. There's no Lancelot here, and Bedwyr takes that place in many ways, but with more of a shown relationship than I've ever found typical between Arthur and Lancelot. It brought tears to my eyes several times, especially this moment: "I could have cried out to him, as Jonathan to David, by the forbidden love names that are not used between men; I could have flung my arms around his shoulders."

There's nothing explicit about them, at all, but their bond has a profoundness about it, even after hurt and betrayal, that defies easy categorisation.

The relationship between Arthur and Guinevere is also an interesting one, and again one that makes no shortcuts using the existing myth, but builds up something believable alone. His relationship with her, the odd barriers between them, and the attempts to reach each other, and their love that isn't quite enough to bridge that gap... It's all believable.

The whole book takes some pains to be believable, emotionally, and historically. The themes, characters, etc, all seem to have some explanations for how the story could develop later... Bedwyr somewhat in the place that Lancelot takes later, Medraut almost exactly as he will be later, the moment in which Arthur realises how the badge he chooses for battle will be translated into that text which talks about him carrying the image of the Virgin Mary... And they're all aware of how the stories will be magnified, too. It's an interesting way to put it.

Oh, and I forgot to mention it when I first wrote this review, but I was fascinated by Gwalchmai, despite his relatively minor role. It's odd: he isn't related to Arthur (one of the constants of the Arthurian tradition more generally), and though he is a fighter, his main role is that of surgeon. He's also disabled. I don't think I've seen a portrayal of Gawain/Gwalchmai quite like this anywhere else.

It took me a while to get into Sword at Sunset, but it was worth trusting Rosemary Sutcliff and going with it.

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Arthurian legends and am always up for a retelling of most any kind, so I'm excited when I come across recommendations for good Arthurian stories. This one seems to be high on everyone's list of Arthur must-reads, but I found it entirely lackluster. Part of the fun in reading Arthur stories is in seeing how each writer interprets the myths, how she takes the story kernels from the legends and weaves her own tale around them. But naturally each reader will have her own favorite elements of the legends and will thus react poorly to a retelling which gives those elements short shrift. My lukewarm reaction to Sword at Sunset is at least somewhat in that vein. There's no Merlin here, hardly any magic, barely a hint of the workings of fate or destiny, no grail quest, and no sense that Arthur's rule is special or new or uniquely hopeful. While I don't feel a grand attachment to every one of those elements (I can usually do just fine without the grail quest, for instance), when you lose them all I start to wonder what makes this an Arthur story rather than just a story about some warrior-king in the Early Middle Ages. Sure there's the "moment of hate and sin seeding the downfall of a great man" plot (Morgan, Mordred, etc) that goes with Arthurian stories, but if Arthur isn't held up as special, why do we care so much? We would, I suppose, if the characters were entirely compelling in their own right, but Sutcliff's are not. This novel is often hailed as a good character study of Arthur (it's told from his point of view in the first person), but I didn't think the portrayal was particularly deft or enlightening or the story particularly well retold. In fact, the whole book felt a bit "stuff stuff battle Arthurian plot point stuff battle battle Arthurian plot point stuff stuff" to me. It also suffered from lack-of-map-itis, especially given the (not uncommon) use of Roman place names. Not a bad book, not at all, and certainly one that people with different expectations for an Arthur retelling might enjoy thoroughly. It would particularly appeal, I think, to readers who like the recent trend toward making Arthurian novels more historical and less legendy.