Simon Scarrow is one of Britain’s most prolific and consistently entertaining historical fiction authors, best known for the Eagles of the Empire series, which follows Roman soldiers Cato and Macro across 24 novels and counting. With over 4 million copies sold in English alone and Sunday Times No.1 bestseller status, he has built one of the most devoted readerships in the genre.
What makes Scarrow stand out is his combination of rigorous historical research and propulsive, character-driven storytelling. His books are not slow-burn literary fiction. They are fast, bloody, and addictive, with two central characters whose friendship and banter across nearly a quarter-century of novels has earned genuine affection from readers. If you enjoy Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe or Uhtred books and want something with a similar rhythm but set in ancient Rome, Scarrow is your writer.
Beyond Rome, Scarrow has demonstrated impressive range: a quartet covering Wellington and Napoleon across the Napoleonic Wars, a Berlin noir series set in Nazi Germany, standalone novels about the Great Siege of Malta and wartime Greece, and co-written novellas covering gladiators, Roman pirates, and the invasion of Britain. There is a great deal to explore here.
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About Simon Scarrow
Early Life and Background
Simon Scarrow was born on 3 October 1962 in Lagos, Nigeria, and spent much of his childhood moving between countries before his family settled in Britain. That itinerant upbringing, moving through different cultures and histories, helped spark a lifelong fascination with the past. At school he gravitated toward history and Latin, drawn to ancient campaigns and the gritty reality of Roman military life.
After school he completed a master’s degree at the University of East Anglia, working at the Inland Revenue to fund his studies along the way. He then went into teaching, working as a lecturer first at East Norfolk Sixth Form College and then at City College Norwich.
Writing Career
Scarrow began writing seriously while still teaching, channelling his love of Roman history into the first Cato and Macro novel. Under the Eagle was published in 2000 and introduced two of the most popular recurring characters in British historical fiction: the grizzled veteran Macro and the young, intellectually gifted Cato. The series was an immediate success, and Scarrow has published at least one Eagles of the Empire novel almost every year since.
He became a full-time writer around 2005, by which point the series was firmly established on the bestseller lists. Over the following two decades he expanded his output significantly, launching the Revolution Quartet about Wellington and Napoleon, the Berlin-set Criminal Inspector Schenke thrillers, and several co-written novella series. Tyrant of Rome, the 24th Eagles of the Empire novel, was published in November 2025, with a 25th book anticipated.
Scarrow has cited his time in the Officer Training Corps as an influence on his grounded, unglamorous depictions of military life, alongside his great Latin teachers and the swords-and-sandals epics he watched growing up in the 1970s, including the BBC’s I, Claudius. In 2006 he was appointed Writer in Residence at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. He lives in Norfolk with his wife, in a house that, fittingly, stands on ground once colonised by Rome.
Writing Style and Approach
Scarrow writes with pace and clarity. His prose is unshowy but precise, and he has a particular talent for the rhythm of military action, making battles and skirmishes feel both chaotic and comprehensible at once. The Cato and Macro novels follow a pleasingly consistent formula: a new posting, a new antagonist, political intrigue from above and dangers from below, and a climax that leaves both men battered but alive for the next book.
What elevates the series above formula is the relationship at its core. Macro and Cato are one of historical fiction’s great double acts, their contrasting personalities (Macro blunt, experienced, instinctive; Cato bookish, analytical, always slightly out of place) generating both comic friction and genuine emotional resonance. Readers who persist beyond the first few books will find that Scarrow rewards long-term investment, with character development that accumulates meaningfully across the series.
His historical research is thorough without being overbearing. He integrates real figures, including Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, and Boudica, into his narratives with confidence, and the geographical sweep of the series, covering Britain, Gaul, Rome, the eastern provinces, Egypt, Judaea, and Hispania, gives readers a comprehensive picture of the Roman Empire at its first-century height.
Eagles of the Empire Series
The Eagles of the Empire series is Simon Scarrow’s masterwork and one of the longest-running series in British historical fiction. Beginning in AD 42 under Emperor Claudius and currently reaching into the reign of Nero, it follows Quintus Licinius Cato and Lucius Cornelius Macro through campaigns, conspiracies, and crises across the breadth of the Roman world.
Setting: The Roman Empire, primarily AD 42 onwards Number of books: 24 (ongoing) Main characters: Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro
Cato begins the series as a teenager, born a slave in the Imperial Palace and given his freedom as a favour from Claudius to his late father. He joins the Eagles as Macro’s Optio (junior officer), inexperienced and slightly bookish, but with a sharp mind that will carry him far. Macro is a centurion with nearly fifteen years of service behind him, rough, loyal, and superbly competent in a fight. Their friendship, forged in blood and maintained across campaigns from Britain to Babylon, is the beating heart of the series.
Reading Order: Eagles of the Empire
- Under the Eagle (2000) – AD 42, Germania and Britain. Cato joins the Second Legion as Macro’s Optio, and the two are swept into an invasion of Britain and a conspiracy threatening the Emperor himself. The essential starting point.
- The Eagle’s Conquest (2001) – AD 43, Britain. The Roman invasion continues as Claudius arrives to claim personal triumph. Macro and Cato face treachery within the legions.
- When the Eagle Hunts (2002) – AD 44, Britain. General Plautius’s wife and children are taken hostage by Druids. A rescue mission takes Cato and Macro deep into enemy territory.
- The Eagle and the Wolves (2003) – AD 44, Britain. Newly promoted Cato must train tribal levies into a fighting force while open revolt brews among the Atrebates.
- The Eagle’s Prey (2004) – AD 44, Britain. A devastating defeat leaves the Second Legion facing a terrible choice, and Cato and Macro are caught between loyalty and survival.
- The Eagle’s Prophecy (2005) – AD 45, the Adriatic. Cato and Macro are detailed to recover a stolen set of scrolls from Mediterranean pirates in an adventure that takes them far from the British front.
- The Eagle in the Sand (2006) – AD 46, Judaea. Also published in the US as The Zealot. The two soldiers are sent east to suppress a growing rebellion among the followers of a crucified prophet named Jehoshua.
- Centurion (2007) – AD 46, Palmyra. Political tensions on Rome’s eastern frontier draw Cato and Macro into a conflict with the Parthian Empire.
- The Gladiator (2009) – AD 48, Crete. Shipwrecked on their return from Palmyra, Cato and Macro find themselves caught up in a slave revolt on the island.
- The Legion (2010) – AD 49, Egypt. Sent to restore order in a troubled province, the two veterans navigate factional intrigue in Alexandria while Macro receives a temporary promotion.
- Praetorian (2011) – AD 51, Rome. The most dangerous assignment yet: going undercover in Rome itself to root out traitors threatening to plunge the Empire into civil war.
- The Blood Crows (2013) – AD 51, Britain. Back in Britain, Cato takes command of auxiliary forces on the western frontier as the tribes prepare to strike.
- Brothers in Blood (2013) – AD 51, Britain. The campaign continues as Cato’s irregular forces face enemies on multiple fronts while political machinations threaten from Rome.
- Britannia (2015) – AD 52, Britain. The western tribes make their stand, and Cato and Macro face their fiercest challenge on British soil.
- Invictus (2016) – AD 54, the Empire. Claudius is dead and Nero rules. Cato and Macro must navigate a changed and more dangerous political landscape from the Mediterranean to Hispania.
- Day of the Caesars (2017) – AD 54, Rome and Britain. Nero’s half-brother claims the throne and civil war threatens. The two soldiers are drawn into the power struggle at the heart of the Empire.
- The Blood of Rome (2018) – AD 55, the eastern frontier. Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro return to the eastern provinces as trouble brews on the Parthian border.
- Traitors of Rome (2019) – AD 56, the east. Still on the eastern frontier, Cato and Macro must identify traitors within their own ranks before the campaign is destroyed from within.
- The Emperor’s Exile (2020) – AD 57, Rome and Sardinia. When Emperor Nero exiles his mistress, Cato is sent to escort her to an island that proves far more dangerous than it appears.
- The Honour of Rome (2021) – AD 58, Britain. A new posting brings old enemies as Britain’s tribes continue their resistance against Roman rule.
- Death to the Emperor (2022) – AD 59, Rome. An assassination plot targets Nero himself, and Cato and Macro are at the centre of a conspiracy that could bring down the Empire.
- Rebellion (2023) – AD 60, Britain. Boudica’s uprising begins, and Cato and Macro face the most dangerous revolt in the history of Roman Britain.
- Revenge of Rome (2024) – AD 60-61, Britain. The Boudican revolt reaches its bloody climax in one of Roman Britain’s most decisive moments.
- Tyrant of Rome (2025) – AD 63, Rome. Under Nero’s increasingly volatile rule, Cato is appointed to command the Urban Cohorts with Macro at his side, facing riots, conspiracies, and a ruler who tolerates no dissent.
Box sets available: The series is available in multi-book box sets on Amazon, making it an excellent value purchase for new readers.
The Revolution Quartet
The Revolution Quartet is a significant departure from ancient Rome, following Wellington and Napoleon from their youth in 1769 through the great campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. Scarrow gives equal weight to both figures, tracing their parallel rise from obscure origins to command of the armies that would fight each other across Europe.
Setting: Europe, 1769 to 1815 Number of books: 4 (complete)
Reading Order: Revolution Quartet
- Young Bloods (2006) – 1769 to 1795. The parallel stories of young Napoleon Bonaparte in Corsica and young Arthur Wellesley in Ireland, tracing their early lives and first military experiences. An unusual dual-biography in fiction form.
- The Generals (2007) – 1796 to 1806. Both men have risen to command. Napoleon sweeps through Italy and Egypt while Wellington campaigns in India. Their paths have not yet crossed directly, but the collision is coming.
- Fire and Sword (2009) – 1806 to 1809. Napoleon is at the height of his power, master of Europe. Wellington fights a grinding campaign in the Peninsula while Bonaparte reshapes the continent through conquest.
- The Fields of Death (2010) – 1810 to 1815. The final reckoning. From the Peninsula War to Waterloo, the two great commanders move toward their inevitable confrontation in one of history’s most dramatic showdowns.
The Revolution Quartet is an excellent choice for readers who enjoy the Eagles of the Empire series but want something beyond ancient Rome. It shares the same qualities of accessible, well-researched military fiction while covering one of history’s most dramatic periods.
Criminal Inspector Schenke Series
The Criminal Inspector Schenke series is Scarrow’s most recent and perhaps most surprising work, a Berlin noir trilogy set in Nazi Germany. It follows Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke, a detective who is not a Nazi Party member and must navigate the terrifying political landscape of the Third Reich while trying to solve ordinary crimes in an entirely unordinary state.
Setting: Berlin, 1939 to 1940 Number of books: 3 (ongoing)
The series was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick (Autumn 2021 for Blackout) and shows Scarrow successfully extending his range from ancient and Napoleonic history into the twentieth century. The central tension, Schenke doing his job while hiding his contempt for the regime and protecting a relationship with a Jewish woman, gives the books a moral depth that complements the thriller plotting.
Reading Order: Criminal Inspector Schenke
- Blackout (2021) – Berlin, December 1939. A young woman is found murdered in the blackout. Schenke, untrusted by his superiors for his failure to join the Nazi Party, must solve the case while walking a razor’s edge between duty and survival.
- Dead of Night (2023) – Berlin, 1940. An SS doctor is found dead in what looks like suicide. Schenke is told not to investigate. He investigates. The trail leads to a sinister clinic and a secret that the regime will kill to protect.
- A Death in Berlin (2025) – Spring 1940. A nightclub owner is gunned down in an alley, and the killing is the opening shot in a brutal gang war for control of Berlin’s criminal underworld. Schenke must work the case while powerful interests on both sides want him to stay away.
Standalone Novels
The Sword and the Scimitar (2012)
Set during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, when the Knights of St John faced an Ottoman force that vastly outnumbered them. This is an epic standalone that showcases Scarrow’s ability to bring a major but under-fictionalised historical conflict to life. Essential reading for fans of military historical fiction who have exhausted the main series.
Hearts of Stone (2015)
A departure into the Second World War, set on the Greek island of Lefkas during the Nazi occupation. A quieter, more intimate novel than the Roman or Napoleonic books, focused on civilian survival and moral compromise under occupation.
Co-Written Series
Scarrow has collaborated with T.J. Andrews on several novella series set in ancient Rome, all of which work as companions or prequels to the Eagles of the Empire world:
- Roman Arena (5 novellas) – Introduces Pavo, a novice gladiator, alongside an earlier appearance by Macro. Prequel material for Eagles readers.
- Invader (5 novellas) – Set in Roman Britain, AD 44, covering the frontier war from a different perspective.
- Pirata (5 novellas) – Set in the Roman Mediterranean, following a pirate crew.
- Warrior (5 novellas) – Follows Caratacus, the British war leader who opposes the Roman invasion, from the opposing side.
These series are best treated as additional reading for devoted Eagles fans rather than essential starting points. They are available primarily as ebooks.
Where to Start with Simon Scarrow
Best First Book
Recommendation: Under the Eagle (Eagles of the Empire, Book 1)
This is the obvious starting point and the right one. It introduces Cato and Macro with energy and efficiency, establishes the world and the dynamic between the two leads, and ends on a note that makes reading the next book feel compulsory. Scarrow’s prose hits its stride quickly and the Roman Britain setting is immediately immersive.
If You Want…
Non-stop military action: Start with Under the Eagle and read straight through the Eagles series.
Something different from Rome: Start with Young Bloods for the Wellington and Napoleon story, or Blackout for the Berlin noir experience.
A complete, self-contained story: The Sword and the Scimitar works perfectly as a standalone and is an excellent introduction to Scarrow’s research and pacing without committing to a long series.
The best of the Eagles series: Many readers single out Praetorian (Book 11) and Rebellion (Book 22) as series high points, but these should not be read in isolation.
Books by Time Period
Ancient Rome (AD 42 onwards)
- Eagles of the Empire series (Books 1-24)
- Roman Arena novellas (with T.J. Andrews)
- Invader novellas (with T.J. Andrews)
- Warrior novellas (with T.J. Andrews)
- Pirata novellas (with T.J. Andrews)
Explore more: Ancient World Historical Fiction | Best Ancient Rome Historical Fiction
Medieval (1565)
- The Sword and the Scimitar (Great Siege of Malta)
Napoleonic Wars (1769-1815)
- Revolution Quartet (Books 1-4)
World War II (1939-1945)
- Criminal Inspector Schenke series (Books 1-3)
- Hearts of Stone (standalone)
Explore more: World War II Historical Fiction
Eagles of the Empire in Depth
The Eagles of the Empire series is remarkable not just for its length but for its consistency. Over 24 books and 25 years, Scarrow has maintained the quality and pace of the series without the fatigue that often afflicts very long-running series. Part of this is structural: each novel is largely self-contained, with Cato and Macro sent to a new location and confronting a new crisis, while the longer arcs of Roman politics and the two men’s careers develop more slowly in the background.
The series is especially strong on the experience of ordinary soldiers in the Roman army. Scarrow writes about military hierarchy, the daily grind of camp life, the logistics of campaigns, and the culture of the legions with the kind of specific, unglamorous detail that brings the past alive. His Macro is one of fiction’s great career soldiers: tough, loyal, occasionally obtuse, deeply decent in a world that does not reward decency.
Cato’s arc across the series is one of its quiet pleasures. He begins as an obvious fish out of water, a freed slave trying to prove himself in a world of professional soldiers, and develops through the books into a formidable officer who has earned every promotion. The friendship between the two men deepens naturally, shaped by shared danger and mutual respect, and it gives the series an emotional core that pure action fiction rarely achieves.
Perfect for readers who love: Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories or Sharpe series, Conn Iggulden’s Emperor series, Ben Kane’s Roman fiction, fast-paced military historical fiction.
Awards and Recognition
- Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller (multiple entries)
- III Barcino International Historical Novel Award
- Barcelona Prize for Historical Fiction
- Blackout selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club (Autumn 2021)
- Over 4 million copies sold in the Eagles of the Empire series in English alone
Latest Release and Upcoming Books
Latest Release
Tyrant of Rome (Eagles of the Empire, Book 24) – Published November 2025
AD 63. Appointed to command the Urban Cohorts under Emperor Nero’s volatile rule, Cato brings Macro in as his right hand. Together they must face riots, conspiracies, and a ruler who grows ever more paranoid and dangerous.
Upcoming
Scarrow has indicated plans to write approximately 25 Eagles of the Empire novels in total, suggesting at least one further entry in the series is anticipated. No confirmed publication date for Book 25 has been announced as of early 2026.
Similar Authors You’ll Enjoy
If you enjoy Simon Scarrow’s work, these authors offer closely comparable reading experiences:
- Bernard Cornwell – The closest parallel in the genre. Cornwell’s Saxon Stories (Uhtred) and Sharpe series share Scarrow’s formula of a recurring soldier protagonist, fast military action, and meticulous historical research. Cornwell is the master of the form.
- Conn Iggulden – The Emperor series covering Julius Caesar and the Conqueror series covering Genghis Khan. Iggulden is more willing to embellish history but writes with a similar energy.
- Ben Kane – Roman military fiction with strong research credentials. Kane’s Hannibal and Eagles of Rome series are natural next reads after Scarrow.
- Giles Kristian – More literary than Scarrow but shares the commitment to immersive, research-driven military fiction. His Raven series is a Viking alternative to the Eagles books.
- Steven Pressfield – Gates of Fire about Thermopylae and Tides of War about the Peloponnesian War offer Greek ancient world military fiction at its finest.
- Patrick O’Brian – Aubrey-Maturin series for readers who want the same long-running, character-driven series experience but in the Napoleonic naval world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Simon Scarrow’s best book?
Under the Eagle is the essential starting point and stands as one of his strongest novels on its own terms. Within the longer series, Praetorian (Book 11) and Rebellion (Book 22) are frequently cited by readers as series high points. For standalone work, The Sword and the Scimitar showcases his range at its best.
In what order should I read Simon Scarrow’s books?
Start with Under the Eagle and read the Eagles of the Empire series in publication order. The books are numbered and build on each other in terms of character development and ongoing storylines. The Revolution Quartet and Criminal Inspector Schenke series are entirely separate and can be read at any point.
How many Eagles of the Empire books are there?
As of early 2026, there are 24 books in the main series, with Tyrant of Rome (2025) being the most recent. Scarrow has indicated he plans around 25 books in total.
Is Simon Scarrow historically accurate?
Very much so, within the conventions of the genre. Scarrow integrates real historical figures and events accurately into his fictional narratives. He takes some creative liberties with the specific missions and conversations of his invented protagonists, but the broader historical context, including the campaigns, emperors, geography, and Roman military organisation, is reliably researched. His author notes at the end of each book are informative about where he has deviated from the record.
Are the Eagles of the Empire books suitable for young readers?
The books contain battle violence and some adult themes but are not gratuitously graphic. They are generally considered appropriate for older teenagers and above. The separate Gladiator series was specifically written for a young adult audience and makes a good entry point for younger readers interested in Roman fiction.
Has Simon Scarrow’s work been adapted for TV or film?
Not as of early 2026. The Eagles of the Empire series has a devoted readership that has long hoped for a television adaptation, and the Cato and Macro books would translate naturally to the screen, but no adaptation has been announced.
What is the Criminal Inspector Schenke series about?
The Schenke series is a Berlin noir trilogy set in Nazi Germany in 1939 to 1940. Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke investigates crimes while trying to navigate a totalitarian state he despises. It is darker and more morally complex than the Roman novels and shows Scarrow’s range as a writer. Blackout (2021) is the first in the series and was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick.
How does Scarrow compare to Bernard Cornwell?
They are the two most popular British authors of long-running military historical fiction series, and the comparison is entirely apt. Cornwell is generally considered the more literary writer and his range is wider (Viking England, medieval, Napoleonic, and more), while Scarrow’s Roman world has more internal depth, with 24 books covering a continuous timeline. Both are excellent. Most readers who love one will love the other.
Is the Revolution Quartet complete?
Yes. All four books, from Young Bloods (2006) to The Fields of Death (2010), are published and the story is complete from 1769 to Waterloo in 1815.
Conclusion
Simon Scarrow has built one of the most impressive bodies of work in British historical fiction, combining extraordinary productivity with consistent quality across a career that now spans 25 years. The Eagles of the Empire series is its centrepiece: 24 novels and counting, covering the Roman Empire from Claudius to Nero through the eyes of two of fiction’s most endearing soldier protagonists.
What makes Scarrow worth reading beyond the sheer entertainment value is the accumulated weight of the long series. Cato and Macro grow, change, age, and carry the scars of their campaigns in ways that short-burst action fiction rarely achieves. By the time you reach the later books, these characters feel like old friends, and each new instalment feels like a reunion rather than a repeat.
If you are new to Simon Scarrow, start with Under the Eagle and give the series three books before making up your mind. Most readers who do that find it impossible to stop.
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