The Hound of Ulster
Illustrated by Victor Ambrus.
The Hound of Ulster retells the story of the Irish hero Cú Chulainn.
The boy who takes up the spear and shield of Manhood on this day will become the most renowned of all the warriors of Ireland, men will follow at his call to the world's end, and his enemies will shudder at the thunder of his chariot wheels.
This is how the ancient prophecy went, and as the boy Cú Chulainn heard it, he went forward to claim the weapons of his manhood. This is the story of how he became the greatest of heroes – the Hound of Ulster.
Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff (1920–1992) was a British novelist, best known as a writer of highly acclaimed historical fiction. Although primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults, she herself once commenting that she wrote "for children of all ages from nine to ninety."
Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.