Product Description

An honored veteran of the Napolenic Wars, Lt. Col. Richard Sharpe is drawn into a deadly battle, both on land and on the high seas.

The year is 1820, and military hero Richard Sharpe has quietly passed the years since the Battle of Waterloo as a farmer. Suddenly, his peaceful retirement is disturbed when he and the intrepid Patrick Harper are called to the Spanish colony of Chile to find Don Blas Vivar, an old friend who has vanished without a trace -- and who just happened to be the captain-general of Chile. Sharpe and Harper embark on a dangerous journey that carries themfirst to an unexpected interview with Napoleon, then on to Chile, a land seething with corruption and revolt. On land and at sea, Sharpe faces impossible odds, not only against finding Vivar, but against surviving in a time when tyranny rules, injustice abounds -- Napoleon lurks on the horizon, itching to rekindle the world in a blaze of war.

Customer Reviews (20)

Richard Sharp finale
This book is the 21st in the entire series regarding the military and personal life of Richard Sharp. The book ends the series and many hours of reading pleasure authored by Barnard Cornwell and the adventures, trials and tribulations of Richard Sharp. It was a bittersweet ending to a series of books that I read "straight through"....21 different novels in a row.All enjoyable and historically informative.This last one was as good as any other...easily read, enough action and intrigue to keep your interest and just enough history to broaden your mind and perspective.I have now gotten the Saxon Series to read but taking a quick detour into Stonehenge...which is also very good.

Cornwell is one of my favorite authors.

Highly Dubious Authorship
This is easily the worst of the Sharpe novels. I've read every one of Bernard Cornwell's books, most of them several times, and I frankly don't believe that he was the main author of this one. The plot is lame, the action unconvincing, and most of all the prose is stilted and inappropriate, lacking almost all of the drive and energy of ALL the other books. It just doesn't read like Cornwell at all; the action is nothing like what we are used to, the characters lack conviction, and Sharpe and Harper simply don't act, sound or respond like the two men we know.

My guess is that an editor was responsible for most of the work. You can write an addition to a series, use all the same characters, but that's not enough. Examples are to be seen in LeBeau's splendid Buckskin novels and those after the first 12 - check these out, you won't be sorry - Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz works; and at least one of the Travis McGee books, which just doesn't ring true. Anyone feel the same way?

sharpe's Devil
Very good - consistent with the foregoing books.Waiting for more in the series.

Sharpe Meets Napoleon in Exile
"When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time." -- Luke 4:13

It takes a special imagination to find a way to write another Richard Sharpe novel after Napoleon was soundly defeated at Waterloo, but Bernard Cornwell's fertile mind has conjured up a tale to bring back that intrepid hero for one last hurrah (at least for now). Sharpe is a farmer now until he's pulled out of retirement to look for one of his old compatriots from the Napoleonic wars in Spain, Don Blas Vivar, who has been leading Spain's efforts in Chile to fight off rebels.

Sharpe and Harper join a group of Spanish officers headed for Spain. On the way, they take a detour to visit Napoleon in exile on the island of St. Helena. If you've wondered what would happen if Napoleon and Sharpe ever met, this book will satisfy your curiosity.

Once in Spain, Sharpe finds himself in over his head and is soon sent packing as a pressed seaman on the very ship that just brought him from Europe. But at this point, the adventure takes a positive turn as Sharpe develops a new and unexpected ally among the rebels. The second half of the book recounts the kind of daring fights that made this series so appealing . . . combining land and sea forces in this case.

You'll probably guess the story's outcome before the end, but that won't spoil the fun very much. With the final historical note, you'll also be left with some very interesting "what if's" to ponder.

This isn't one of the best books in the series, but it's a must read for all Sharpe fans due to the meeting of the two retired soldiers in the middle of the Atlantic.

Good-bye for now, Richard. It's been fun reading about you.

Sharpe meets two mesmerizing characters: Napoleon and Cochrane
A few years after Waterloo, Sharpe is called away from his quiet farm existence to answer the plea of a widow: to find her husband, Sharpe's old friend Blas Vivar from the Spanish wars, who has gone missing while commanding the beleaguered Spanish forces in Chile, Spain's last and shrinking bastion in South America. She suspects foul play, as her upstanding husband went after the corruption endemic in the colonial administration.

Accompanied by Harper, Sharpe sets off on the long voyage around the Horn. One stop on the way is St. Helena, where he meets the exiled Napoleon and is mesmerized, despite himself, by the former emperor. Napoleon wants Sharpe to carry a souvenir to someone in South America. Does he have one more ace up his sleeve?

In Chile he and Harper get an uneasy reception. Blas Vivar's replacement, Miguel Bautista, is widely feared and busy feathering his own nest in anticipation of Chile's fall and his return to Spain. Bautista in turn fears Charles Cochrane - the legendary captain fleeing British disgrace to command the tiny navy of the fledgling Chilean republic. Bautista needs to dispel rumors that he engineered Blas Vivar's disappearance, but meanwhile can't have Sharpe and Harper poking around.

The last chronologically in the Sharpe series, this book makes a fine capstone, our probable last look at Sharpe. We finally get to meet Napoleon. Letting Sharpe feel the man's sway is a courageous and honest thing for Cornwell to write. It would have been too easy to turn Napoleon into a 2-D villain.

And the encounter with Cochrane is fascinating. Jack Aubrey fans can consider this book one last Aubrey novel as well, since, as they know, Cochrane was the inspiration for O'Brian's Aubrey, and also for Forrester's Horatio Hornblower.

Cochrane isn't identical to Aubrey; he is so willing to make the bold stroke that some think he's mad, something no one ever accuses Aubrey of. But Cochrane is nearly as mesmerizing as Napoleon. He's a brash and happy warrior, a magnetic leader whose men plunge into battle chanting his name. Give him something impossible to do, and he couldn't be happier, and when he succeeds, he just burnishes his legend and cements his men's affections to him even more. When Sharpe and Harper fall into his company, they find themselves going into battle one last time, with someone more on Sharpe's wavelength than any commander he's ever had. The battle of Valdivia has a certain mad quality to it as Cochrane attacks against overwhelming odds. (Of course, he has Sharpe on his side. So what's the problem?)

A great episode that dramatizes some of the great history of Napoleon's last days and the fall of the Spanish empire.




... Read more

Product Description
The streets of Paris run bloodred—while in England, the noble Lazenders hide from history's violent storm behind the walls of their opulent “little kingdom.” But Toby Lazender, the family's heir, is hunting the brutal murderers of the woman he loved in revolution-torn France, leaving Lazen Castle vulnerable to secret cabal of assassins conspiring to bring the chaos across the channel. There is an obstacle, however, to the Fallen Angels' dark plan: Toby's sister, Lady Campion Lazender. Drawn by a mysterious horseman into a realm of fascination and desire, she sees treachery everywhere—and her heart could be leading her to destruction . . . by the hand of the only man she dares to trust. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

So bad it is embarrassing
When I bought this book, on Kindle, I expected a typical Bernard Cornwell book.I expected a thoroughly researched, historical novel of near epic proportions.What i got was one of the worst bodice rippers I have ever seen.
Start with the setting.It is 1893, mostly England, at the time of the Reign of Terror in France.The estate of the Earl of Lazon is one of the biggest in England, but we are only told this.There are no scenes of movement to show it, merely mentions of the fact, often mentions of the fact.London scenes of gambling dens/bawdy houses, are, again, described, but not really shown.Venues of debauchery are glossed over (if you don't want to describe them, why mention them) and cursorily described.Only the scene of an execution in Paris has the kind of detail (ie: "Sneezing in the basket") that I have come to expect in a Bernard Cornwell novel.The final scene, in Auxigney, is so poorly described that I was never really sure where we were.
The Characters are lackluster and stereotypical.In every bodice ripper, we are told that the heroine is beautiful, with golden wheat (raven, glossy chestnut, copper , etc) colored hair.In this novel we are told this twice in the first chapter and several other times throughout the book.We are told, again and again, that she is headstrong, yet she is persuaded to marry a worthless lordling that anyone who has ever read ANY Jane Austen would know, is a pretty uniform with no substance at all.We are given only the briefest glimpse of his motivations, and he remains a cardboard stereotype throughout the book.His last appearance leaves one totally unmourned.The Earl lies in bed, groans once in a while, urges the heroine to marry, then dies just before the wedding.The uncle is affable, ineffectual, and a cardboard cutout of the useless, probably gay, fop, until he turns into the cardboard cutout of a villain (which does not surprise anyone who has ever read any Victorian novel).The True love is a gypsy (how banal is that?), with the true heart, sex appeal, and noble beyond his station.The brother seeks revenge for his true live, who is a ghost even before she is dead.There is not one person in this cast to sympathize, empathize, or bother to remember.
The plot is an unfortunate mishmash of Jane Austen meets Porn Queens of Vegas.It has every hackneyed cliche that has ever been used to titillate, the imagination, but fails, miserably.There is no sense of style.There is no theme.the authors have no clear idea of what it is they want to tell us.They just ramble on, and excruciatingly on, until, at last, they come to a non-earth moving climax.I am only glad that I got this book on kindle, and no trees were killed to print it.Save your money and buy a Victoria Holt, instead.Better yet, buy a Victoria Holt and send it to My Cornwell and Ms Kells.

Master of the word
I love the way Bernard Cornwell plays with history in his books. His story telling keeps me glued to the book until the end. Then, I look for more of his books.

BORING
I THOUGHT THAT IT WILL BE LIKE AGRINOT BUT I GOT MIXED UP IT HAS A LOT OF ROMANCE

One of my favourite romance stories of all time!
Fallen Angels is a well crafted story that will have you turning the pages until you get to its wonderful conclusion. It's such a lovely story with a strong female character caught between duty and desire, beset by danger and intrigue, facing betrayal from those she trusts. For those used to the usual Bernard Cornwell stories, this one will come as a surprise. For me it was a welcome one, but I have to admit that I prefer a well written romance novel to a historical war story. At the same time, unlike the run of the mill romance novel, this is written with a light touch on the romance; indeed for much of the novel it's not clear if there is a love-match. I first read it three years ago and I find myself going back to read whole sections of it again and again. Really such a graceful story. I couldn't recommend it highly enough!

The Fallen Angels
I'm a big fan of Cornwall's , and his many books, This isn't one of them, What it is a slushy historical novel that is more in keeping with drug store romance stuff. That bit about the gypsy love affair for that period of history was too much for me. The predudice of the time made that just impossible.No matter how big a shovel they used to cover this fact up it was just too big mound. ... Read more

Product Description
It is the summer of 1812 and Richard Sharpe, newly recovered from the wound he received in the fighting at Salamanca, is given an easy duty; to guard a Commissary Officer posted to an obscure Spanish fort where there are some captured French muskets to repair. But unknown to the British, the French are planning a lightning raid across the River Tormes, and they reckon the obscure Spanish fort, which guards an ancient bridge across the river, will be lightly guarded. Sharpe is in for a fight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Dissatisfied,Dissappointed
I am an absolute fan of the whole Sharpe story, but I am so so dissappointed with my purchase of Sharpes Skirmish. I thought I was getting a book but got a booklet 63 pages in total. With the cost and postage, I feel cheated and dissatisfied. I feel there should be a better description of the product and its content.

Booklet, Not a Book
As a dedicated fan of Bernard Cornwell and his riveting Sharpe series, I was extremely disappointed to discover when I received it that Sharpe's Skirmish is a booklet, not a book. It is thin beyond belief and would have made an excellent essay submitted by one of my university students as a final exam. You really should avoid disappointing fans like me and in future should make a full disclosure when you place on sale a book that really is only a booklet. Sharpe's Skirmish is so thin that when I placed it on my bookshelf with other real books it disappeared.

Great story, but very short
This is a great little story from Bernard Cornwell, but be warned, it is quite short, maybe less than two chapters of a normal book.If you are a fan of the Sharpe series, it is a must have.

Sharpe's Skirmish
Very short, more a chapter sized product but nevertheless a nice addition to anyones Sharpe series library.

Worthly Addition to the Sharpe Saga
Sharpe's Skirmish by Bernard Cornwell is good addition to the Sharpe Series of books. It shows our hero ,Richard Sharpe, doing what he does best, winning over great odds. Thank you Mr. Cornwell for another great read. ... Read more

Product Description

Only two obstacles stand between Napoleon's mighty army and its seemingly certain conquest of Portugal: a land wasted and stripped of food at Wellington's orders . . . and Captain Richard Sharpe. But perils from within and without threaten the bold captain of the Light Company -- the hatred and incompetence of a superior officer, the vicious treachery of a false ally . . . and the overwhelming numbers of a fierce, determined enemy, combining to make Sharpe's escape a near impossibility.

Customer Reviews (27)

I enjoy the whole series.
We are led into historical fiction with an enlisted man that saves a General and is commissioned an officer.Since he's not from the "right" background many, but not all, of the other officers mistreat him.Still he is a gifted soldier and eventually retires a bird and still comes to the rescue of his former enlisted men.The whole series is a good read.

A riveting, gritty tale.
While listening to this book, I would jump into the car to run any errand my wife asked of me so that I could find out what would happen next to Captain Richard Sharpe, commander of the light company (skirmishers) of the South Essex battalion.

I've read/listened to about 8 of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels, and Sharpe's Escape was one of the most riveting. Cornwell's description of the battles completely immersed you in the action. It was easy to love the loyal Sgt Harper and hate the mean, bully Feregus.

Like all Cornwell's novels, I was completely taken in by his ability to bring you inside early the 19th century British army -- how they operated, their strategy, and their maneuvers like the About Face, Wheel Right in the battle of Bussaco ridge or forming a square in the lines of Torres Vedras.

The narrator does a great job with English accents but uses that same accent for French and Portuguese characters. Also, Sharpe's final fist-t-cuffs fight with Feregus seemed contrived. In the end Sharpe says you should always fight dirty, but Sharpe could have easily avoided the fight by just shooting Feregus once Feregus attempted to escape.

Sharpe is becoming more familiar with Portugal than he would like
I'm sort of glad I waited to begin this series until it was virtually complete, since they're written out of order by their internal chronology. It's mid-1810 now, and Wellington has finally gotten a grip on the French attempts to sew up Portugal and thereby deny access to the entire coastline ofEurope. He's backing slowly down the coast and destroying crops, food stores, grazing animals, windmills, and anything else that might be of use to the enemy. When he gets to the big ridge at Bussaco, he forms up his Anglo-Portuguese army (still considerably small than the French force) and waits. Marshal Massena was far too confident and didn't realize that British training of the previously unimpressive Portuguese forces had made them a serious threat. Cornwell's at-length account of the resulting battle, the most famous in Portugal's history, is quite accurate and almost physically exhausting to read in its descriptions of individual unit actions and grand strategy. Later, the British withdrawal leads the French to their appalled discovery of the Lines of Torres Vedras, a massive series of fortifications crossing the peninsula on which Lisbon is locating, the construction of which was (amazingly) kept secret. (It was financed by the Spanish coin recovered in _Sharpe's Gold,_ by the way.) The confrontation at the end between the French skirmishers and the South Essex's Light Company before the defensive fortifications is also very well done. Meanwhile, Capt. Richard Sharpe has been temporarily pushed out of his command by his colonel's attempts to give a leg up to a drunken brother-in-law. Then Sharpe runs up against a Portuguese intelligence officer trying to play both sides of the street, just in case the French win. And he has a thuggish brother, a huge man, who enjoys killing his enemies by beating them to death with his bare hands. Sharpe and Sgt. Harper don't fight fair, though. Oh, and there's a fair maiden to be rescued as well -- an English governess unlike any of Sharpe's women in the earlier volumes. This is an exciting and, as usual, historically accurate story, both in its broad events and in its details.

A Great "Locked Room" Escape Flanked by Foolish French, Traitors, and a Strategic Retreat
I envy all those who read the Richard Sharpe novels in the chronological order of the events contained in them rather than the order in which they were published. For these newer readers, Sharpe's Escape contains all of the best features of the earlier (in chronology) nine novels: an easy-to-despise implacable foe (Ferragus), a slimy traitor (Captain Ferreira), a spectacular battle (Bussaco) where all could be lost if Sharpe doesn't take the right action (a whispered aside to Colonel Lawford), Sharpe dropping in to rescue another impossible combat situation, lots of ill-gotten goods at stake, a beautiful woman to beguile Sharpe, a seemingly impossible problem for Sharpe to solve when he's trapped in the cellar to a warehouse, and justice for the dastardly types.

So what's it all about? Wellington continues to try to hold Portugal against the French. Napoleon has sent Marshal Massena with a huge force to drive the British and Portuguese off the peninsula. Wellington has well-prepared defenses waiting in front of Lisbon, but he wants to starve the French army as much as possible so that attrition will make the conflict short. The French steal food rather than buy it, and Wellington leads a scorched earth program.

As the book opens, Sharpe is grumpy. He's been called back after a week rather than the month's leave his was promised and Colonel Lawford has stuck him with a lieutenant he cannot stand, Slingsby. Sharpe doesn't see how any good can come of all this.

Sharpe is sent to destroy a signaling tower so that the French won't be able to use it. In the process, he discovers the Portuguese brothers, Major Ferreira and Ferragus, preparing to sell a lot of flour to the French. Sharpe and his men quickly put a stock to that, and there's soon a dusty hilltop covered with spoiled flour.

Ferragus employs his brother to exact some revenge on the eve of Bussaco, and Sharpe is lucky to survive. Sharpe is enraged to find that Lawford chooses to relieve him of leading the South Essex so that Slingsby can look good (they are brothers-in-law and Lawford has promised his wife to help Slingsby).

Afterward, Sharpe refuses to apologize to Slingsby and is once again turned into a quartermaster. The plot thickens as we find that Ferragus and Ferreira have compiled enough materiel to keep the French going for weeks . . . and plan to sell the goods to the French. Sharpe steps in to stop this . . . and things go horribly wrong. How will he survive?

This book is excellent from beginning to end. You'll have great fun with the story!

Another Good One
This is a worthy addition to the Sharpe canon.Ripping battle scenes, a nasty villain, and interesting plot complications.My only quibble(and it probably only bugs me) is that I wish the Adverb Police would visit Mr. Cornwell.He has a character say something"briskly" not once, not twice, but three times, all within the space of 2 pages.Surely the proof reader should catch that.But that is really a minor annoyance in a very enjoyable read. ... Read more

Product Description

Bestselling author Bernard Cornwell takes us back four thousand years, to a vibrant world of ritual and sacrifice that is at once timeless and wholly original. This historical novel unlocks the mystery of Britain's most haunting and puzzling structure, and tells a tale of three brothers—fierce rivals—who are uneasily united in their quest to create a temple to their gods. Lengar, the eldest brother, kills his own father to become chief of his tribe. Camaban, the illegitimate middle brother, is determined to have a massive temple built in his own honor. And Saban, the youngest, who actually builds Stonehenge, must act as mediator between the other two. Stonehenge is the enthrallingly dramatic story of patricide, betrayal, and murder; of bloody brotherly rivalry; and of the never-ending quest for power, wealth, and spiritual fulfillment.

Customer Reviews (84)

A great read
Refreshing to see a writer who knows how to tell a great historical fiction story of monumental proportions without feeling compelled to make it a neverending multi-volume affair.

Excellent book, should be made into a movie.
Bernard Cornwall's task in creating this novel was to weave a plausible story line which explains how the monument at Stonehenge was created. He not only succeeds in doing this, but both his character development and plot skills excelled as he pursued that goal. For me, this book was one of those extremely enjoyable reads that I was sad to complete. His descriptions of the scenery and people made it very easy to imagine a scene in my mind. I would seriously like to see this novel made into a movie directed by, say Coppola, David Twohy or Ridley Scott. Although fiction, it's a rich tapestry of Euro-American heritage. Highly recommended.

STONEHENGE
A BIG CORNWELL FAN...IVE READ ALMOST ALL HIS BOOKS, INCLUDING LAST BURNING LAND....I SEARCHED HIS NOVELS..CAME UP WITH THIS UNREAD BOOK, WISH I MISSED IT...NOT MY CUP OF TEA..I HOPE HE GOT THIS MESS OUT OF HIS SYSTEM

Repetitive...Pointless...Couldn't Finish
I hate when a book gets so boring, stagnent and full of dead ends that I have to give up.This was one of those. I'm surprised that this author is so popular--was this just a bad egg or are the rest of his books like this?(As a guide: I've loved every Wilbur Smith and Ken Follett novel I've ever read.)

stonehenge
This was not the best book Cornwell has written.It was still worth the read, but he usually does much better. ... Read more

Product Description
Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Badajoz, January to April 1812The Complete Sharpe Collection with a new introduction by the authorIt was a hard winter. For Richard Sharpe it was the worst he could remember. He had lost his command to a wealthy man -- a man with money to buy the promotion Sharpe coveted. And from England came his oldest enemy -- the ruthless, indestructible Hakeswill -- utterly intent on ruining Sharpe.But Sharpe is determined to change his luck. And the surest way is to lead the bloody attack on the impregnable fortress town of Badajoz, a road to almost certain death -- or unimagined glory! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Sharpe's Nemesis, Sergeant Hakeswill, Returns as Wellington Batters in the Front Doors to Spain
Sharpe! Sharpe! Sharpe!

I encourage you to read these books in order of the chronology of the events, rather than the order in which they are written. If you've been doing that, you've probably wondered whatever happened to Sergeant Obadiah ("I can't be killed") Hakeswill who we last read about in India. In Sharpe's Company, this spawn of the underworld returns to cause lots of mischief.

Viscount Wellington is still leading the allied forces in the Peninsula, having secured Portugal. In Sharpe's Company, two fortresses bar the way into Napoleon's Spain, Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. Naturally, Sharpe plays a key role in both battles. In this book, you get two sieges for the price of one.

The love story is much stronger here than usual in the series as the female partisan leader from Sharpe's Gold, Teresa, makes an important return appearance. In the process, Sharpe learns he has become a father . . . and his daughter is being cared for in Badajoz.

Sharpe's career also takes a turn for the worse. The temporary captaincy comes to an end, and he's reduced in rank to lieutenant reporting to a new captain who isn't as decisive as he might be. Hakeswill is soon undermining everyone to put himself to an advantage, and Sharpe's morale plummets while his hatred of Hakeswill grows.

Sharpe also comes to resent that he cannot become a permanent captain and toys with the idea of leading a Forlorn Hope into the breach to gain such a promotion.

The story's ending may turn your stomach more than a little as Mr. Cornwell treats us to a pretty graphic description of the sack of Badajoz by the British and Portuguese. It may be more historical realism than you really want to know about. Before that, the blood and guts get to be pretty strong as suicidal charge after suicidal charge is led into Badajoz's breaches.

It's an exciting book that you won't soon forget. I happen to like fiendish villains, and Hakeswill is a fine example to my taste. I love to wonder what horrible trick he will pull next.

Cornwell does for siege warfare what O'Brien does for naval battles
This was the third novel written in the Richard Sharpe Napoleonic Wars series, though by internal chronology it's about halfway through Sharpe's recorded career. It's early 1812 and the comparatively small British-Portuguese army under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley, now Lord Wellington, is about to undertake the invasion of Spain. But first, they have to take the fortified Ciudad Rodrigo, guarding the principal highway in the north. Sharpe has a part in that, naturally -- and then he's reunited with Teresa, the Partisan leader from _Sharpe's Gold,_ and finds out he's a father. Now the army will move south to attempt (for the third time) to take the much larger and much more formidable city of Badajoz. Things appear to be looking up. But Sharpe is never lucky for very long, and when his badly wounded colonel (his old friend from India, Lawford) is shipped back home, the replacement is a fox-hunting countryman with no patience for Sharpe's somewhat eccentric ways. More than that, Sharpe's temporary promotion has been rejected back in London and he finds himself replaced in command of the Light Company by a young officer with the funds to have purchased the position. Sharpe is back to being a lieutenant, at least until a vacancy opens up. To retrieve his command, and in a way that no one can deprive him of it again, he's determined to be the first man through the breach when they assault Badajoz. But, worst of all, Sgt. Obediah Hakeswill has joined the battalion. Hakeswill is a thief, blackmailer, inveterate liar, and the man who not only recruited Sharpe nearly twenty years before but also got him unjustly flogged when he was just a private. He's also increasingly insane, believing (with some justification) that he cannot be killed -- and he harbors a passionate hatred for Sharpe. The reader can sort of see where all this melodrama is going, but it's the journey that Cornwell makes fascinating. Badajoz was one of Wellington's greatest challenges in the Peninsular Campaign and taking it cost him thousands of casualties. Cornwell takes his time telling of the siege, the assault, and the sack that followed, and does it all with his usual attention to the gritty, bloody details.

Very Fine
Since I've already reviewed the television adaptation on Sharpe's Company, I'll only briefly give my praise for the Bernard Cornwell novel.

The film adaptation keeps true to the written word, but the battle scenes on the page are much more detailed and complex. Cornwell finds historical niches for Richard Sharpe to appear, and the siege of Badajoz is lengthy, rough, deadly, and dirty. Several failed siege attempts are also in the book-unlike the film-raising the stakes for Sharpe-who of course has to deal with army politics, enemies within, and the rescue of his wife and daughter.

Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill makes just as much trouble for the written Sharpe as he does onscreen. It's morbidly delightful to read the twisted thoughts of this madman, and Pete Postlehwaite does a fine job of bringing the character to the screen. Of course, on film characters are dropped or combined and dismissed, but in the Sharpe's Company novel, all the supporting officers and soldiers are given plenty of time to develop themselves and their relationship to Sharpe. Hard core friendships and army loyalty between Harper and Sharpe are almost more of a delight to read than see.

Historical fans will love any Sharpe novel. I'm not really reading them in order, more as I find them, but it's easy to jump into the series-especially for Hornblower fans. As realistic as C.S. Forester's books are on naval warfare, Sharpe is their equal on the battlefield. The British-ness may take a few folks some getting used to, but Sharpe's Company is well worth the journey.

His best siege writing in the last ten episodes
If you're reading them in chronological order, rather than the order Cornwell wrote them in, this one has a greater intensity than the earlier Spanish books. Some enjoyable elements have returned. Sharpe is truly up against the career wall once more, his provisional appointment to Captain denied. He has a real love interest, his earlier dalliance with Spanish partisan Teresa Moreno taking a more serious turn. Harper's career is in jeopardy as well with the return of Sharpe's nemesis Obadiah Hakeswill, absent since the end of the third book, "Sharpe's Fortress" and the Indian battle of Gawilghur almost a decade before. All this fateful tension takes place against the backdrop of a monumental battle, the British assault on the heavily fortified city of Badajoz, held by the French and essential to any invasion of Spain. The heavily walled city is surrounded by a dozen strongpoints, water on two sides and modern fortifications elsewhere.

Losing his company to a well-born stranger with no experience, the now merely Lieutenant Sharpe must plot his future as the British wallow in the winter mud outside Badajoz waiting to breach its walls.

Cornwell's best writing in this series has been about 18th century siege warfare - the battering of the walls with artillery, use of the rubble as a ramp up to the broken part of the wall, and the hell the first invaders must go through to sieze the hole, after which they are invariably dead, or heroes. It is this and nothing but this, Sharpe thinks, that will win him back his captaincy.

Cornwell's writing of the storming of Badajoz, and the pillaging of it by British troops, has a special and fearful intensity to it, his best siege and fortress storming since the aforementioned Gawilghur in "Fortress". And Hakeswill - merely evil, malign and relentless in the first three books - is here not only that, but mad as well. At times he sounds like Tolkien's Gollum, talking to ... well, you'll see.

In the order that Cornwell originally wrote them, this is the first time he does a real siege and the first time he writes Hakeswill. Both come horribly alive. This book is short and bowstring-taut. Not a word is wasted.

Talk about fast paced
The adventure just doesn't stop.It is worth the read.Keep it up, Mr. Cornwell. ... Read more

Product Description
After both his wife and son die, Tim Blackburn sets out to salvage what is left of his family by rescuing his daughter from a cultish militant environmental group living in a primitive settlement on the coast of Patagonia. Reprint. K. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Fiction
Cornwell has a fertile mind; always a pleasure to get lost in his story telling.

Bernard Cornwell author
Mr. Cornwell writes a fantastic tale with lots of historical settings. I highly recommend all of his books!

' Round the Horn
Extraordinary yarn; one can literally feel the storms of Cape Horn and smell the lush forests of Patagonia.Best nautical book I have read.

Keeps you turning pages.
A nice easy read that keeps your attention. I am the type of person that lays a book down and never picks it up, not this book.
Worth the price, and a nice book to hand over to the next person.

A different Bernard Cornwell.
I think this shows the fantastic versatlity of the author. From the Starbuck chronicles, to Sharpe, to Stonhenge to this! I have read everything Mr Cornwell has written. This is off the beaten track for him and yet is still spellbinding. ... Read more

Product Description

Paradise is the perfect escape for ex-Marine Nick Breakspear, captain of a charter yacht operation in the Bahamas, until he agrees to pilot a "detox cruise" for the drug-addled grown son and daughter of a powerful U.S. senator. Ambushed far from port, he is helpless to prevent the murder of a crew member by modern-day pirates who sink Nick's yacht before vanishing with the senator's kids. Having barely eluded death, Nick must immediately set sail for disaster once again. For there's a death to be avenged on the dark side of Eden, the senator is demanding that his lost children be found . . . and the woman Nick loves is being held prisoner by killers somewhere on Murder Cay.

Customer Reviews (3)

Great for the Nautically Obsessed
To fans of Cornwell's great historical fiction, the novels in the thriller series may disappoint.These are modern mysteries (inverted detective stories) with sailing themes and accurate accounts of seamanship and nautical lore.The thriller series includes "Wildtrack" (1988), "Sea Lord" (1989), "Crackdown" (1990), and "Storm Child" (1991) -- so these were published during the release of several novels in the Sharpe series.For the nautically obsessed, these are highly recommended.

Short of the Mark
Mr. Cornwell's historical novels are always spot on. Crackdown, like his other modern sailing novels, seems a bit of a pot boiler. The characters here are either stereotypical or too large for life. The plot is unlikely and contrived. Even so, as a sailing enthusiast who loves the Bahamas, I found the book enjoyable enough. Bring back Sharpie.

Predictable like "Scary Movie"
My wife and I both read this book and have the same view of it.It was very predictable, the characters were proclaimed to be one thing (Ellen: sceptical, cynical; Nick: ex-marine and tough) and then not act in that character.All the characters were fundamentally stupid and had to be scrunched into contrived situations from which dumb luck would extract them.The book was saved only by the portrayal of the cocaine/crack background and the settings.The characters weren't really necessary.BTW, I've read all the Sharpe, Saxon Chronicles, Aurthur, Grail Quest series as well as Copperhead and really enjoyed them. In other words, I'm a Cornwell fanboy. ... Read more

Product Description
A classic Sharpe adventure: Richard Sharpe and the Winter Campaign, 1814.The invasion of France is under way, and the British Navy has called upon the services of Major Richard Sharpe. He and a small force of Riflemen are to capture a fortress and secure a landing on the French coast. It is to be one of the most dangerous missions of his career.Through the incompetence of a recklessly ambitious naval commander and the machinations of his old enemy, French spymaster Pierre Ducos, Sharpe finds himself abandoned in the heart of enemy territory, facing overwhelming forces and the very real prospect of defeat. He has no alternative but to trust his fortunes to an American privateer -- a man who has no love for the British invaders. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Great Diplomatic, Strategic, and Tactical Intrigue as Sharpe Repeatedly Cuts the Opposition Down to Size
"He [Abishai, the brother of Joab] lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a great name among these three." -- 2 Samuel 23:18

If you like stories about facing insuperable odds in battle with steadfastness, wiliness, and courage, Sharpe's Siege will be one of your very favorite books in this delightful series. This book delivers lots of unexpected events and conflicts which seem impossible to overcome. What will Major Sharpe do next?

The war against France is finally winding down as the British-led forces expand into southern France from Spain. With a change in leadership, Sharpe finds himself to be an extra officer . . . but one who is well suited for impossible tasks. While the British Navy dreams of launching a rebellion against Napoleon, Sharpe's true orders are to be sure that enough fishing vessels are seized from a tottering fortress so that a critical bridge can be built to facilitate invasion.

Sharpe's uneasy because illness plagues the British. Will his beloved be safe while he is away?

The naval officers decide to trick Sharpe, but he saves their bacon when a plan of attack turns out to be woefully inadequate. In one of the most humorous moments in the series, Sergeant Harper's sore tooth plays a key strategic role.

But in the background, the shadowy "Major" Pierre Ducos, Napoleon's man, has a plan to destroy Sharpe in order to repay the British rifleman for breaking Ducos' glasses in Spain. The plan works all too well, and Sharpe finds himself outnumbered, outgunned, and outmaneuvered. Can he counter such diabolical preparations?

Americans will especially like this book for the large role that a privateer crew plays in the story. Those who enjoy having lots of battles in a Sharpe novel will feel like they got their money's worth from Sharpe's Siege.

Sharpe defends the fortress this time instead of attacking it
Reading the flap copy, I had my doubts about this one -- since acquiring some rank, Sharpe seems always to be sent off on special assignments (allowing the author to showcase him) instead of being in the line of battle -- but actually it's a pretty good story. It's 1814 and the British have begun the invasion of France, but they still have only a toe-hold down in the southwest corner of the country. An ambitious and arrogant young naval captain has dreams of glory about fomenting a royalist uprising in Bordeaux and Sharpe gets dragged into the scheme -- and stripped of his majority as well, although he seems to keep the rank throughout the book. Sharpe's nemesis, Pierre Ducos, an intelligence handler for the emperor, schemes to corner Sharpe and destroy him, but Our Hero, of course, doesn't make things easy. The tiny British land force is marooned and has to defend a decaying fort -- which makes for an interesting read since Sharpe has so often been involved in assaults on fortresses. The Americans are in the war, too, now, and a privateer named Killick (whom Cornwell is careful to portray as neither a Good Guy nor a Bad Guy) comes to Sharpe's rescue in an interestingly backhanded fashion. Not Cornwell's best, but not bad.

An intriguing mission for Sharpe
Back from England, early in 1814, Sharpe is sucked into a dangerous mission undercut by politicking within the British military. He is sent with a small force to take a key fort guarding a river mouth on the French coast well north of British forces advancing in from Spain. French spymaster Ducos desperately wants to know whether the British will use seized French boats to land north on the coast, or to bridge rivers currently blocking their way.With rumors spready by a French spy of a citizenry restless with Bonaparte, glory-seeking British officers, both land and naval, dream of striking inland from the fort to capture Bordeaux, win the war, and make their fortunes. And they want to use Sharpe as their fallguy in case of failure. Fraught with worry, Sharpe must leave behind his ailing bride Jane for a fool's errand. When things come apart, Sharpe and his force are stranded far from help, with Ducos plotting his demise.

Several other reviewers says this is the best Sharpe novel. It's a fine one; I would disagree only in that I think others are just as good. The climactic battle where Sharpe and his men, battered and with few supplies, try to hold the fort against an overwhelmingly larger French force, is intriguing.

Sharpe wins again
Bernard Cornwell writes history in a novelistic way, making learning and enjoying one and the same.

"Siege" offers plenty of thrills for the intrepid Sharpe and Riflemen
Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe's Siege" is a delightful entertainment, full of thrills, derring-do, deceit, betrayal, heroism, and loss.Not for nothing does the Rifleman Sharpe series occupy an honored place in many high-brow libraries despite its undeniable middle-brow appeal.

Far from Serious Literature, "Sharpe's Siege" is nevertheless serious.Nobody does their research better than Cornwell, who has recreated the battles of the Napoleonic era with incredible details.Whether it's the intricate workings of a British rifle, the chaotic life onboard ship at sea, or describing the sights and smells of the French countryside, Cornwell places the reader at the heart of the action with aplomb.While terse, Cornwell's style is as evocative as it is efficient.

And efficiency is required with this tale.Sharpe gets tossed into a mysterious plot of espionage and counter-espionage as Wellington goes mind-to-mind with Napoleon and his spymaster, Ducos.Unfortunately for Sharpe, his friend, the intelligence master Major Hogan, is gibbering with fever.That means that Sharpe is at the mercy of buffoons and traitors as he leads the Rifles on a desperate joint Army-Navy mission to take a French fort.Thanks to the intense inter-service rivalry, for Sharpe the British navy is just as dangerous as the French.

And to top it off, Sharpe's lovely new bride Jane may have caught the same fever that has reduced Hogan to a wasted shell.Sharpe, who has known loss before, spends much of the novel torn in anguish as his mission keeps him from his wife's side.

Given the title, it should come as no spoiler that Sharpe finds himself defending a fort against terrible odds.Somehow Cornwell can write scenes like the storming of Badajoz or Sharpe's desperate use of rockets in "Sharpe's Enemy," and yet keep topping himself.The climactic battles in "Siege" are tremendous, even if they are not quite my favorite of all his battles.Sharpe must use ingenuity, bravery, and sheer audacity to keep his outnumbered force intact and alive.

Why only four stars?Maybe it's because this is the eighteenth Sharpe novel I've read and Sharpe and Harper are starting to seem a bit immortal to me.I still love 'em, praise be, but they are both starting to move into James Bond territory - has anyone ever figured out how many bullets have been fired at 007 without effect?Sharpe and Harper carry scars, to be sure, but I almost prefer the parts of the battle scenes that feature other characters - at least there is some uncertainty there.

But I quibble - "Sharpe's Siege" is a wonderful addition to the Sharpe series. ... Read more

Product Description

The year is 1811. With the British army penned into a small part of Portugal, and all of Spain except for the coastal city of Cádiz fallen to the invader, the French appear to have won their war. Raised in the gutters of London and taught to fight, Captain Richard Sharpe is in the Spanish capital on a mission for the British ambassador. But when a British attack on an enemy-held bridge goes disastrously wrong, he finds himself trapped in a city under siege, a hotbed of treachery, false allies, and pernicious plots. And as dawn breaks on a March morning, Sharpe must be prepared to come to the aid of the charismatic Scotsman Sir Thomas Graham, the city's would-be liberator, whose small, outnumbered army has been abandoned by the Spanish and is now is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Yet for Richard Sharpe, the impending battle against overwhelming odds is about more than destiny and duty; it is about revenge.

Customer Reviews (35)

Sharpe marches on, agian.
I stumbled on to the Sharpe series accidently. I have now read all 20+ and am working on the video series. The books are better, even though Sean Bean does a good job in the videos, he is not whom I pictured as Richard Sharpe. (Too short and too fair.) The books have some repetitive themes, the battle horrors, while accurate get a little tiresome when repeated so often, but then Cornwell didn't write them intending them to be read one after the other.
As a history major I am very impressed with the research the author has done to make his novels so real. Tarring mustaches! I'd never heard of that. The action scenes are well written and the plots are mostly realistic, even though getting saved at the last minutes time after time stretches it. As I said, I'm sure these books were not meant to be read back to back to back.
In all, worth the effort.

Intrigue, underhandedness, politics...
Good fall asleep reading, except you keep wanting to read another chapter.

Bernard Cornwell continues his story about Richard Scharpe.Richard Sharpe is a fictional character in the tradition of the Horatio Hornblower series by CS Forrester.Instead of following the rise of a Navy midshipman rising through the ranks of the British Navy (interestingly following a similiar path as Nelson).Richard Sharp is a the soldier on the land directly fighting Napoleon.The story by itself is exciting and would be enough.

For me the frosting on the cake is the way Bernard weaves the history into a fictional story.The reader comes away understanding Spain's attitude towards France.The fear the French had for the Spanish gurella fighters.The tensions and anger between the Spanish governments and England.

It's also intrigueing to compare the foibles of a great man in the early 1800s and compare that with our political leaders today. I can imagine thier are men in Richard Sharpe's situation cleaning up political and other indiscretions in our time as well.

Richard Sharpe is similiar to an 18th Century James Bond, though the gadgets are replaced with a determination, viscousness and raw edge not seen in Roger Moore's James Bond, that allows him to step across the grey areas of right and wrong. Instead focusing on staying alive and accomplishing a goal no matter how sordid or morally unclear.

Enjoyed the book a great deal.

Good but not the best Sharpe book.
As a new comer to Sharpe books, i have been reading them in chronological order. So this is #11 for me. I must say I love ALL the Richard Sharpe books - I am usually a sci fi fantasy reader but from the first Sharpe novel (Sharp's Tiger) I was hooked. The depth of detail, the smell of the battlefield, its all so very well done.

I have to say however, this is my least favorite Sharpe book of the 11. It's not that bad - it's just not as good as the others. The main reason for this is that for some reason, Sharpe virtually disappears from the 2nd half of the book. More so than the past books, this is almost 2 very different books. The first half is all about Sharpe trying to recover stolen letters that are being used to blackmail an english ambassador. Once that's taken care of - the vantage shifts away from Sharpe and onto General Graham (a fine character to be sure) and Sharpe is only seen intermittently while the main battles rages. This confused me as all previous Sharpe books thrust our Captain right into the main events of the story. Usually Cornwell has no problem putting his fictional Captain right into the main events ofbattle - but for some reason Sharpe only hovers around the edge of this one. I found that odd.

So, in the end my only complaint is not enough of our favorite rogue, Captain Richard Sharpe. Of course I'll be onto #12 soon enough.

Blood, Guts, Honor, Wine and Romance
If you get up early in the morning for work, or to get the kids off to school, this book and other Cornwell books are not for you. They is are impossible to put down.
They are proverbial page turners.
My wife, here-to-fore, has been contented to read the "classics"; all of the English writers and most Vampire novels. But
now, she can't put the Sharpe series down. My only regret is that we didn't find out about Cornwell earlier. Excellent writer.

He's a thief and a murderer - and that's why gentlemen need Sharpe
I am sad. "Sharpe's Fury" was my last Sharpe novel. I'd read the others in more or less chronological order, then gone back to read this, the most recently published and inserted midway in the series.

For me, there will be no more Sharpe wenches. There will be no more craven aristocrats, in commands they don't deserve, plotting Sharpe's demise, nor more admirable officers Sharpe and other men would follow through the gates of hell.

There will be no more moments where the Napoleonic Wars hang in the balance, no more Sharpe treasures plundered or lost, no more intrigues with French spies.

There will be no more riveting battle scenes, drawn in enough detail for the military buff but clearly enough for the novice to follow, with the human element so dramatically but naturally woven into the scene's fabric.

And no more chestnuts pulled out of the fire by Richard Sharpe, one of fiction's greatest soldiers, raised from the gutter to find the only thing he does well - fight.I feel a grief similar to that felt when finishing the Jack Aubrey series by Patrick O'Brian.

In this episode Sharpe and Harper, on a patrol near the border of English-controlled Portugal and French-held Spain, are separated with a few men and an injured brigadier, and end up in Cadiz, the only part of Spain not taken by France.

The British ambassador there, Henry Wellesley - brother of Lord Wellington - is embroiled in scandal. The love letters he wrote to a dubious woman are being made public by unknown enemies. Called in to handle the matter, threatening as it does England's delicate relations with Spain, is Pumphrey, the fey Foreign Office spy. Sharpe, available for the moment, is detailed to do what it takes to get the letters back - to guard Pumphrey in his meetings with blackmailers, or to steal them back if need be.

There are lots of good things in this book, probably the last Sharpe novel Cornwell will write. Sharpe's low background is brought to the fore:he's a thief and a murderer, but it is precisely those skills gentlemen need to protect a gentleman's honor. Wellesley's erstwhile lover Caterina Blasquez is a memorable Sharpeian wench, and without giving too much away is a key factor in the book's ending where a Sharpe antagonist gets his in a non-violent but amusing way.

This book portrays perhaps better than any of the others the deeply divided Spanish public - many wanting to make a separate peace with Napoleon in return for the restoration of the Spanish monarchy, but with many different reasons for doing so. Sharpe must operate in a Cadiz that's like a tinderbox, ready to go off against the English at any time.

An English night-time amphibious attack on French artillery shelling Cadiz from across the bay is well done. And while nothing in the series can top Cornwell's account of Waterloo, the Battle of Bussaco is a fine climax to this book. English troops, unassisted by their Spanish allies, face annihilationwhen cornered by a vastly superior French force. Cornwell pays tribute to the French in this battle scene, as one of his characters note the brave and relentless pressing of the battle characteristic of them.

Adieu, Sharpe.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Love and Hate relationship
I bought this book at a library sale.At first (chapter 1 and 2) I thought I would not finish it as it was not grabbing my attention.By the time I did finish it I was sorry it ended.A good book about English minor royalty and how they lived a couple of centuries ago.The family dynamics could be this century.Also, the fooling around, people now act like its new but its been here for centuries.All in all a good read. ... Read more

Product Description

From the incomparable New York Times bestselling master of gripping adventure, Bernard Cornwell, comes a relentlessly suspenseful contemporary thriller set in the lethal world of international terror.

Customer Reviews (9)

I FOUND IT VERY BORING---
I was hoping for something on the same line as Dan Brown or Vince Flynn. This however was the rambling journal of a non-interesting man who I couldn't work up enough concern over whether he made it through or not.

A Better Bad Boy
Come on, for crying out loud! Is there anything this guy can't write?! I'm waiting for his cookbook... "I tore into the beast, hacking away with the thick, broad foot soldier's sword and then roasted marinated strips over the still burning heap that had once been my hovel and I sat on the rump of the rest of the gutted poached boar,chopping and adding two cloves of fresh garlic,a half cup of wild mushrooms,a sweet onion finely minced, and a dash of Port...'
Seriously, I wasn't sure what to expect with his thriller novels and really enjoyed this book. Cornwell is a talented writer, not a gifted one. And by that I mean that there are no gifts in this business. He has earned the recognition and respect of readers out there based on many long hours over the proverbial pen. This guy's very good because he works at it.
As for Scoundrel the first chapter will draw you in and that's the value of a good thriller- to pull us in and make you want to turn the page. Good plot, good character development, and really, really, good bad guys. Paul Shanahan is a good scoundrel and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him.
Five stars easily.

Scoundrel by Bernard Cornwell
This is Cornwell at his best a good yarn a good plot what more can you ask for

A good read from a great author...
Cornwell is best known for his historical fictions, which he excels at (I highly recommend the Holy Grail series).This first attempt at a contemporary thriller is quite admirable.The main character, Paul Shanahan, is quite the rogue and, therefore, enjoyable.Cornwell's writing experience is well demonstrated here.A nice little vacation or airport read.

Great book
Bostonian Paul Shanahan is many things: part-time marine surveyor, smuggler, gunrunner, suspected CIA agent. A full-time scoundrel with ties to nothing and no one -- except to an ex-lover who died years before in a hail of bullets -- he has agreed to transport five million dollars in gold across the ocean by sailboat, money earmarked by the Irish Republican Army for the purchase of fifty-three Stinger missiles. Shanahan's instincts are telling him there's more to this deal below the surface and that he's not meant to survive after delivery. But, if he can elude British Intelligence and several terrorist organizations' most efficient killers -- and with only his life left to lose -- $5 million might just be enough to get a desperate rogue out of the game for good.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not nearly as good as his historical fiction
Cornwell is a great historical fiction writer, but he can't write a contemporary novel worth a darn. The reason for this surprising failing is clear: he needs the structure of a historical event. Without it, his plots simply fall flat. So do his characters. Any one of his historical fiction novels (you pick it) beats his "Sailing novels" by a mile.

A Brit-aristo whodunitand wherisit
Bernard Cornwell, known for his historical series such as the "Sharpe" books set around the Napoleonic wars and the medieval tales of archer William of Hookton, also in 1989 turned out a pretty good contemporary thriller. Whodunit? but what they "dun" is not a murder (though death makes an appearance) but the theft of a multi-million dollar Van Gogh, the main resource of a, as the phrase goes, "somewhat decayed" English earldom.Wherisit?And the main suspect is the earl himself, John Rossendale, the hero of the story, who in disgust at being cast as the "black sheep of the family" has taken to the sea, roaming the world, somewhat in Jimmy Buffet style, except that instead of Hawaiian shirts and margaritas, we are talking ragged jeans and nasty weather in the North Atlantic.

Of course such a valuable mystery attracts much "interest" from many quarters, including some very bad guys...Good plot with nice twists and of course Cornwell knows how to craft a narrative line. I finished it in one sitting.

For some reason he seems to have goofed badly in the nautical department, a couple of times: our earl is running up the English Channel before a south-westerly gale: a huge wave sets his boat over on her starboard side and water floods in "over the port gunwale" ? Righted, he turns into to land for shelter - so he has turned north, the wind would be on his port quarter, but he says "boom was out to port" - no it wasn't! Surprising, since everything else seems fine. (Hence 4 stars)

But a very good read, anyway.

Killer's Wake
Killer's Wake and Sealord (both by Bernard Cornwell) are one and the same book published under two different titles.Great book but no need to buy both.

Sailing & Ocean delight
A wonderful ocean setting.A great mystery involving suspense and some romance.I enjoyed the description of sailing techniques and the terminology.A wonderful ending, too! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Must Read for Napoleonic Fans
This is a unique book. It is one of the few memoirs of a line infantryman from the Napoleonic Wars. It is all the more interesting in that it is a soldier of the famous 95th Rifles. The original version was a stream of conciousness tome dictated by Rifleman Harris some years after the war. In was not in chronological order and could be quite confusing to all but the most informed student of the war. Eileen Hathaway has done two marvelous things in this version that make it much more accessible. First she has sorted out the original narrative of Rifleman Harris in chronological order with very brief explanations of the context in which they were written. (With one chapter of all the bits even she could not figure out when they happended.) Secondly, she has incorporated extracts from other memoirs of the time that bear on the same events that Rifleman Harris is describing. This also helps to give context. Rifleman at the time often had little or no understanding of the larger context. Not only did they suffer the same lack of view of the entire battlefield as any infantryman, but the nature of how riflemen were employed lead to them generally seeing an even more restricted portion of the battle. Hence Eilens narrative and the related memoir extracts puts everything in a perspective.

All ain all a great read and a perspective hard to come by elsewhere on Napoleonic service. ... Read more