Sharpe's Rifles (#1)

good value as a used bookgood readhighly recommend as used.fantastic tv show based on it.

This takes place in Spain at the beginning of 1809. France has turned on Spain, previously an ally, and they've imprisoned the Spanish king. Now Napoleon's brother is sitting on the Spanish throne. Ah, nepotism.Sharpe and a detachment of the 95th Rifles have been separated from the English Army, which is skedaddling to the coast since they're leaving Spain. The Riflemen are cut off from joining the Army due to the surrounding French regiments. While they are trying to skulk around the French and make their way to the closest port, they come across a small Spanish force on a secret mission of their own. The Spanish and the Riflemen need to consolidate for safety and overcome mistrust at the same time.I loved this one! The demoralized Rifles have to learn to trust the new Lieutenant Sharpe; he's only been known to them as a quartermaster. On the flipside, Sharpe has to learn how to act like an officer and how to treat his men properly. I really appreciated the moment when he realized that he was acting just like the type of officers that he loathed. And Patrick Harper, Captain Murray, Hagman and the rest were very enjoyable to revisit.For me, this is the book that turns a very good series into a truly excellent one. And now that Sgt. Harper and the Rifles are firmly set into the storyline, it maintains its excellence from this point forward.

Richard Sharpe is an outsize rascal/hero, which you have to be if your purpose in life for much of a decade is defeating a real Napoleon and French soldiery. It helps, too, if you're fictional, a brainchild of a prolific English writer such as Bernard Cornwell, now living in the United States. I like the writer's style and characters and plots. I like his books, which must number in the hundreds or thousands. I've been trying to read them all, but every time I think I have a handle on them a few more pop up. Right now I am trying to read the Sharpe series, at least that portion of it dealing with the Peninsular Campaign leading to Napoleon's resignation and exile. I think there are 12 or 13 books of Sharpe's adventures in Portugal, Spain and Southern France, but I can't be certain. There is something else that is uncertain. Just after you scour Amazon and Cornwell's Internet sites for titles and you think you have located them all, he writes another one that drops right in the middle of the series. I have been reading these books and have seen some films since the 90's, and I have lost track of which I have seen or read, so I am starting over with Sharpe's Rifles. I am not disappointed. To set the stage: Napoleon is riding high. He has not yet lost the Grande Armee to the Russian winter, his troops have just crushed the Spanish and the British Expeditionary Force helping Spain is caught inland with its pants down. The book opens in the winter of 1808 as British General Sir John Moore's army is hightailing it to the sea in Northwestern Spain and hoping for evacuation to safety. A modern reader might remember a similar situation in the 20th Century when the BEF was forced to the sea following the French collapse in World War II. Sharpe wasn't there in 1940, but he was in the rear guard of Moore's command as it desperately held off the French in outliers of the Pyrenees Mountains in the winter 1808-09. The column is hurrying along with French Hussars almost alongside. Lt. Sharpe is a rifle officer. His quick and decisive protective actions show that Cornwell, who knows his British history, also understands his small unit tactics. The riflemen of those days were not strictly line troops but were skirmishers, peripheral fighters compared to the regular soldiers who fought in close ranks with muskets. The rear guard did well for a time. Eventually though, Sharpe's section got cut off. They were alone in a Spain crawling with the French enemy. Did they head west trying to catch their fellows? North to find their own exit port or south where they had heard there might be a small British force still in Portugal? To find out, you must buy the book and read the adventures they had yourself. You can count on this, for sure: Sharpe and his not-so-merry men will have to fight hard to stay alive, and there will be a woman ready for seduction. Or will it be the other way around.

A rousing take that felt authentic. Mr. Cornwall held my attention throughout. Will have to read his other Sharpe books

If you are interested in good military history and like fictional characters in real battles, the Sharpe's series by Bernard Cornwell is outstanding. There are about 15 or 18 books in the series, starting when Private Richard Sharpe is an 17 year old private in the British Army in India in the late 1700, and follows him through battles in India, Trafalgar, Denmark, Portugal, Spain and eventually to the battle of Waterloo. Cornwell has done his research and us sticklers for realism can see he has the correct history of the battles, description of same, proper equipment, tactics, and armament. BBC did a 15 part mini-series which is available on DVD and well worth the watch. But be warned that the DVD series starts in Portugal and leaves out the first books on India where Sharpe is a private, makes sergeant, and finally makes ensign. In the series he is a lieutenant who, because he rose from the ranks and is disliked by the "proper" officers of aristocratic families who bought their commissiions, gets assigned to the 90th Rifles (Green Jackets) as no other snooty officer wants to be there (they don't like how slow the rifles load compared to muskets even though the Baker rifles have longer ranges and are more accurate than the Brown Bess muskets). But Sharpe drills his men until they are very combat effective. As a retired US Army infantry officer, and US Marine Vietnam vet, I really like this series. Only 10 more books to go! Cornwell, a former BBC producer, took his motivation for writing this series after reading the Hornblower series as a lad.

After finishing the Saxon tales, I’ve started the Richard Sharpe series. This is probably one of my favorites, if not my #1 favorite so far!

I don't usually read historical fiction but a friend recommended the Sharp series, so far I'm 6 books in and still enjoying them.

Reading

I enjoyed this historical novel about the battle with the French occupying Spain in the early part of the nineteenth century. The action is fast and based on real events, although the characters are fictitious. There is also a bit of romance although our hero this time does not get the girl. This is the 6th Sharpe book I have read, and I have enjoyed every one of them. Will read another later. Historical fiction and battle lovers will enjoy this book.

Hey here we goHaving read the previous Sharpe books which describes his participation of his time in India, at Trafalgar and Copenhagen the main narrative of the Sharpe adventures begins. Sharpe life and background has been documented which now gives creedance to his adventures in Spain and beyond.I have learnt so much of the history of the time from reading Cornwell in a way that otherwise would seem sterile. Well done to him for he brings history to life through characters like Sharpie. Might start Havoc the next in the series straight awayBD Bedfordshire UK

I enjoyed this book more than Sharpe's Fortress as it was almost continual action.Following a small battle, Sharpe is left as the senior officer of the 95th Rifles. The men resent him as they don'tknow his former fighting skills. There is almost a mutiny and he has to resort to a fist fight with their spokesman,the Irish Harper, to try and gain control of the men.They meet up with a group of Spanish led by Major Vivar - a nobleman - and Sharpe realizes he still has much tolearn about being an officer. Later his fighting skills earn the grudging and then genuine respect of the men, andhe and Harper agree a truce, which becomes a liking for each other. I really like the character of Sgt. Harper (as hebecomes).Sharpe's Rifles and the Spanish face several attacks from the murderous French and there is a love interest inLouisa, a Methodist English girl with a horror of an aunt - who is firmly put in her place by a "foul mouthed" Sharpe!There were a couple of twists in the story and the battles were different and not boring as I found in the siegescenes in "Fortress".I would recommend this book, especially if you are interested in the historical events surrounding the fighting in 1809between France and Spain, Portugal and England. Even if you haven't read another Sharpe novel, this book can "stand alone".

The Sharpe books are turning out to be informative and entertaining reads that do for the Napoleonic Wars what the Flashman series did for the Victorian era. Our hero finds himself in northern Spain on the retreat to Corunna when, due to an unfortunate turn of events his unit is cut off from the main force and he is left in charge after the deaths of its leading officers. From that moment on Sharpe has to learn the skills of leadership, especially after a disastrous start, and is fortunate enough to be assisted by the very able Spaniard, Blas Vivar. Vivar has his own agenda, that of inspiring resistance to the invading French by unfurling the banner of St James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella.The whole is an adventurous, action-packed and well-written read in which our hero is not always in the right and things don't always turn out the way he expects but, as one would expect, much is learnt and the stage is set for greater things.

Bernard Cornwell is, in my opinion [for whatever that is worth] the best historical author currently working in the world of narrative fiction; based upon real-life historical events. He pulls no punches in respect to the often extremely violent reality of life during the wide ranging periods of human history he has covered. The net result is an authentic and often contemporary feel, featuring a cast of flawed characters that the modern day reader can identify with [in some cases], and entertained by until it becomes quite addictive.