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Sharpe #18
Sharpe's Regiment
A corrupt political plot threatens to put an end to the South Essex regiment--and the life of Major Richard Sharpe when he investigates and discovers an illegal recruiting ring selling soldiers like cattle to other divisions.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
574 people are currently reading
2641 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Cornwell
538 books19.3k followersCornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother, who was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his birth mother's maiden name, Cornwell.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
July 2, 2019
Book 17 in the Richard Sharpe series.
Another great addition to this highly entertaining series.
The premise for these books is a history of the Peninsular Wars all wrapped up in an exciting narrative concerning the rise and rise of a gutter urchin ‘Richard Sharpe’.
Major Richard Sharpe and his Sergeant Patrick Harper have returned to England in search of his missing, but promised, battalion. What he finds is nothing more than a military slave trade. Men are enlisted with the promise wealth and excitement and then marched off to a secret location to be trained. The government paid these men a pittance but they never see a penny of it as it all goes into the pockets of the, already, rich and powerful. Once trained they are they sold to the highest bidding regiment, all proceeds, again going into the pockets of the powerful. This, it seems, was a normal part of raising and army in Britain.
Sharpe finds his missing men but the problem is that they are about to be sold but not to his regiment.
Sharpe’s need for these men is paramount so he hatches a plan to recover his lost regiment.
What follows is a dangerously thrilling adventure where Shapre and his small band of followers take on the unscrupulous but powerful Minister of Defence.
With all this going on he still finds time to fall in love with most beautiful woman in England. As you do.
A bit light on historical battles but big on tense, thrilling action.
Comes with my 4 star recommendation.
Another great addition to this highly entertaining series.
The premise for these books is a history of the Peninsular Wars all wrapped up in an exciting narrative concerning the rise and rise of a gutter urchin ‘Richard Sharpe’.
Major Richard Sharpe and his Sergeant Patrick Harper have returned to England in search of his missing, but promised, battalion. What he finds is nothing more than a military slave trade. Men are enlisted with the promise wealth and excitement and then marched off to a secret location to be trained. The government paid these men a pittance but they never see a penny of it as it all goes into the pockets of the, already, rich and powerful. Once trained they are they sold to the highest bidding regiment, all proceeds, again going into the pockets of the powerful. This, it seems, was a normal part of raising and army in Britain.
Sharpe finds his missing men but the problem is that they are about to be sold but not to his regiment.
Sharpe’s need for these men is paramount so he hatches a plan to recover his lost regiment.
What follows is a dangerously thrilling adventure where Shapre and his small band of followers take on the unscrupulous but powerful Minister of Defence.
With all this going on he still finds time to fall in love with most beautiful woman in England. As you do.
A bit light on historical battles but big on tense, thrilling action.
Comes with my 4 star recommendation.
July 31, 2022
‘Broken up, sir?’ Sharpe felt a chill in this warm room.
‘Lord Fenner suggests, Sharpe, that your men be given to other Battalions, that your Colours be sent home, that your officers either exchange into other regiments, sell their commissions, or make themselves available for our disposal.’
Richard Sharpe has become famous due to his deeds in battle in Portugal and Spain. Now, with the French armies driven back over the Pyrenees and Wellington preparing to lead his troops into Napoleon’s homeland, Sharpe discovers there is a price to pay for victory: his battalion has lost almost half of its strength and the replacements from England fail to materialize. Lord Fenner at the Ministry of War has apparently written the South Essex down in the books as a lost cause.
Richard Sharpe is sent back to England, accompanied by his trusty Irish sidekick sergeant Harper and by two junior officers, to find out what happened to the second battalion of the South Essex regiment, supposed to be recruiting and training those sorely needed replacements. On the books at the Ministry there are seven hundred men available.
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So, after sixteen books of continuous warfare, the series takes a break from war and sends its hero on shore leave to the home country. Sharpe and his friends are due a rude awakening in England about how well respected and well supported are the men who laid down their lives in defence of the realm. The supposed holiday episode will turn more dangerous than many a military campaign.
The first shock for the returning soldiers, as well as for the long term reader of the series, is the change of scenery – from the harsh, arid and devastated landscape of Northern Spain to the bucolic and lush Essex countryside.
They walked through an England heavy with food and soft with foliage, a country of ponds and rivers and streams and lakes. A country of pink-cheeked women and fat men, of children who were not wary of soldiers or strangers. It was unnatural to see chickens pecking the road-verges undisturbed, their necks not wrung by soldiers; to see cows and sheep that were in no danger from the Commissary officers, to see barns unguarded, and cottage doors and windows not broken apart for firewood, nor marked with the chalk hieroglyphs of the billeting sergeants.
The second surprise for Sharpe is to discover the barracks of the second South Essex regiment empty of both troops and superior officers, with only a couple of debased juniors as caretakers. Apparently, somebody has been recruiting new men using Sharpe’s own glorious wins [a French golden eagle standard will feature heavily in the plot] and absconding them in a location unknown. The only option left for Sharpe is to head to London and demand some answers from Lord Fenner and his allies in the ministry.
And what a nest of vipers this high society of Prince Regents, dandies and fashionable ladies this will turn out to be!
At least you can trust Bernard Cornwell and Richard Sharpe to find some action of the bedroom sort even in the most adverse situations. This side-plot is such a sure-thing in a Sharpe novel, that I have come to chuckle and roll my eyes every time the soldier walks into a room where ladies are present.
Sharpe had noticed her earlier, for in this over-heated, crowded room she stood out like a jewel amongst offal. She was tall, slim, with dark red hair piled high above her thin, startling face. Her eyes were green, as green as Sharpe’s jacket, and they stared at him with a kind of defiance.
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When a direct attack is unadvisable and/or doomed to failure, Richard Sharpe can be trusted to come up with a trick or two to confuse his enemy and give his own men the edge. Failing to impress the Prince Regent and Lord Fenner with his pleas for finding the missing regiment, Sharpe and Harper take matters into their own hands, and this is where the novel really kicks into high gear: they disguise themselves as fresh recruits in order to be taken to the secret location of the missing regiment, where they find themselves in a battle for their own lives from the crooks they are about to expose.
I don’t believe it is much of a spoiler to reveal that the high lords at the Ministry of War care more about lining their pockets than about the readiness of Lord Wellington’s troops. Such a black market for able bodied men already existed in a grey area of the law, where the Army allowed officers to pay extra to third party recruiters in order to fill their gaps.
Crimping was not a honourable trade. The army was chronically short of recruits. In 1812, Sharpe knew, it had lost more than twenty-five thousand men through disease or war, and less than five thousand had come forward in Britain to take their place.
The real surprise is how vicious the practice becomes when done in secrecy and how far up in the Empire’s hierarchy the clues led.
Such raids on men’s pay were quite normal in the army; half of every man’s wages was deducted for food alone; yet Sharpe had never seen it done on such a scale or with such enthusiastic rapacity.
Surprisingly for me, this detour into England proved to be more entertaining and more seriously minded than many a previous battle episode. Cornwell does an excellent contrasting portrait of the two realities in Spain and in England, with a firm grasp of both the political currents at play and the feel from the ordinary recruit in camp. In particular, I enjoyed the chapters with the local recruiting Sergeant and the descriptions of the fabled Pleasure Gardens at Vauxhall.
For those addicted to action, there is more than enough here to fill two books instead of one, and for those who like their hero to have a romantic side to his personality, Richard Sharpe meets again a nubile young woman he has first seen in Spain: Jane Gibbons. She is the blond, innocent and marriage bound alternative to the red-headed man-eater from the gentry saloons. Who will the dashing officer pick in the end?
Disillusioned by his experiences in England and forced by the peaceful life he sees all around him to reconsider his goals, Richard Sharpe has a rare moment of introspection and of worry about what the future will bring.
What would he do with himself if there was no war? He had become so hardened by it, so craving of its excitement, so sure of himself within its achievements, what would he do with twenty-four hours a day? Even with the money of the diamonds, what would he do? Grub up new land? Breed cows? Or would he, and he dimly saw the possibility though he dreaded it, stay in the army to insist that it must never change from the machine that had defeated Napoleon?
Still, the war with Napoleon is not over yet, and Sharpe has a duty to his regiment waiting in Spain. Time to do what he does best, and charge into battle with colours flying high!
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The cherry on the cake of this unusual episode in the series is one of the best battle accounts from Cornwell, describing the allied armies pouring over the mountains and overcoming the line of French defensive forts.
‘Are you loaded?’
‘Yes, sir! the voices chorused at him.
‘One more time, lads! Once more into the breach and we must be bloody mad. Go!’
Onward for me too, with the next Sharpe adventure.
March 23, 2022
This is yet an other good book in the Sharpe's ceries.
I shall give a full review later.
I shall give a full review later.
November 8, 2025
**Read 3.5 STARS!**
This eventful historical adventure is now the 18th volume, was the 17th before Sharpe's Command, of the "Richard Sharpe" series.
At the front of the book you'll find a phrase from "The Recruiting Sergeant" by George Farquhar (1678-1707), while at the back you'll see a well documented Historical Note.
Storytelling is really enjoyable, all characters, whether real historical and fictional, are believable and lifelike in their dealings with military and domestic life, while the unloved Monarchy of King George III and his dubious sons are wonderfully described throughout this tale.
The story is divided into three parts, part one, the Prologue, is in Spain in June 1813, while the main part is situated in England, July-August 1813, and the last part, the Epilogue, will take place in France in November-December 1813.
The book tells us about the exploits of Major Richard Sharpe, with mainly Harper, Price and D'Alembord alongside him, in Spain, before heading off to England to search for his missing recruits and hopefully restore them into units, and it will end with a victory over the French while invading France for the first time in November/December 1813.
What is to follow is an engaging historical adventure, with some happy and disgraceful moments, but also bringing to the forefront the highs and lows in England in general.
Recommended to all diehard Sharpe fans, and although for me this was not the author's best, its still a fun and very likeable read, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Entertaining Restored Regiment"!
This eventful historical adventure is now the 18th volume, was the 17th before Sharpe's Command, of the "Richard Sharpe" series.
At the front of the book you'll find a phrase from "The Recruiting Sergeant" by George Farquhar (1678-1707), while at the back you'll see a well documented Historical Note.
Storytelling is really enjoyable, all characters, whether real historical and fictional, are believable and lifelike in their dealings with military and domestic life, while the unloved Monarchy of King George III and his dubious sons are wonderfully described throughout this tale.
The story is divided into three parts, part one, the Prologue, is in Spain in June 1813, while the main part is situated in England, July-August 1813, and the last part, the Epilogue, will take place in France in November-December 1813.
The book tells us about the exploits of Major Richard Sharpe, with mainly Harper, Price and D'Alembord alongside him, in Spain, before heading off to England to search for his missing recruits and hopefully restore them into units, and it will end with a victory over the French while invading France for the first time in November/December 1813.
What is to follow is an engaging historical adventure, with some happy and disgraceful moments, but also bringing to the forefront the highs and lows in England in general.
Recommended to all diehard Sharpe fans, and although for me this was not the author's best, its still a fun and very likeable read, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Entertaining Restored Regiment"!
August 2, 2013
This is not exactly a prototypical Sharpe novel in that there is no pitched battle to be had against Napoleon's forces. Instead, Major Richard Sharpe is back on English soil and his enemy is the British army itself. The wheres and the whos matter little in a Bernard Cornwell book, because you're going to get pretty much the same thing every time, and if you like/love it once, you'll like/love it again and again. Cornwell knows his winning formula inside and out. He excels at action sequences. He knows how to pile the pain on his main character. He can draw up a super bad baddy with the best of them. And, he can construct an improbable-victory-against-impossilbe-odds scenario like nobody's business. You're in good hands with Bernard Cornwell, provided these are the hands you want to place yourself in.
Why wouldn't you? Well, once you've read one Sharpe book you've read them all. Yes, the scenery changes occasionally, Sharpes allies and enemies vary somewhat now and then, and the path Sharpe has to take to win the day isn't always exactly the same. However, Cornwell's formula is quite transparent to even the most careless reader. Sharpe will always be wronged by someone, often someone within his own army and most usually a higher up officer. He'll have to prove himself, time and again. If there's an alluring woman to be had, Sharpe will have her, and there are always alluring women to be had. Sharpe is a tall, dark, ruggedly handsome soldier, so regardless of the woman's background, each and every one of them goes squishy on him.
Geez, listen to me whine, whine whine! By now you're probably looking around, thinking you meant to read a book review and accidentally stepped into a vineyard. Look, the bottom line is, Bernard Cornwell's got a good thing going and he's riding it for all its worth. Either you like it or don't. If you do, check your critical eye at the door and hope on board for an enjoyable trip back to war-torn, early 1800s Europe. There you will find a lovable, right bastard to root for. He'll do some dirty deeds for dirt cheap and in some way, shape or form he'll get his due in a satisfying end.
Why wouldn't you? Well, once you've read one Sharpe book you've read them all. Yes, the scenery changes occasionally, Sharpes allies and enemies vary somewhat now and then, and the path Sharpe has to take to win the day isn't always exactly the same. However, Cornwell's formula is quite transparent to even the most careless reader. Sharpe will always be wronged by someone, often someone within his own army and most usually a higher up officer. He'll have to prove himself, time and again. If there's an alluring woman to be had, Sharpe will have her, and there are always alluring women to be had. Sharpe is a tall, dark, ruggedly handsome soldier, so regardless of the woman's background, each and every one of them goes squishy on him.
Geez, listen to me whine, whine whine! By now you're probably looking around, thinking you meant to read a book review and accidentally stepped into a vineyard. Look, the bottom line is, Bernard Cornwell's got a good thing going and he's riding it for all its worth. Either you like it or don't. If you do, check your critical eye at the door and hope on board for an enjoyable trip back to war-torn, early 1800s Europe. There you will find a lovable, right bastard to root for. He'll do some dirty deeds for dirt cheap and in some way, shape or form he'll get his due in a satisfying end.
August 6, 2024
Испания е отвоювана и французите са почти изцяло изхвърлени от нея. Войската на Уелингтън се готви усилено за нахлуване в Наполеонова Франция.
Шарп и батальонът му очакват свежи попълнения от Англия, където трябва да е събран и обучен нов набор, но както се оказва, подготвени попълнения няма - някакси те ��а изчезнали...
Вместо това идва писмо, което предвижда Южен Есекс да бъде разформирован напълно и съставът му от офицери и войници да бъде разпръснат из останалите батальони на армията.
Шарп и Харпър заминават за Лондон, твърдо решени да открият какво става и да спасят частта си. Там ги очакват бюрокрация, интриги и стари врагове. Както и набиращия новобранци сержант Хорейшо Хавърсак. :)
P.S. В книгата почти няма сражения, но отново е много интересна.
Шарп и батальонът му очакват свежи попълнения от Англия, където трябва да е събран и обучен нов набор, но както се оказва, подготвени попълнения няма - някакси те ��а изчезнали...
Вместо това идва писмо, което предвижда Южен Есекс да бъде разформирован напълно и съставът му от офицери и войници да бъде разпръснат из останалите батальони на армията.
Шарп и Харпър заминават за Лондон, твърдо решени да открият какво става и да спасят частта си. Там ги очакват бюрокрация, интриги и стари врагове. Както и набиращия новобранци сержант Хорейшо Хавърсак. :)
P.S. В книгата почти няма сражения, но отново е много интересна.
July 23, 2020
A Sharpe book using more of a plot then "the formula" shocking! the plot goes that as the South Essex regiment numbers are dwindled by war they will need replacement from England or this illustrious regiment will be disbanded and scattered to other divisions a fate usually reserved for losing/bad regiments. it's seen as a failure. and Sharpe can't stand the idea of his regiment that captured a eagle at Talavera, stormed the breach at Badajoz, and was victorious at Vitoria to be a disbanded failure. Never fear the South Essex has been recruiting in England since Sharpe took the eagle and the have another battalion that should be arriving any week now. but after they never do Shape decides to go back to England and find out where they are and bring them back for the upcoming invasion of France that of course Sharpe wants to be a part of.
It's rare that book in the Sharpe series have such compelling well written plot. So i won't spoil it for you. but i will tease you. Sharpe runs a fowl of a corrupt Lord politician who tries to kill him. Is "played" with by a lady aristocrat. Harper and Sharpe have to be recruited back into the south Essex as privates to find the lost 2nd battalion. Only to Find Lord Henry Simmerson who should have nothing to do with his old Battalion in charge and a bunch of ineptly vengeful officers. he also meets a Crown princes, and his future second wife Jane Gibbons.
There is a pretty exciting battle at the end with Major Sharpe in total command. where the South Essex unifies as the Duke of York own volunteers and if you want to know how that name came about you'll have to read this Sharpe book with a wonderfully executed plot!
It's rare that book in the Sharpe series have such compelling well written plot. So i won't spoil it for you. but i will tease you. Sharpe runs a fowl of a corrupt Lord politician who tries to kill him. Is "played" with by a lady aristocrat. Harper and Sharpe have to be recruited back into the south Essex as privates to find the lost 2nd battalion. Only to Find Lord Henry Simmerson who should have nothing to do with his old Battalion in charge and a bunch of ineptly vengeful officers. he also meets a Crown princes, and his future second wife Jane Gibbons.
There is a pretty exciting battle at the end with Major Sharpe in total command. where the South Essex unifies as the Duke of York own volunteers and if you want to know how that name came about you'll have to read this Sharpe book with a wonderfully executed plot!
April 2, 2023
The most unique in that it takes place almost completely away from a war setting with a mystery afoot, the return of some snooty enemies and colourful characters from the past and some of the biggest fist thumping and laugh out loud moments of the entire series. Riveting from start to finish. Probably my second favourite at this point.
GOD SAVE IRELAND 🇮🇪
GOD SAVE IRELAND 🇮🇪
January 29, 2022
A series that keeps going from strength to strength. This time, a change of scenery bringing Sharpe to England keeps it feeling fresh and introduces a new set of supporting characters to look forward to I the books to come. Enthralling adventure.
July 28, 2023
Another fantastic Sharpe novel from Bernard Cornwell published in 1986, the seventh novel in publication order. A good mystery with interesting historical and political details. Some very tense but ultimately supremely satisfying moments. So interesting to see Sharpe and harper in england for a change. Really atmospheric, such good writing. I felt like I was lined up for inspection with the other soldiers. So good. I have only read about dozen of cornwell’s novels but I have enjoyed them all and he is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
January 13, 2011
I've been reading the Sharpe series for around seven years now (starting at the very beginning) and I'm finally getting towards the end - only four more books to go after this one! Not that I'm planning to rush the final few, in fact I'll draw them out and savour them as I have always done.
SHARPE'S REGIMENT offers something a bit different to the usual Peninsular action. This one's more of a conspiracy book (a la SHARPE'S PREY or GALLOWS THIEF), with Sharpe returning to England to investigate a whole battalion of missing soldiers.
What follows is typically enthralling and much enlivened by the prospect of Sharpe and Harper turning back the clock and finding themselves where it all began years before. I won't spoil it, but I had a ball with the action in Essex, which even includes a little MOST DANGEROUS GAME-type scenario.
I found the ending to be very slightly disappointing but that's to do with the nature of the story - it couldn't have been written any other way. Harper gets a lot of characterisation this time around, while we see Sharpe become obsessed with passion. The very beginning and very end are involved with Wellington's Invasion of France, and while they're unnecessary to the plot as a whole, they add a little tradition for the fans. SHARPE'S SIEGE is the next.
I read and finished this book (in on-and-off instalments) in around 30 hours.
SHARPE'S REGIMENT offers something a bit different to the usual Peninsular action. This one's more of a conspiracy book (a la SHARPE'S PREY or GALLOWS THIEF), with Sharpe returning to England to investigate a whole battalion of missing soldiers.
What follows is typically enthralling and much enlivened by the prospect of Sharpe and Harper turning back the clock and finding themselves where it all began years before. I won't spoil it, but I had a ball with the action in Essex, which even includes a little MOST DANGEROUS GAME-type scenario.
I found the ending to be very slightly disappointing but that's to do with the nature of the story - it couldn't have been written any other way. Harper gets a lot of characterisation this time around, while we see Sharpe become obsessed with passion. The very beginning and very end are involved with Wellington's Invasion of France, and while they're unnecessary to the plot as a whole, they add a little tradition for the fans. SHARPE'S SIEGE is the next.
I read and finished this book (in on-and-off instalments) in around 30 hours.
October 22, 2022
Sharpe #17. Another re-read. The invasion of France mid- to late-1813. Only with this book, most of the fighting is done by Sharpe and a few of his Riflemen back in England.
This book begins a few days after the last book, Sharpe's Honor, ended. Major Sharpe is sent back to England to find out why his Second Battalion has not been sent to the war front in Spain. Once there he accumulates A whole host of both enemies and allies, some of which are in the nosebleed sections of society. He really gets bowled over with the seediness of the political scene in London. I hate politics with a passion, but it was immersive reading! His coping skills navigating this cesspit and his unique Sharpe-i-ness are extremely entertaining.
For many reasons that I won't spoil for anyone, he winds up at the inhospitable Island of Foulness in Essex along with RSM Harper. (Foulness is a real place, by the way!) There we meet friends, frenemies, enemies, and a terrific storyline!
This is the third time that I've read this one, and I still loved it.
This book begins a few days after the last book, Sharpe's Honor, ended. Major Sharpe is sent back to England to find out why his Second Battalion has not been sent to the war front in Spain. Once there he accumulates A whole host of both enemies and allies, some of which are in the nosebleed sections of society. He really gets bowled over with the seediness of the political scene in London. I hate politics with a passion, but it was immersive reading! His coping skills navigating this cesspit and his unique Sharpe-i-ness are extremely entertaining.
For many reasons that I won't spoil for anyone, he winds up at the inhospitable Island of Foulness in Essex along with RSM Harper. (Foulness is a real place, by the way!) There we meet friends, frenemies, enemies, and a terrific storyline!
This is the third time that I've read this one, and I still loved it.
January 26, 2023
This is a real oddity in the Sharpe series -- with the whole thing except the final epilogue battle scene in Spain taking place back in England with an entirely fictionalized plot away from any war. And it was great fun!
We got to see a new side of the British military experience -- recruiting new soldiers and their initial training, with all the corruption that came along with it -- all amidst some new colorful and loathsome villains, and even a hilarious portrait of the British crown princes, who make a few great appearances on the page.
Sharpe's personal/romantic drama in this one was more engaging than in most of the previous books, and there were some really standout scenes that ratcheted up the grit and tension and suspense as well. Unfortunately, the novel's main plot came to a fairly non-climactic end, which is preventing it from becoming one of the many 5-star Sharpe reads for me. However, the long epilogue battle sequence was a great scene and a satisfying way to wrap things up, which did partly make up for the lackluster conclusion to the main fictional plot of the book.
As always, Rupert Farley's narration was stupendous and had me in stitches at points. It doesn't get much better than these audiobooks for a fun and engaging time with a military adventure. Great book!
We got to see a new side of the British military experience -- recruiting new soldiers and their initial training, with all the corruption that came along with it -- all amidst some new colorful and loathsome villains, and even a hilarious portrait of the British crown princes, who make a few great appearances on the page.
Sharpe's personal/romantic drama in this one was more engaging than in most of the previous books, and there were some really standout scenes that ratcheted up the grit and tension and suspense as well. Unfortunately, the novel's main plot came to a fairly non-climactic end, which is preventing it from becoming one of the many 5-star Sharpe reads for me. However, the long epilogue battle sequence was a great scene and a satisfying way to wrap things up, which did partly make up for the lackluster conclusion to the main fictional plot of the book.
As always, Rupert Farley's narration was stupendous and had me in stitches at points. It doesn't get much better than these audiobooks for a fun and engaging time with a military adventure. Great book!
April 18, 2021
Cornwall works his magic of recreating famous battles in the Napoleonic wars
Sharpe is sent to England to find recruits. He is a great warrior but unprepared for the treachery of titled men who have never faced an enemy in battle. Sharpe finds rear-echelon officers, cooking the books and pocketing funds intended for the men in the ranks. When it looks like Sharpe is out-foxed by a scondrel in the War Dept, he is saved by an unexpected benefactor. His honor and battalion restored, Sharp returns to Spain to join the invasion of France!
Sharpe is sent to England to find recruits. He is a great warrior but unprepared for the treachery of titled men who have never faced an enemy in battle. Sharpe finds rear-echelon officers, cooking the books and pocketing funds intended for the men in the ranks. When it looks like Sharpe is out-foxed by a scondrel in the War Dept, he is saved by an unexpected benefactor. His honor and battalion restored, Sharp returns to Spain to join the invasion of France!
December 21, 2023
Lost a star because of Buttons - it was a cheap, lazy thing that spoiled a really good installment.
October 1, 2022
This was a truly superb entry in Sharpe's long story. How refreshing for him to not be facing French enemies in Spain, but corrupt English officers and politicians (new and old enemies). I tend to enjoy seeing Sharpe a little out of his element, and that is certainly the case with the types of challenges he faces here. In Sharpe's Regiment, Cornwell also has the opportunity to illuminate the reader on further realities of recruitment and army organization of the Napoleonic era. Simply put, this is first-rate "Sharpe's," in action, villainy, setting, romance- the whole whirlwind.
June 11, 2025
The French have almost been driven out of Spain and Sharpe and the South Essex are sitting in a port in Northern Spain waiting for desperately needed reinforcements. General Nairn Sharpe, along with Harper, Captain d'Alembord, and Lt. Price to London to find out what is holding up the reinforcements. Arriving in England Sharpe finds that the Second Regiment of the South Essex has disappeared and he's faced with having to find them, bucking up against political machinations at the highest levels of government and facing up against old enemies, in the form of Sir Henry Simmerson and new enemies with even more power than the disgraced ex-Colonel.
From the description I commenced this one with trepidation. Sharpe is pretty hopelessly naive when it comes to dealing with the gentry and with bureaucrats, which is to be expected given his background. But I thought that taking him out of the war setting and putting him in what is in some ways a political thriller was a bad fit. However, Cornwell pulls it off quite well. It also shows the, frankly, rather absurd way that the British Army was raised and reinforced during the early 19th Century. It's something of a wonder that Wellington was able to defeat Napoleon (thank you Russia and General Winter).
So, far from disliking this one, I thought it was quite good. Sharpe is still terrible at dealing with both the upper crust and with women. Which makes him human. Given his excellence at warfare, he has to have some flaw.
From the description I commenced this one with trepidation. Sharpe is pretty hopelessly naive when it comes to dealing with the gentry and with bureaucrats, which is to be expected given his background. But I thought that taking him out of the war setting and putting him in what is in some ways a political thriller was a bad fit. However, Cornwell pulls it off quite well. It also shows the, frankly, rather absurd way that the British Army was raised and reinforced during the early 19th Century. It's something of a wonder that Wellington was able to defeat Napoleon (thank you Russia and General Winter).
So, far from disliking this one, I thought it was quite good. Sharpe is still terrible at dealing with both the upper crust and with women. Which makes him human. Given his excellence at warfare, he has to have some flaw.
January 12, 2022
I contemplated giving this book 5 stars but there were a couple of things that grated with me. First of all, it's quite unlike most of the other books and there's far less battle action, but it is clever (despite being somewhat unbelievable). The characters are well-rounded and there's no two-dimensional villain in this one.
This book's epilogue is Cornwell at his best and has to be read / listened to before one can say they completed this book. During it, a number of the characters make their mark or draw their first blood. I'm just getting a little bored of the beautiful women always throwing themselves at Sharpe. If we're introduced to a rose amongst thorns, you know she will end up in bed with Sharpe by Chapter 4!
This book's epilogue is Cornwell at his best and has to be read / listened to before one can say they completed this book. During it, a number of the characters make their mark or draw their first blood. I'm just getting a little bored of the beautiful women always throwing themselves at Sharpe. If we're introduced to a rose amongst thorns, you know she will end up in bed with Sharpe by Chapter 4!
April 7, 2021
As far as the series goes this is a pretty lighthearted adventure. There is not any really great danger. Sharpe doesn't find himself bloody, broken, and forsaken. It's very just fun! Harper and Sharpe off on an adventure! Then vs. the British government. Then vs. Simmerson again. It's just fun.
I was lamenting as I read it that this was probably the only Sharpe's without an epic battle. I mean that's where Cornwell really shines, the battles. But, then he did a small battle in the epilogue, so that was fine.
Fun, but not really a lot of trials and suffering.
I was lamenting as I read it that this was probably the only Sharpe's without an epic battle. I mean that's where Cornwell really shines, the battles. But, then he did a small battle in the epilogue, so that was fine.
Fun, but not really a lot of trials and suffering.
March 19, 2022
[3.4 stars, I liked it, may read again]
*mild spoiler*
Sharpe's Regiment is a bit of a diversion from the usual battle-per-book fare Bernard Cornwell has been providing. Taking a trip back to England to discover where his reinforcements are, we are led through the corruption in the English military where Richard Sharpe extricates his regiment and himself using more innovative gambits and return to Spain to .... fight a battle.
*mild spoiler*
Sharpe's Regiment is a bit of a diversion from the usual battle-per-book fare Bernard Cornwell has been providing. Taking a trip back to England to discover where his reinforcements are, we are led through the corruption in the English military where Richard Sharpe extricates his regiment and himself using more innovative gambits and return to Spain to .... fight a battle.
March 6, 2018
Bookended with scenes on the continent, but the bulk of the story is a change of pace for the series with its focus on domestic political intrigue in England. Both informative and entertaining, it establishes new characters who hopefully will continue in the series and seamlessly re-introduces old ones as well.
August 6, 2021
Sharpe heads back to England to find out why they are not getting any new recruits and chaos ensues. He solves the mystery with violence and audacity, as Sharpe is wont to do. Cornwell is even able to fit in a battle in the epilog. This series is so great it helped me to wash away the memory of the mediocre novel I read recently.
December 6, 2017
I took a break from thIs series, and when I went back to this one, I realized how much I love Richard Sharpe. Not the battle action heavy book of past ones, but thick with intrigue and history. I enjoyed.
December 13, 2022
Another cracking story, this time based in England in which he searches for a lost regiment. The TV adaption of this story was very good. Here we have a fight against corruption and it is not going to give anything away by saying that it all works out for the best.
Read
August 17, 2025This series just continues getting better.
January 8, 2026
Bernard Cornwall is the best story teller. His descriptions are so good you feel you are there experiencing it with the characters. Love this series.
April 1, 2019
Typical Sharpe. Entertaining, fun new setting, the outcome not in doubt. The prose can be over-the-top; Cornwell's a little too in love with his hero.
December 21, 2021
No 17 in the series and Sharpe is sent back to England to find new recruits or else his beloved regiment will be disbanded.
It was interesting to read how uninterested the general public and the well-to-do were in the war against France. Also the tricks played by recruiters in enticing/entrapping their victims into the Army. And then there was the unpopular (mad) King and the equally unpopular Regent.
The story revolves around some very corrupt practices conducted by senior officers and officials in basically running a cattle market of new recruits selling them to the highest bidder.
I probably found the book less interesting than the others but the social aspects were interesting.
Oh, and Sharpe finds a new wife.
It was interesting to read how uninterested the general public and the well-to-do were in the war against France. Also the tricks played by recruiters in enticing/entrapping their victims into the Army. And then there was the unpopular (mad) King and the equally unpopular Regent.
The story revolves around some very corrupt practices conducted by senior officers and officials in basically running a cattle market of new recruits selling them to the highest bidder.
I probably found the book less interesting than the others but the social aspects were interesting.
Oh, and Sharpe finds a new wife.
October 4, 2017
Sharpe’s Regiment could be subtitled Sharpe versus the London Bureaucracy. Most Sharpe books follow a familiar formula, where Sharpe must overcome a plot by the French or French supporters that will involve a battle or two. Along the way Sharpe will best a superior officer who underestimates him because he’s not a gentlemen and have sex with a woman that all the other officers lust after and would otherwise seem out of Sharpe’s social strata. Up until this point, the most that formula has diverged has been in Sharpe’s Trafalgar (where the action took place via a naval battle), and Sharpe’s Prey (which featured Sharpe operating as an intelligence officer in Denmark). In Sharpe’s Regiment there are echoes of the familiar tropes, but for most of the book it is a very nice departure from the standard Sharpe setting that still feels true to the characters.
After Wellington’s successful campaign in Spain, the French forces have been driven out of the country and it appears there will be some downtime in the action. With no need for Richard Sharpe’s expertise on the battlefield, Sharpe is dispatched back to England to find the missing reinforcements owed to the South Essex. From my memory, this is only the third return to his homeland through 17 books in the series (once to get married, another trip was to his old boy’s home that he grew up in), but those were both minor scenes in their respective stories. Aside from a prologue and epilogue, the rest of the story is spent in England in a very different setting than the usual battlefield. Sharpe gets to have dinner with a prince, be honored at a theater, and receive countless other accolades as a hero returning to his native land.
The tension in the book comes from the question of where the South Essex reinforcements are located? According to some in the military, they are merely a “paper army,” existing only as a theoretical allotment in bookkeeping. Sharpe doesn’t buy it, and to investigate he, Harper and one other officer go and enlist under fake names and see where the trail leads. The cast of characters in this book is mostly new faces, with several inexperienced recruits falling into fun archetypes (the educated one, the one with the dog, the complainer, etc.) and evil officers in the British ranks.
Some of the best moments in the book come from the unique position of Sharpe and Harper needing to be deserters, or needing to shoot back in a situation where they don’t want to kill British soldiers. It’s easy to predict the comeuppance that will occur once their true identities are revealed but it doesn’t diminish the fun of seeing Sharpe and Harper gloat over those that wronged them. Less successful are Sharpe’s romantic exploits, which include a woman seemingly created solely to facilitate the drama, and the return of one of Sharpe’s dream girls (Jane) who was not particularly memorable in her first appearance. Cornwell struggles to make her interesting, even writing how Sharpe senses the repartee that will be forthcoming between Jane and Harper, while not delivering any actual memorable moments. Also, it feels as though Cornwell felt obligated to deliver one large battle which seemed out of place with the rest of story. Overall though, this was not only the most unique book in the series thus far, but a fun adventure that felt true to the characters.
After Wellington’s successful campaign in Spain, the French forces have been driven out of the country and it appears there will be some downtime in the action. With no need for Richard Sharpe’s expertise on the battlefield, Sharpe is dispatched back to England to find the missing reinforcements owed to the South Essex. From my memory, this is only the third return to his homeland through 17 books in the series (once to get married, another trip was to his old boy’s home that he grew up in), but those were both minor scenes in their respective stories. Aside from a prologue and epilogue, the rest of the story is spent in England in a very different setting than the usual battlefield. Sharpe gets to have dinner with a prince, be honored at a theater, and receive countless other accolades as a hero returning to his native land.
The tension in the book comes from the question of where the South Essex reinforcements are located? According to some in the military, they are merely a “paper army,” existing only as a theoretical allotment in bookkeeping. Sharpe doesn’t buy it, and to investigate he, Harper and one other officer go and enlist under fake names and see where the trail leads. The cast of characters in this book is mostly new faces, with several inexperienced recruits falling into fun archetypes (the educated one, the one with the dog, the complainer, etc.) and evil officers in the British ranks.
Some of the best moments in the book come from the unique position of Sharpe and Harper needing to be deserters, or needing to shoot back in a situation where they don’t want to kill British soldiers. It’s easy to predict the comeuppance that will occur once their true identities are revealed but it doesn’t diminish the fun of seeing Sharpe and Harper gloat over those that wronged them. Less successful are Sharpe’s romantic exploits, which include a woman seemingly created solely to facilitate the drama, and the return of one of Sharpe’s dream girls (Jane) who was not particularly memorable in her first appearance. Cornwell struggles to make her interesting, even writing how Sharpe senses the repartee that will be forthcoming between Jane and Harper, while not delivering any actual memorable moments. Also, it feels as though Cornwell felt obligated to deliver one large battle which seemed out of place with the rest of story. Overall though, this was not only the most unique book in the series thus far, but a fun adventure that felt true to the characters.
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