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Sharpe #16
Sharpes Feind (Richard Sharpe
Winter, 1812. Wellingtons Armee hat sich nach Portugal zurückgezogen, um das Frühjahr abzuwarten. Doch Ruhe ist nicht in Sicht, denn eine Bande von Deserteuren hat im Namen der britischen Armee fürchterliche Gräueltaten auf spanischem Boden begangen. Wellington gibt den Befehl, die Schurken aufzuspüren und zu bestrafen - eine Aufgabe für Richard Sharpe und seine Rifles. Als sie sich auf den Weg machen, ahnt Sharpe nicht, dass unter den Deserteuren auch sein erbittertster Feind ist: Sergeant Hakeswill.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
515 people are currently reading
2685 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Cornwell
533 books19k 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 278 reviews
November 14, 2021
It felt good to get back in the saddle with rifleman Richard Sharpe! Sharpe's Enemy was one of author Bernard Cornwell's original books in the series. Written in the mid-80s it has all the rough and raw qualities I've come to know and love about these books!
Number fifteen balances the personal with the professional. We get plenty of fighting, Sharpe's expertise, and we get a bit of his fumbling family affairs, where he doesn't shine. Sharpe's long-standing feud with his personal nemesis comes to a head in a satisfying way. Victory and tragedy strike our tough hero and Cornwell deftly handles both.
Cornwell is great at weaving history into his fiction. Here he beats it like a blacksmith into the shape he desires. While some of the details are true to real life - there were deserters fitting the description described herein - Cornwell fudged some of the other details in order to place his main character at the center of the action. That's a-okay with me. I'm not reading these books for their historical exactitude. I just appreciate all the effort the author did make in getting the historical details correct. If you like reading fiction set during the Napoleonic Wars, you've come to the right place!
Number fifteen balances the personal with the professional. We get plenty of fighting, Sharpe's expertise, and we get a bit of his fumbling family affairs, where he doesn't shine. Sharpe's long-standing feud with his personal nemesis comes to a head in a satisfying way. Victory and tragedy strike our tough hero and Cornwell deftly handles both.
Cornwell is great at weaving history into his fiction. Here he beats it like a blacksmith into the shape he desires. While some of the details are true to real life - there were deserters fitting the description described herein - Cornwell fudged some of the other details in order to place his main character at the center of the action. That's a-okay with me. I'm not reading these books for their historical exactitude. I just appreciate all the effort the author did make in getting the historical details correct. If you like reading fiction set during the Napoleonic Wars, you've come to the right place!
March 10, 2020
‘I assume I’m expendable, sir.’
‘You’re a soldier, aren’t you? Of course you’re expendable!’
Sharpe was still smiling. He was a soldier, and a lady needed rescuing, and was that not what soldiers throughout history had done? The smile became wider. ‘Of course I’ll go, sir. With pleasure.’
This is “The Expendables” in their winter of 1812 incarnation. As Wellington’s army winters in Portugal, preparing for the spring offensive against the Napoleonic forces in Spain, a band of deserters from both sides attack a mountain village on the border, kill the local men, rape the local women and take a number of very high value hostages. Richard Sharpe, recently promoted to a temporary field rank of Major, is sent to try and recover the distressed ladies.
A soldier, the Scotsman had said, is a man who fights for people who cannot fight for themselves.
The good news is: this episode is one of the very best in the long running series. Even better: a new reader can start right here without missing much of the previous developments. With his brand new promotion, Richard Sharpe undergoes a major shift of focus in his martial career. While still promoted by the author as the perfect embodiment of the professional soldier, Sharpe goes from personal feats of skill and derring-do, ferocity and bloody-mindedness, to a backseat leadership role, more in line with his new rank, where he can prove he is more than a simple soldier promoted up from the ranks. Sharpe has the chance to convince us he is a genuine tactical, strategic genius as he plans his campaign carefully, uses the different troops allocated to him to their best abilities, reacts to new developments and improvises in the field as the conflicts unfolds, taking on forces more than ten times his effective.
While the campaign against deserters in a remote mountain pass may be viewed as a diversion in the overall scheme of the Napoleonic wars (and it’s entirely made up in the imagination of the author), for the patient reader who has followed Richard Sharpe right from the early days of his campaigning as a soldier in the Indian campaign, this is a true cornerstone of the series. An inkling of its importance in the life of its fictional hero may be deduced right from the title, a reference to Sharpe’s nemesis form that “Sharpe’s Tiger” debut story, where the young man was flogged near to death by a devious, ruthless Sergeant named Obadiah Hakeswill. The same Hakeswill is now the second in command of the army of deserters holding the high ground in the Gateway of God pass. A confrontation between the two is inevitable.
I was getting a little tired of the series and of Sharpe’s alleged perfection in the art of war. I’ve been reading them all in chronological order and becoming quite resentful of the author’s apparent celebration of mass slaughter and of the men who excel in this activity. That earlier quote about a true soldier’s role almost made me reconsider Richard Sharpe and his exploits. He is up to his old tricks in the mountains between Portugal and Spain, a poster perfect Gary Stu sort of character, but Bernard Cornwell is managing somehow to bring him down to a regular human level here. His numerous love affairs from previous episodes resurface here with both comedic and tragic implications while his past as an orphan boy on the streets of London and his rise from the ranks allow Sharpe to be a true leader, concerned with the welfare of his troops, not only with victory at all costs.
I have commented before that the thing that keeps me coming back to the series is the talent of Cornwell to mix actual historical events with clear, engaging descriptions of military action and with likable characters. His books are tightly plotted, free of unnecessary filler, action intensive and effortlessly emotional intense when they need to be. Sharpe is supported in his winter campaign by a few of these very well sketched secondary characters like the Major General Nairn who sends him on an apparent suicidal mission or Lieutenant Frederickson, an almost carbon-copy of Sharpe commanding a troop of Riflemen. Sergeant Harper is as always reliably by the side of Richard with his signature seven-barrel gun and even the despicable Obadiah puts in a memorable performance.
I deliberately left the actual details of the set battles between Richard Sharpe and the deserters or the French troops vague in order not to spoil the plot of the novel for the potential readers. But I feel I should make a mention of the new weapon that is put to unexpected and unintended use by Sharpe on top of the Gateway of God:
Congreve’s rockets looked like the fireworks that celebrated Royal days in London, except these were much bigger. Gilliland’s smallest rocket was fully eleven feet long, two feet of which was the cylinder containing the powder propulsion and tipped with with a roundshot or shell, the rest made up of the rocket’s stout stick. The largest rocket, according to Gilliland, was twenty-eight feet long, its head taller than a man, and its load more than fifty pounds of explosive.
In an afterword explaining his choice of weapon, Bernard Cornwell comes up with the kind of trivia that makes the story so exciting in retrospect: these rockets may not have been used in the Peninsular war, but they are actually mentioned in the “Star-Spangled Banner” a song that was written originally about the British siege of Fort McHenry in 1812, were the Congreve rockets were actually used.
I have high hopes of the next episode in the Sharpe epic. Considering that I’ve been reading them for at least four years, I might even take the plunge and read them faster in order to get the whole damn thing done and start on something else.
May 27, 2020
I hesitate to call this the best of the series. Probably one of the best. Certainly a climax! I defiantly feel like the GREAT Bernard Cornwell went all out in this entry. Cornwell pulls out all the stops. Sharpe's Enemy feels epic! But has some technical flaws because at the date of publication (1984) Cornwell is still honing his craft he is not the GREAT Bernard Cornwell yet, best Historical fiction writer of his generation. He is the author of the best selling Sharpe Series and riding the tides of fortune like his star character!
This is a complete Sharpe novel. Everything you expect from the series. the formula is here Sharpe, Harper, his rifleman, Teresa and the most villainous character in the entire series Obadiah Hakeswill is here. the French are here with and honorable enemy in Col. Duberton. A Pompous superior in Lord Farthingale Who is a real life person who did plagiarizer his book. Josefina LaCosta returns to cause some trouble in Sharpe's marriage I never liked her anyway. A new ally in captain Fredrickson is introduced who is a soldier's soldier like Sharpe. Also a villain Pierre Ducos who seem to be the new primary villain of the series. As in all the Sharpe books the Characters are all well written with solid motives and good dialogue.
The moment at the beginning of the book when Sharpe is promoted to Major filled me with so much pride as someone who has been with him since he was a private in India! the story starts out with a horrible act perpetrated by Hakeswill and his army of deserters. At a Spanish holy town known as the gateway of God. Which Sharpe is appointed to avenge. Sharpe's chivalrous side is shown again as part of the mission is to save three French officer wives and a English lord's lady. He commands a battlefield in the end and although this took the story away from the south Essex's riflemen and Harper, it was fun to see him in control of the whole battle. The events depicted are almost all fictitious which is a draw back for me. The ending is devastating. no spoilers from me. Not sure where the narrative will go from here Sharpe's Enemy seems to culminate many storylines in the series but the war will go on so the series will go on not sure it will be as great as before Sharpe's Enemy!
This is a complete Sharpe novel. Everything you expect from the series. the formula is here Sharpe, Harper, his rifleman, Teresa and the most villainous character in the entire series Obadiah Hakeswill is here. the French are here with and honorable enemy in Col. Duberton. A Pompous superior in Lord Farthingale Who is a real life person who did plagiarizer his book. Josefina LaCosta returns to cause some trouble in Sharpe's marriage I never liked her anyway. A new ally in captain Fredrickson is introduced who is a soldier's soldier like Sharpe. Also a villain Pierre Ducos who seem to be the new primary villain of the series. As in all the Sharpe books the Characters are all well written with solid motives and good dialogue.
The moment at the beginning of the book when Sharpe is promoted to Major filled me with so much pride as someone who has been with him since he was a private in India! the story starts out with a horrible act perpetrated by Hakeswill and his army of deserters. At a Spanish holy town known as the gateway of God. Which Sharpe is appointed to avenge. Sharpe's chivalrous side is shown again as part of the mission is to save three French officer wives and a English lord's lady. He commands a battlefield in the end and although this took the story away from the south Essex's riflemen and Harper, it was fun to see him in control of the whole battle. The events depicted are almost all fictitious which is a draw back for me. The ending is devastating. no spoilers from me. Not sure where the narrative will go from here Sharpe's Enemy seems to culminate many storylines in the series but the war will go on so the series will go on not sure it will be as great as before Sharpe's Enemy!
April 29, 2019
Number 15 in The Sharpe’s Series.
This is a bit of a departure from the previous Sharpe books inasmuch as this is the pure fiction. Normally Bernard Cornwell serves up a goodly amount of real history in the Sharpe books but not here. Sharpe is still fighting the good fight in Portugal and Spain but this particular battle never took place. Not that it makes a scrap of difference to me; it’s still a bloody good yarn.
The good news is now Sharpe has been promoted to Major and as a Major he plays a much bigger part in shaping the coming battle.
Sharpe’s arch nemesis ‘Obadiah Hakeswell’ once again is front and centre for this yarn. Obadiah now calling himself ‘Coronel Hakeswell’ is a deserter in an army of deserters. Of course everywhere this rabble goes murder, rape and pillage follows. But this time they have gone too far, they have captured two ladies, the wives of high ranking British and French officers and holding them hostage.
It’s time to teach this rabble a lesson and who better to instruct them than Richard Sharpe.
Along the way a battle of much more importance is looming and this battle will give Sharpe the opportunity to show his true value to the war effort against the armies of France.
Bernard Cornwell continues to put the reader right in heart of the battle with all the elation, all the adrenaline and all the gore.
Another highly entertaining read. 4/5 stars.
This is a bit of a departure from the previous Sharpe books inasmuch as this is the pure fiction. Normally Bernard Cornwell serves up a goodly amount of real history in the Sharpe books but not here. Sharpe is still fighting the good fight in Portugal and Spain but this particular battle never took place. Not that it makes a scrap of difference to me; it’s still a bloody good yarn.
The good news is now Sharpe has been promoted to Major and as a Major he plays a much bigger part in shaping the coming battle.
Sharpe’s arch nemesis ‘Obadiah Hakeswell’ once again is front and centre for this yarn. Obadiah now calling himself ‘Coronel Hakeswell’ is a deserter in an army of deserters. Of course everywhere this rabble goes murder, rape and pillage follows. But this time they have gone too far, they have captured two ladies, the wives of high ranking British and French officers and holding them hostage.
It’s time to teach this rabble a lesson and who better to instruct them than Richard Sharpe.
Along the way a battle of much more importance is looming and this battle will give Sharpe the opportunity to show his true value to the war effort against the armies of France.
Bernard Cornwell continues to put the reader right in heart of the battle with all the elation, all the adrenaline and all the gore.
Another highly entertaining read. 4/5 stars.
August 30, 2025
При всяка една война, неизменно има много дезертьори. Една част от тях просто са доволни да се скатаят някъде на топло и да чакат бурята да ги подмине. Но на много анархията е заразила ума и сърцата и формирайки банди, често дори малки армии, те тормозят безмилостно цивилното население и продоволствените отряди на редовните войски. Често извършват неописуеми зверства, защото знаят, че така или иначе пощада няма да има, ако бъдат заловени.
С такава банда безчинстваща в Испания трябва да се справи майор Шарп точно по Коледа. Нападнали и унщожили близко планинско село, те държат в плен съпругите на един британски и на трима френски офицери.
Следва история за смелост, коварство и на пръв поглед обречена битка, но Шарп няма избор. Защото съдбата му готви среща с неговия архивраг и само един от тях може да напусне бойното поле като победител!
Много ми хареса, до среднощ я четох! :)
С такава банда безчинстваща в Испания трябва да се справи майор Шарп точно по Коледа. Нападнали и унщожили близко планинско село, те държат в плен съпругите на един британски и на трима френски офицери.
Следва история за смелост, коварство и на пръв поглед обречена битка, но Шарп няма избор. Защото съдбата му готви среща с неговия архивраг и само един от тях може да напусне бойното поле като победител!
Много ми хареса, до среднощ я четох! :)
October 28, 2025
This exciting historical adventure is now the 16th volume, it was the 15th but due to the book Sharpe's Command has become #16, of the "Richard Sharpe" series.
At the front of the book you'll find a well drawn map of the fictional "The Gateway of God" around the fictional village of Adrados in the West of Spain, and an explanation by Colonel Sir William Congreve in 1814 about his real famous Rocket invention.
Storytelling is great, all characters, real historical and fictional, come splendidly to life in this tale about the fictional Defence of Portugal around Christmastime 1812, while the bloody battles and personal vendettas are wonderfully pictured in this story.
The book is situated around Christmastime 1812, and with newly promoted Major Richard Sharpe and his little army in dire straits against various factions at a fictional place called Adrados in the West of Spain.
On the one hand Sharpe's and his small army are fighting a real army of deserters, consisting of British, Spanish, Portuguese and French soldiers, and in their midst Sharpe's enemy his adversary of old a man called, Obadiah Hakeswill, and later on the French will make their fictional move to try to regain the territory and move into Portugal.
What is to follow is an entertaining and eventful historical adventure, with a new invention, a Rocket, making its debut in this tale, also a decisive battle against the French, and the inevitable conclusion between Sharpe and Hakeswill, and not to forget a very sad family loss for Sharpe, and all this is brought to us in a very refreshing fashion by the author.
Very much recommended, for this is another very worthy addition to this remarkable series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Compelling Conclusive Enemy"!
At the front of the book you'll find a well drawn map of the fictional "The Gateway of God" around the fictional village of Adrados in the West of Spain, and an explanation by Colonel Sir William Congreve in 1814 about his real famous Rocket invention.
Storytelling is great, all characters, real historical and fictional, come splendidly to life in this tale about the fictional Defence of Portugal around Christmastime 1812, while the bloody battles and personal vendettas are wonderfully pictured in this story.
The book is situated around Christmastime 1812, and with newly promoted Major Richard Sharpe and his little army in dire straits against various factions at a fictional place called Adrados in the West of Spain.
On the one hand Sharpe's and his small army are fighting a real army of deserters, consisting of British, Spanish, Portuguese and French soldiers, and in their midst Sharpe's enemy his adversary of old a man called, Obadiah Hakeswill, and later on the French will make their fictional move to try to regain the territory and move into Portugal.
What is to follow is an entertaining and eventful historical adventure, with a new invention, a Rocket, making its debut in this tale, also a decisive battle against the French, and the inevitable conclusion between Sharpe and Hakeswill, and not to forget a very sad family loss for Sharpe, and all this is brought to us in a very refreshing fashion by the author.
Very much recommended, for this is another very worthy addition to this remarkable series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Compelling Conclusive Enemy"!
August 29, 2025
Another masterful instalment in Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series. The tension and pacing are impeccable, keeping me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Cornwell’s portrayal of the Napoleonic Wars is vivid and immersive, blending historical accuracy with thrilling action. Richard Sharpe continues to shine as a complex and compelling hero—brave, clever, and unflinchingly human. I particularly enjoyed the intricate web of allies and enemies, which added depth to the story and kept the stakes high. The battles are described with such precision and intensity that you can practically hear the clash of swords and cannon fire. This book reminded me why Sharpe remains one of my favourite series, combining historical detail with unforgettable storytelling.
December 30, 2021
I enjoyed this ceries. It never seemed to grow old with all the new battles. Richard Sharp is a bit of a rogue of a soldier, but he tends to get it done.
He loves to make enamies and lovers along the way.
I recommend this ceries to all.
He loves to make enamies and lovers along the way.
I recommend this ceries to all.
February 9, 2023
This series is set in Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. Romance as well as warfare. Sharpe is a great heroic protagonist.
January 6, 2009
This is perhaps the best of the Sharpe series, and I've read 14 of the 20 I know about. The only volume close to it is "Trafalgar".
Sharpe is most human in this story. He is, as usual, bedeviled by an arrogant aristocrat, Col. Lord Farthingdale, who knows nothing of fighting but is intent on imposing his will on Sharpe.
The true evil villain, Sgt. Obadiah Hakeswill, shows up again in the company of a group of deserters led by the infamous Pot Au Feu, a French deserter. The band have invested a Spanish town, killed most of the men and raped most of the women. Sharpe is sent to ransom Lord Farthingdale's wife who was also captured. In the process he meets up with Col. Dubreton of the French army who is ransoming three kidnapped wives of French officers. They form a bond of mutual respect but later must face each other in battle.
Sharpe's ability to out-think and out-strategize, not only the enemy, but also incompetent British leaders, is a major theme in the story. The battle scenes, as is always true in this series, are incredibly graphic and compelling.
The outcome, while vindicating Sharpe's tactics leaves him heartbroken. I really hated to see this one end.
Sharpe is most human in this story. He is, as usual, bedeviled by an arrogant aristocrat, Col. Lord Farthingdale, who knows nothing of fighting but is intent on imposing his will on Sharpe.
The true evil villain, Sgt. Obadiah Hakeswill, shows up again in the company of a group of deserters led by the infamous Pot Au Feu, a French deserter. The band have invested a Spanish town, killed most of the men and raped most of the women. Sharpe is sent to ransom Lord Farthingdale's wife who was also captured. In the process he meets up with Col. Dubreton of the French army who is ransoming three kidnapped wives of French officers. They form a bond of mutual respect but later must face each other in battle.
Sharpe's ability to out-think and out-strategize, not only the enemy, but also incompetent British leaders, is a major theme in the story. The battle scenes, as is always true in this series, are incredibly graphic and compelling.
The outcome, while vindicating Sharpe's tactics leaves him heartbroken. I really hated to see this one end.
October 7, 2014
For my money, this is the best outing for Cornwell's titular hero. Mid-way through the Peninsular War British officer Richard Sharpe draws his sword for a showdown with arch-enemy Obadia Hakeswill before marshalling his meagre forces, including some new fangled rockets, to stave off a French offensive. Historical fact and fiction mixed to great effect with Cornwall's customary aplomb.
October 5, 2022
Sharpe #15. Another re-read. The events take place around Christmas 1812, more or less around the border between Spain and Portugal.
A gang of deserters has swelled to epic proportions and is ravaging the poor people throughout the countryside. Led by a former French military chef, and yes, I meant chef 😉, the deserters' army consists of English, French, Portuguese, Spanish...basically representative members from most every military group involved in the Peninsular War. Oh, and the loathsome ex-Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill. What an evil character!!!
This army of ruffians is holding several prominent hostages, but primarily Lady Farthingdale and the French Col. Dubreton's wife. Sharpe and his Riflemen are sent to retrieve the hostages and put down the rebellion. The task is given specifically to the Riflemen because (a) Major Sharpe is a force to reckon with, and (b) the Riflemen wear green uniforms. The deserters' army is made up of many different men and uniforms, but none of the uniforms is that color. So the spectacularly practical reason to send the green-jacketed Riflemen is that anyone not in green is an enemy and can be fired upon.
This book is one of my favorites from the entire series. There were so many excellent characters and sections to it! I will leave out most of them so that I'm not spoiler-ish. Without giving away any outcomes, I can say that the confrontational scenes between Sharpe and Hakeswill were both really memorable and truly outstanding!
A gang of deserters has swelled to epic proportions and is ravaging the poor people throughout the countryside. Led by a former French military chef, and yes, I meant chef 😉, the deserters' army consists of English, French, Portuguese, Spanish...basically representative members from most every military group involved in the Peninsular War. Oh, and the loathsome ex-Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill. What an evil character!!!
This army of ruffians is holding several prominent hostages, but primarily Lady Farthingdale and the French Col. Dubreton's wife. Sharpe and his Riflemen are sent to retrieve the hostages and put down the rebellion. The task is given specifically to the Riflemen because (a) Major Sharpe is a force to reckon with, and (b) the Riflemen wear green uniforms. The deserters' army is made up of many different men and uniforms, but none of the uniforms is that color. So the spectacularly practical reason to send the green-jacketed Riflemen is that anyone not in green is an enemy and can be fired upon.
This book is one of my favorites from the entire series. There were so many excellent characters and sections to it! I will leave out most of them so that I'm not spoiler-ish. Without giving away any outcomes, I can say that the confrontational scenes between Sharpe and Hakeswill were both really memorable and truly outstanding!
July 20, 2012
This is, in my mind, the most touching and enjoyable of the Sharpe series to this point. Fantastic.
January 18, 2023
Another solid Sharpe book that kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat through much of the book after a bit of a rocky start. There's a classic British incompetent officer giving Sharpe trouble, the usual villain nastiness, but also a welcome good and honorable French officer who interacts with Sharpe to solve a mutual problem in a very satisfying way. Even though this battle was entirely fictionalized, or maybe because of that, Cornwell was able to ratchet up the tension/suspense and action in a way he sometimes hasn't with some of the less exciting real battles from the Spain/Portugal campaign. He set up a few very satisfying turning points in the battle that surprised the French (and the reader), and that made the long battle sequence quite fun to read. The ending also delivered some fairly powerful and important series-long moments.
October 28, 2025
In the winter of 1812, in a mountain pass called The Gateway of God, a rough group of deserters attacks a border mountain village. Hostages of high value are taken, and Sharpe is given the job of rescuing them. He is given the ransom and sent on his way to capture the deserters and free the hostages.
Sharpe finds the series "bad guy" Obadiah Hakeswill among the deserters, and among the hostages, another person from his past. The French have also come to rescue a hostage, and a short truce has Sharpe consorting with the enemy.
Cornwell does a wonderful job with the many emotions of Sharpe during this episode. As always, Cornwell twists history a bit to place Sharpe in the eye of the events. This does not bother me, as the actual history of the Napoleonic Wars still shines through and I am satisfied with all that I am learning about this conflict
Sharpe finds the series "bad guy" Obadiah Hakeswill among the deserters, and among the hostages, another person from his past. The French have also come to rescue a hostage, and a short truce has Sharpe consorting with the enemy.
Cornwell does a wonderful job with the many emotions of Sharpe during this episode. As always, Cornwell twists history a bit to place Sharpe in the eye of the events. This does not bother me, as the actual history of the Napoleonic Wars still shines through and I am satisfied with all that I am learning about this conflict
April 11, 2019
I've never done a review for a book in the Sharpe series because I never felt there was a need. They are all excellent works of historical fiction and can be read in any order. However, this book really stands out. Important characters are introduced, other ones at killed off, and Sharpe's life changes forever. A very exciting, but dreary installment. I loved the descriptions of the winter and how it seemed to reflect the underlying emotions and thoughts of the characters.
"The first flake of snow fell as Sharpe walked away. It fell soft as love, seemed to hesitate, then settled on the bugler's forehead. It melted, turning red, and disappeared."
"The first flake of snow fell as Sharpe walked away. It fell soft as love, seemed to hesitate, then settled on the bugler's forehead. It melted, turning red, and disappeared."
October 29, 2013
I've always preferred the mostly-fictional Sharpe novels. When Cornwell fits plot around historical events and has Sharpe casually winning some of the most famous battles in history on his own, it can sometimes feel forced and contrived. This is one of my three favourite Sharpe novels along with Siege and Regiment, because it's atmospheric, moody and chronicles a bitter, sordid private war. When Sharpe is allowed to escape history, he truly can be one nasty fucker!
February 4, 2024
Military action and romance— lots of action once it starts and underhanded is among the sort. I liked it more than I thought. Chirp audiobook. My first for this author. Interesting, lots of prostitution(military camp followers) and lots of intrigue.
June 21, 2013
Well I feel so guilty! I love this book, but then I read the afterword by Bernard Cornwell and he says it's even more made up than the usual Sharpe novel (you know where he steals a remarkable performance by a heroic soldier of the napoleonic time and gives it to Sharpe to take care of, pet, love and call it George?) in that neither the battle nor the place nor even the date is real, he just needed some fun over Christmas to set the British back a bit before they start their steamroller campaign through Spain and France and to the End of Napoleon Bonaparte. I can't help but feel so disappointed that the story that probably tickled my fancies the most until now was a complete hoax and has not even rudimentary semblance to some real adventures in those proud times... *sigh* Cornwell has tricked me for sure! :D
Okay to the novel itself... as often i'm also one of those pesky fans of the television adaption that some time later start finding enjoyment in the literary original that birthed the ideas behind the tv adventures. So it's sometimes hard to disconnect your inner self from the pictures and plots the actors and directors brought into the skeleton frame that's left from the novel you now read. Luckily Sharpe's Enemy is a prime example of where the book might be better than the television episode... but the episode still is great fun and has captured much of the spirit of the book. As here showcased with the personalities of Sir Augustus, Obadiah Hakeswill, Captain "Sweet William" Frederickson, the gallant Colonel Dubreton, Josefine and of course the acerbic Major Ducos.
While the fighting on screen goes a bit different (and much less epic) than in the novel, the acting characters are dead on right and as i've always liked the crazy Captain Frederickson that was a great help to find into the read of this book. He's just as amazing when written about his battered looks and eccentric habits on the field of battle. (Not to leave out his frustration when nobody wants to fight him and his company :D) and the other main participants still evoke the same feelings of sympathy, loathing, joy or disbelief as they did in their cropped back secondary onscreen personalities and in addition the talent and luck of Major Richard Sharpe has far more space to develop, show up and shine in its full glory here than in the short time of the movie version. The French never had a chance and they were whacked hard, whacked repeatedly and whacked in style by a nominally completelly outmanned, outgunned and outwitted Major of the Rifles and his sleeve full of dirty fighting tricks.
So: sent on a seemingly idiot proof mission to free some hostages out of the hands of vile deserters, murderers, rapists, plunderers and arsonists Sharpe not only overwhelms the undisciplined scum holding that convent as their own little private fortress but then also manages to discover and courageously prevent a french attempt to breach the English lines in Portugal, wreak havoc behind the lines and so to divert English attention from an even bigger attack trying to conquer back much of the land lost over the last few months of Wellington's successful campaigning. So he has to hold fast in the eye of the needle he has just taken from the deserter army and can't let the French pass or smash his small garrison. At any cost.
A thrilling struggle between the over 8000 french and about 500 english troops ensues that kept me in suspense for well over a hundred pages. And to top it off Cromwell ends on a tragic note when he after the fight was over and strong english forces came to back up the small band of Riflemen, Fusiliers and Rocket Troop Artillerists the fleeing deserter Hakeswill gains a lucky short and kills Sharpe's wife Teresa... the following agony is perhaps the deepest portrayal of human emotion that was yet given to Richard Sharpe and it sets a compelling yet sad counterpoint to the intense atmosphere of the long lasting battle sequence. Four years into the creation of the Series Cromwell seems to have found his pacing, a connection to his characters and a comfortable way of describing the ranks and file that ends up bringing out ever improving novels about his gifted Rifleman Officer with the enormous ammassing of improbable feats.
So... why does it count so much for me that this is all made up and the battle i loved so much while reading was carefully plotted and laid out to exactly reach me in the way it did? I can't even say, it's most probably that it can cheat and use artistic liberties the stories based "on true eventss" could not take to a similar extent, so getting a better character protrayal and a more stringent and adrenaline-conjuring battle sequence does not feel just as good when you know it was only designed to be so damned attractive. (What do you mean the Monroe wasn't blond? :D) Now were the other books not quite as enjoyable and well received because they had to make some amends towards the real history and this could let out all registers and just turn it to eleven until it was pleasing enough? Or is it truely the growing experience and better knowledge of his subject matter Cornwell developed over six volumes and five years of writing? I can't say and i guess that is exactly the reason why it may feel great but it's kind of a hollow victory when it came out of thin air and was carefully twisted until it should feel so great. Meh, just hoping that the next books will be back to the near authentic style that flunkered, exxagerated and lied just a tad to make Dick look sharp ;) or i might lose my trust in "historic" fiction at all... and we surely can't have that, or do we?
Okay to the novel itself... as often i'm also one of those pesky fans of the television adaption that some time later start finding enjoyment in the literary original that birthed the ideas behind the tv adventures. So it's sometimes hard to disconnect your inner self from the pictures and plots the actors and directors brought into the skeleton frame that's left from the novel you now read. Luckily Sharpe's Enemy is a prime example of where the book might be better than the television episode... but the episode still is great fun and has captured much of the spirit of the book. As here showcased with the personalities of Sir Augustus, Obadiah Hakeswill, Captain "Sweet William" Frederickson, the gallant Colonel Dubreton, Josefine and of course the acerbic Major Ducos.
While the fighting on screen goes a bit different (and much less epic) than in the novel, the acting characters are dead on right and as i've always liked the crazy Captain Frederickson that was a great help to find into the read of this book. He's just as amazing when written about his battered looks and eccentric habits on the field of battle. (Not to leave out his frustration when nobody wants to fight him and his company :D) and the other main participants still evoke the same feelings of sympathy, loathing, joy or disbelief as they did in their cropped back secondary onscreen personalities and in addition the talent and luck of Major Richard Sharpe has far more space to develop, show up and shine in its full glory here than in the short time of the movie version. The French never had a chance and they were whacked hard, whacked repeatedly and whacked in style by a nominally completelly outmanned, outgunned and outwitted Major of the Rifles and his sleeve full of dirty fighting tricks.
So: sent on a seemingly idiot proof mission to free some hostages out of the hands of vile deserters, murderers, rapists, plunderers and arsonists Sharpe not only overwhelms the undisciplined scum holding that convent as their own little private fortress but then also manages to discover and courageously prevent a french attempt to breach the English lines in Portugal, wreak havoc behind the lines and so to divert English attention from an even bigger attack trying to conquer back much of the land lost over the last few months of Wellington's successful campaigning. So he has to hold fast in the eye of the needle he has just taken from the deserter army and can't let the French pass or smash his small garrison. At any cost.
A thrilling struggle between the over 8000 french and about 500 english troops ensues that kept me in suspense for well over a hundred pages. And to top it off Cromwell ends on a tragic note when he after the fight was over and strong english forces came to back up the small band of Riflemen, Fusiliers and Rocket Troop Artillerists the fleeing deserter Hakeswill gains a lucky short and kills Sharpe's wife Teresa... the following agony is perhaps the deepest portrayal of human emotion that was yet given to Richard Sharpe and it sets a compelling yet sad counterpoint to the intense atmosphere of the long lasting battle sequence. Four years into the creation of the Series Cromwell seems to have found his pacing, a connection to his characters and a comfortable way of describing the ranks and file that ends up bringing out ever improving novels about his gifted Rifleman Officer with the enormous ammassing of improbable feats.
So... why does it count so much for me that this is all made up and the battle i loved so much while reading was carefully plotted and laid out to exactly reach me in the way it did? I can't even say, it's most probably that it can cheat and use artistic liberties the stories based "on true eventss" could not take to a similar extent, so getting a better character protrayal and a more stringent and adrenaline-conjuring battle sequence does not feel just as good when you know it was only designed to be so damned attractive. (What do you mean the Monroe wasn't blond? :D) Now were the other books not quite as enjoyable and well received because they had to make some amends towards the real history and this could let out all registers and just turn it to eleven until it was pleasing enough? Or is it truely the growing experience and better knowledge of his subject matter Cornwell developed over six volumes and five years of writing? I can't say and i guess that is exactly the reason why it may feel great but it's kind of a hollow victory when it came out of thin air and was carefully twisted until it should feel so great. Meh, just hoping that the next books will be back to the near authentic style that flunkered, exxagerated and lied just a tad to make Dick look sharp ;) or i might lose my trust in "historic" fiction at all... and we surely can't have that, or do we?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2020
Two years ago, I read the first 14 Sharpe's books, going in chronological order, during the winter. As it got colder this year, I had a sudden desire to go to war with Sharpe again. This was the perfect book to continue with. It was so fun, so sad, and the battle was epic! Sharpe and Harper forever.
I did come to the realization that I continue to be invested in the boots on the ground perspective of war as apposed to the political driving force behind the war.
And, that, though Sharpe can be ruthless and merciless, it is nice to read about men who are men. We seem to lack them today.
I did come to the realization that I continue to be invested in the boots on the ground perspective of war as apposed to the political driving force behind the war.
And, that, though Sharpe can be ruthless and merciless, it is nice to read about men who are men. We seem to lack them today.
October 17, 2020
Quite possibly the best book in the series (and I know I've said that about at least one other, before). I really couldn't put this one down; it had everything, even hilariously inaccurate rockets. I'm taking a break from these books, for a short while, as Sharpe's journey takes him away from The Peninsula War, but I feel he'll be back and I'll enjoy it just as much when he does return.
November 26, 2017
Sharpe's Enemy is the best book yet in the Sharpe series, and considering there have been some excellent earlier stories that's high praise. Taking place over Christmas of 1812, there are so many memorable elements of this book that it really stands out in the series. **Minor plot spoilers sprinkled throughout, but nothing that will ruin the ending**
For starters Sharpe receives a major promotion early in this book to the rank of Major. The role allows him to command his first full scale battle against a battalion by the end the book, and also have his own Captains that work under him. This also expands the cast in a major way with a few officers that I expect will be recurring, most memorably Sweet William the one eyed Captain who takes out his teeth and removes his eye patch before battle. The other major addition is a rocket troop. Part of Sharpe's responsibilities include the task of testing the rockets and seeing if they are fit for use in battle. The use of the rockets provide two of the most memorable scenes in the book.
The Enemy in the title of the book refers to a certain evildoer from earlier novels, but what makes this installment of the series stand out even more is the presence of numerous individuals that could be called Sharpe's enemy. Sharpe is tasked with rescuing hostages from a ragtag group of soldiers deserted from French, Spanish, English and Portugese armies. Along the way Sharpe is forced into confrontations of various levels against a superior officer (Lord Farthingdale), a French commander (Colonel Dubreton), a French intelligence officer (Ducos), and of course the evil individual from Sharpe's past. Although most of the confrontation is with that last individual, my favorite parts of this book all involved Colonel Dubreton. Unlike most villains in the series, Dubreton is a respectable French officer who admires Sharpe and seeks to best him on a battlefield under the rules of conduct. I am hopeful he reappears in later installments.
Sharpe's love life also is front in center in Sharpe's Enemy, as both his wife Teresa as well as former lover josephina are present. In addition to the major promotion, growth in the cast of the book and interesting plot, Sharpe's Enemy also features the death of two major characters in very dramatic fashion that will certainly have repercussions on Sharpe in the future. For as much as I enjoyed this book however, I would probably not recommend it as a good starting point in the series as part of what made it work so well was how it took storylines from earlier books and concluded them in a satisfying manner.
As with most Sharpe novels there is an historical note at the end of the book that discusses the accuracy of the events described. As usual this was one of the best parts of the book as it told of an actual group of deserters let by a former French army cook. The reveal for what actually happened to that group in real life was a funny moment of creative liberty taken by Cornwell.
For starters Sharpe receives a major promotion early in this book to the rank of Major. The role allows him to command his first full scale battle against a battalion by the end the book, and also have his own Captains that work under him. This also expands the cast in a major way with a few officers that I expect will be recurring, most memorably Sweet William the one eyed Captain who takes out his teeth and removes his eye patch before battle. The other major addition is a rocket troop. Part of Sharpe's responsibilities include the task of testing the rockets and seeing if they are fit for use in battle. The use of the rockets provide two of the most memorable scenes in the book.
The Enemy in the title of the book refers to a certain evildoer from earlier novels, but what makes this installment of the series stand out even more is the presence of numerous individuals that could be called Sharpe's enemy. Sharpe is tasked with rescuing hostages from a ragtag group of soldiers deserted from French, Spanish, English and Portugese armies. Along the way Sharpe is forced into confrontations of various levels against a superior officer (Lord Farthingdale), a French commander (Colonel Dubreton), a French intelligence officer (Ducos), and of course the evil individual from Sharpe's past. Although most of the confrontation is with that last individual, my favorite parts of this book all involved Colonel Dubreton. Unlike most villains in the series, Dubreton is a respectable French officer who admires Sharpe and seeks to best him on a battlefield under the rules of conduct. I am hopeful he reappears in later installments.
Sharpe's love life also is front in center in Sharpe's Enemy, as both his wife Teresa as well as former lover josephina are present. In addition to the major promotion, growth in the cast of the book and interesting plot, Sharpe's Enemy also features the death of two major characters in very dramatic fashion that will certainly have repercussions on Sharpe in the future. For as much as I enjoyed this book however, I would probably not recommend it as a good starting point in the series as part of what made it work so well was how it took storylines from earlier books and concluded them in a satisfying manner.
As with most Sharpe novels there is an historical note at the end of the book that discusses the accuracy of the events described. As usual this was one of the best parts of the book as it told of an actual group of deserters let by a former French army cook. The reveal for what actually happened to that group in real life was a funny moment of creative liberty taken by Cornwell.
July 25, 2016
Firstly, I love the TV show. Seen it multiple times, even marathon-ed it with a friend one weekend at Uni. For me, Sharpe will always be Sean Bean. Despite the different description in the book, Sean Bean has become the default image of the character in my mind. This being said, I honestly have no suitable answer as to why it has taken me so long to read a Sharpe novel. And I know I've begun out of order, but for whatever reason Sharpe's Enemy was the Sharpe novel I chose to start with.
To say I liked the novel would be a bit of an understatement. I really enjoyed it, more so than the episode even, I found it to be a really fun read. Also, I love Teresa, I think that perhaps she is my favourite character in the book. I'd always liked her in the show and thought that it was a shame we didn't see more of her, but book Teresa is even better. I liked that we get more of her in the books, more of her personality, her relationship with Sharpe, her motivations and backstory, it's the 'more' that I wanted in the TV show and that I wish they'd been able to include.
I felt the book didn't bog you down in the facts and details of the period. It was accessible enough to me that I could follow the story without having much knowledge of the Napoleonic era but it never felt like I was being overwhelmed with information. This might not seem that important considering that the events of Sharpe's Enemy are largely fictitious (albeit based on fact) but it helps that the period is described in such a way that troop movements, battle preparations and battlefield terrain don't leave me scratching my head in bewilderment with no idea what the purpose is or why I should care about it. Despite knowing that the events described didn't really happen, they nevertheless seem plausible, that such a battle at such a place like the 'Gateway of God' could have taken place and could have been a part of history. It's this attention to detail that pulls you into the story and keeps you there.
I liked that the personal war between Sharpe and Hakeswill spans the entire length of the novel. While not as epic as the battle at the Gateway of God it felt more intimate and was perhaps more emotionally powerful for it, especially at the end.
While I'm looking forward to reading more Sharpe novels (and more Cornwell in general) I feel that it might be difficult to find one that I will enjoy more than I did this one.
To say I liked the novel would be a bit of an understatement. I really enjoyed it, more so than the episode even, I found it to be a really fun read. Also, I love Teresa, I think that perhaps she is my favourite character in the book. I'd always liked her in the show and thought that it was a shame we didn't see more of her, but book Teresa is even better. I liked that we get more of her in the books, more of her personality, her relationship with Sharpe, her motivations and backstory, it's the 'more' that I wanted in the TV show and that I wish they'd been able to include.
I felt the book didn't bog you down in the facts and details of the period. It was accessible enough to me that I could follow the story without having much knowledge of the Napoleonic era but it never felt like I was being overwhelmed with information. This might not seem that important considering that the events of Sharpe's Enemy are largely fictitious (albeit based on fact) but it helps that the period is described in such a way that troop movements, battle preparations and battlefield terrain don't leave me scratching my head in bewilderment with no idea what the purpose is or why I should care about it. Despite knowing that the events described didn't really happen, they nevertheless seem plausible, that such a battle at such a place like the 'Gateway of God' could have taken place and could have been a part of history. It's this attention to detail that pulls you into the story and keeps you there.
I liked that the personal war between Sharpe and Hakeswill spans the entire length of the novel. While not as epic as the battle at the Gateway of God it felt more intimate and was perhaps more emotionally powerful for it, especially at the end.
While I'm looking forward to reading more Sharpe novels (and more Cornwell in general) I feel that it might be difficult to find one that I will enjoy more than I did this one.
November 5, 2017
(Currently) chronologically the 15th entry in Bernard Cornwell's long-running Sharpe series, this was the 4th published novel in that series, and sees Richard Sharpe - not long after his wound from Salamanca - charged with rescuing hostages on the Portugal/Spain border over the Christmas of 1812.
Thi sis one of the few books in the series in which the action is entirely fictional, giving Corwell plenty of scope to come up with a satisfying and intriguing plot that is not beholden to history, although it does nod towards said history.
This also benefits from the inclusion of Sharpe's nemesis, (ex)Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, who was last seen deserting from the British army during the events of Sharpe's Company.
While my copy of the novel came out around the time of the 90's TV series - hence the pic of Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley on the cover - more recent versions have replaced this cover with a picture hinting at one of the key elements of the plot within. In this case, that picture is of a the 'new-fangled' rocket troops, that do indeed play a key part of the novel - I'm not going to give anything anyway by saying just what part they play!
Well worth a read.
Thi sis one of the few books in the series in which the action is entirely fictional, giving Corwell plenty of scope to come up with a satisfying and intriguing plot that is not beholden to history, although it does nod towards said history.
This also benefits from the inclusion of Sharpe's nemesis, (ex)Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, who was last seen deserting from the British army during the events of Sharpe's Company.
While my copy of the novel came out around the time of the 90's TV series - hence the pic of Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley on the cover - more recent versions have replaced this cover with a picture hinting at one of the key elements of the plot within. In this case, that picture is of a the 'new-fangled' rocket troops, that do indeed play a key part of the novel - I'm not going to give anything anyway by saying just what part they play!
Well worth a read.
June 18, 2016
Sharpe outdoes himself. Promoted to Brevet Major, Sharpe almost single handedly takes over a battalion, saves a great number of hostages from a strong deserter band, and despite a higher officer's desire to abandon the location,Sharpe stays and holds off the French long enough for reinforcements to arrive. His wife Teresa is killed by Hakeswill who in turn is killed by shooting squad with Sharpe delivering the coup de'tdad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 9, 2017This episode in the series of stories featuring Richard Sharpe was an exciting read from beginning to end. The fan of Richard Sharpe will recognize several characters from other stories in the series. This story was cleverly woven together in such a way that the reader was treated to some surprising twists that upon further reflection you would say that you almost expected it to happen. That makes this work especially enjoyable. This one of the best Sharpe books that I have read!
August 5, 2016
I always enjoy the sharpe novels but i feel this one desevered 5 stars as it was complete fiction. Aside from a few characters, all the events in this are entirly works of fiction with no bases on historical events. And so I deffinatly feel it deserved 5 stars for that alone. Want more, afraid you'll have to buy and read :)
October 2, 2019
It's Sharpe. It's derring-do. It's heroic and down-to-earth.
A bunch of deserters have taken a Spanish town and seized some hostages. In the process of trying to ransom them Sharpe discovers an old enemy... and the story just develops from there until Sharpe has to defend Portugal from the evil plans of the French.
It really is that simple yet it is so entertaining and fun to read...
A bunch of deserters have taken a Spanish town and seized some hostages. In the process of trying to ransom them Sharpe discovers an old enemy... and the story just develops from there until Sharpe has to defend Portugal from the evil plans of the French.
It really is that simple yet it is so entertaining and fun to read...
January 27, 2015
Major Sharpe, is sent to pay the ransom of a British lord's wife after she was captured by an army of deserters, led by an old enemy. Major Sharpe finds himself a new enemy in the french spymaster Major Pierre Ducos.
August 29, 2018
Maybe the best Sharpe? Fantastic enemies on both sides, a tense battle, some innovative tactics and wonderful action scenes, and Sharpe at his belligerent vulnerable wistful best. Read it before many times and this isn't the last.
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