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Sharpe #20
Sharpe's Siege
Sharpe's mission has seemed capture a small unguarded French coastal fort, cripple Napoleon's supply lines, and retreat across the sea. But behind the lines, Sharpe's old enemy, Pierre Ducos, awaits Sharpe's arrival with a battalion of French soldiers and a vicious commanding general who keeps the scalps of his dead enemies as trophies.
Outmaneuvered by Ducos's treachery and abandoned by his own navy, Sharpe has only two to escape with the aid of the charming, unscrupulous American mercenary, Cornelius Killick, or die.
Outmaneuvered by Ducos's treachery and abandoned by his own navy, Sharpe has only two to escape with the aid of the charming, unscrupulous American mercenary, Cornelius Killick, or die.
320 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1987
376 people are currently reading
2558 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Cornwell
536 books19.1k 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 209 reviews
July 30, 2019
Book 18 in the Richard Sharpe series.
This book takes place in the winter of 1814. The British have now got a toe hold in the Bordeaux region of France. The French of course don’t like this one little bit and are hell bent of pushing the British out again.
The British have an ingenious scheme to enable them to get its army further into France and Richard Sharpe and his men are given the job to make this happen.
As Sharpe’s men are readying themselves for departure Richard goes to say farewell to his wife only to find that she is suddenly and unexpectedly unwell. The fever has been doing the rounds in the British Army of late and Richard is torn between staying with his wife and going on the mission. Needles to say the mission wins.
The mission turns out to be a complete stuff up and, as usual, Sharpe and his men find themselves at the pointy end of what is rapidly becoming a suicide mission. Through no fault of Sharpe’s he finds himself trying to defend a decaying fort with two hundred men against a French army of two thousand men. The odds are overwhelming; there is just no way that even a gifted soldier like Richard Sharpe could hope to win this battle. So Sharpe’s problem is how to keep the French pinned down and get his men rescued before they are all dead.
But will the guilt of leaving his wife in a state of poor health affect Richard’s ability to focus on the problems of this battle?
Another highly entertaining yarn from the annals of Richard Sharpe and company.
A 4/5 star recommendation
This book takes place in the winter of 1814. The British have now got a toe hold in the Bordeaux region of France. The French of course don’t like this one little bit and are hell bent of pushing the British out again.
The British have an ingenious scheme to enable them to get its army further into France and Richard Sharpe and his men are given the job to make this happen.
As Sharpe’s men are readying themselves for departure Richard goes to say farewell to his wife only to find that she is suddenly and unexpectedly unwell. The fever has been doing the rounds in the British Army of late and Richard is torn between staying with his wife and going on the mission. Needles to say the mission wins.
The mission turns out to be a complete stuff up and, as usual, Sharpe and his men find themselves at the pointy end of what is rapidly becoming a suicide mission. Through no fault of Sharpe’s he finds himself trying to defend a decaying fort with two hundred men against a French army of two thousand men. The odds are overwhelming; there is just no way that even a gifted soldier like Richard Sharpe could hope to win this battle. So Sharpe’s problem is how to keep the French pinned down and get his men rescued before they are all dead.
But will the guilt of leaving his wife in a state of poor health affect Richard’s ability to focus on the problems of this battle?
Another highly entertaining yarn from the annals of Richard Sharpe and company.
A 4/5 star recommendation
April 15, 2022
An other great addition to this masterful series by Bernard Cornwell. This book is full of great stragity, luck and manly fortitude. I recommend this series to all. Each book can also be read as a stand alone.
Be Blessed.
Be Blessed.
November 28, 2022
Major Richard Sharpe is back from a detour to the home country, with much needed fresh troops for his Rifle Regiment. He has already led them to a victorious crossing of the Pyrenees and into France, but his obvious tactical abilities and his fierceness in battle are not enough to guarantee Sharpe will remain in command of the regiment. His superiors are still sore about his humble origins and try to sidetrack him with a special mission behind enemy lines.
Sharpe, who has also come back from England with a new wife and with the implicit new headaches this implies, is reluctant to engage in another risky adventure in the middle of winter, especially since he cannot take along his own veterans and since he is placed under the command of a reckless Navy Officer.
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I am myself a sort of veteran of the Napoleonic Campaigns, as narrated by Bernard Cornwell, having read the series in chronological, not publication order [they can of course, be also read as stand-alone adventures]. By my own mileage, episode 18 is one of the best so far in the long running epic, showcasing the qualities that put Cornwell near the top of historical adventure writers: well researched historical context, engaging characters, fast paced and tightly written plot, memorable battle scenes. This book includes no less than three such bloody engagements, of a smaller scale than some of the major battles described in earlier volumes, but what they lack in scope, they make up for in fierceness and inventiveness.
As a bonus for this episode, I have myself visited le Basin d ‘Archachon, Cap Ferrat and la Teste-de-Buch [curiously, Dune du Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe is never mentioned by Cornwell]. So I can visually place the action much better than other sites in Spain or Portugal.
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As for the plot: a small British force from both the Rifles and the Navy Marines is sent to the Bordeaux region in southern France to capture a strategic fort guarding the entrance to the tidal gulf of Arcachon. The mission is defined as capturing some important fisherman’s boats, attacking the supply lines of the French armies blocking the advance of Wellington troops and, if possible, encourage the Royalists in Bordeaux to rebellion against Napoleon.
Sharpe is betrayed by his Navy superior officer and left stranded in enemy territory without food or munitions, at the mercy of his old Nemesis, French secret agent Ducos, who has gathered a massive force to destroy once and for all the uppity British officer.
A very good side plot describes the adventures of an American privateer/pirate, allied with the French, who is also caught in the Gulf of Arcachon by the British raid and saved from a summary hanging by the intervention of Sharpe.
In the end, this action was revealed to be both a clever decoy and essential to the secret plans of Wellington to breach once again the French lines, putting Sharpe in the thick of it, as we old hands knew from the start would happen.
I look forward to entering the straight and getting a peek at the finish line in this very long endurance race that the series has become.
October 15, 2025
Човек не си дава сметка, колко време реално трае една война. А тази на англичаните с французите е продължила стотици години, с кратки прекъсвания за несигурни примирия. Цели поколения не са знаели нищо друго освен война, много от най-добрите и храбри младежи са губели рано и безсмислено живота си.
Шарп служи вече над двайсет години в армията на Великобритания и почти всяка година участва в множество кампании и сражения. Изненадах се да науча, че жертвите в тези битки са относително малко на брой, но в последствие се увеличават многократно - дори леки рани са вкарвали лесно в гроба войниците в този век на лоша хигиена и старомодна медицина. Болестите също са били сташен бич, не е имало ваксини и модерни лекарства, за да спасят заболелите...
Планирана е дръзка авантюра - с помощта на флота да се направи десант, да се овладее форт на френска земя и да се вдигне бунт срещу Наполеон в Бордо.
Шарп трябва да води сухоземната операция и какато често се случва, нещата безнадежно се объркват след долно предателство...
Вътрешни и външни врагове се надпреварват за кожата му, която обаче той няма намерение да даде даром.
Чудесно написана и увлекателна до самия ѝ край!
Шарп служи вече над двайсет години в армията на Великобритания и почти всяка година участва в множество кампании и сражения. Изненадах се да науча, че жертвите в тези битки са относително малко на брой, но в последствие се увеличават многократно - дори леки рани са вкарвали лесно в гроба войниците в този век на лоша хигиена и старомодна медицина. Болестите също са били сташен бич, не е имало ваксини и модерни лекарства, за да спасят заболелите...
Планирана е дръзка авантюра - с помощта на флота да се направи десант, да се овладее форт на френска земя и да се вдигне бунт срещу Наполеон в Бордо.
Шарп трябва да води сухоземната операция и какато често се случва, нещата безнадежно се объркват след долно предателство...
Вътрешни и външни врагове се надпреварват за кожата му, която обаче той няма намерение да даде даром.
Чудесно написана и увлекателна до самия ѝ край!
September 5, 2020
Sharpe siege is the 18th Sharpe book in chronological order and a pretty exciting one at that. The Sharpe "formula" is followed and Sharpe shows a little more depth in the way he worries about his wife.
The British are trying to get a foothold on french soil and need Richard Sharpe to do it. So he leaves the south essex and joins a invasion force of marines and riflemen. Tasked with taking a fort so the navy can steal some boats up river the fort is guarding. Sharpe with captain Fredrickson's help takes the fort but an ambitious naval captain Bampfylde takes credit and orders Sharpe inland. Upon return Sharpe finds Bampfylde has abandoned and torched the fort leaving Sharpe and his men stranded. The French are coming! Its a trap set by Sharpe enemy pierre Ducos, yeah that guy. How will Sharpe and a mixture of 200 marines and rifleman defeat a whole brigade (2000 men) you will have to read sharpe's siege to find out. Did I mention that there an american pirate involved?
An action packed installment in the excieting Sharpe series as it nears it's conclusion. With recurring characters and sets up the next book. Very good!
The British are trying to get a foothold on french soil and need Richard Sharpe to do it. So he leaves the south essex and joins a invasion force of marines and riflemen. Tasked with taking a fort so the navy can steal some boats up river the fort is guarding. Sharpe with captain Fredrickson's help takes the fort but an ambitious naval captain Bampfylde takes credit and orders Sharpe inland. Upon return Sharpe finds Bampfylde has abandoned and torched the fort leaving Sharpe and his men stranded. The French are coming! Its a trap set by Sharpe enemy pierre Ducos, yeah that guy. How will Sharpe and a mixture of 200 marines and rifleman defeat a whole brigade (2000 men) you will have to read sharpe's siege to find out. Did I mention that there an american pirate involved?
An action packed installment in the excieting Sharpe series as it nears it's conclusion. With recurring characters and sets up the next book. Very good!
October 2, 2021
Read this book in 2007, and its the 18th part, chronologically, of the great Richard Sharpe series.
This book is set in the year AD 1814, with Richard Sharpe now being a Major, and in full flow during the Winter campaign of that same year of AD 1814.
Trapped in a fort, behind enemy lines, and with ammunition low and gunpowder wet, Sharpe and his men must somehow hold this fort against a force of two thousand of French soldiers under the leadership of, General Calvert.
What is follow is a very exciting tale of bravery and courage in which the British forces under Sharpe will hold their own and will be able to repel the French to live and fight for another day.
Highly recommended, for this is another splendid addition to this marvellous series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Superb Sharpe Siege"!
This book is set in the year AD 1814, with Richard Sharpe now being a Major, and in full flow during the Winter campaign of that same year of AD 1814.
Trapped in a fort, behind enemy lines, and with ammunition low and gunpowder wet, Sharpe and his men must somehow hold this fort against a force of two thousand of French soldiers under the leadership of, General Calvert.
What is follow is a very exciting tale of bravery and courage in which the British forces under Sharpe will hold their own and will be able to repel the French to live and fight for another day.
Highly recommended, for this is another splendid addition to this marvellous series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Superb Sharpe Siege"!
October 15, 2025
Bernard Cornwell delivers another brilliant entry in the Sharpe series with Sharpe’s Siege. From the first page, the story grips you with its perfect blend of suspense, action, and historical authenticity. The Napoleonic Wars come alive through Cornwell’s vivid and meticulous detail, making every battle tense and immersive.
Sharpe’s courage, wit, and resourcefulness shine, but it’s his loyal and witty comrade, Harper, who adds warmth and humour, providing a perfect counterpoint to the brutality of war. Their camaraderie feels real, and Harper’s clever quips often bring a smile amidst the tension.
The plot is fast-paced yet intelligently crafted, full of strategy, survival, and memorable characters. Cornwell balances thrilling action with human moments, keeping readers fully invested in the story. Fans of historical adventure will love the rich context and complex characters, while newcomers will be swept along by the sheer momentum of the narrative.
Sharpe’s Siege is a triumph, a gripping, witty, and utterly satisfying read that showcases Cornwell at his storytelling best.
Sharpe’s courage, wit, and resourcefulness shine, but it’s his loyal and witty comrade, Harper, who adds warmth and humour, providing a perfect counterpoint to the brutality of war. Their camaraderie feels real, and Harper’s clever quips often bring a smile amidst the tension.
The plot is fast-paced yet intelligently crafted, full of strategy, survival, and memorable characters. Cornwell balances thrilling action with human moments, keeping readers fully invested in the story. Fans of historical adventure will love the rich context and complex characters, while newcomers will be swept along by the sheer momentum of the narrative.
Sharpe’s Siege is a triumph, a gripping, witty, and utterly satisfying read that showcases Cornwell at his storytelling best.
January 23, 2013
Once again Cornwell achieves a wonderful adventure focused on military action. This for me was perhaps the best of the six I’ve read from the 22 that feature Richard Sharpe, the brilliant and sardonic hero of a rifle brigade in Wellington’s forces during the Napoleanic Wars. In this, the 18th, it is 1814, and Wellington’s forces are bogged down in southeastern France. Sharpe, now a major, is tasked to accompany a naval captain and a peer officer with less than 200 army riflemen and marines to capture a fortress further north on the Bay of Arachon. The risky action is to serve as a feint to make the French believe the English intend to invade there by sea and take Bordeaux, thereby diverting French forces from Wellington’s strategy to bridge a river near Bayonne with a raft of merchant ships.
Cornwell is masterful in portraying all the human and inhuman details of combat at the level of the common soldier. He does cover the big picture, but from Sharpe’s jaundiced eye:
God only knows why politicians resorted to soldiers as a final instrument of policy; it was like wagering on a cockfight to decide the fate of empires.
As usual, Sharpe, now a major, succeeds with impossible tasks due to his ability to lead his men and to outsmart the enemy with his verve and unpredictable craft. So why read more than one? The glory of his loyal compadres in action is one recurring pleasure. Such as his gentle, giant Irish master sergeant Harper. So congenial and sweet most of the time, but when his righteous, volcanic anger is released, he becomes an unstoppable killing machine. The other pleasure is in the personalities of his foes. Some he respects, like a dashing American privateer captain captured with the fort. The French spymaster Ducos returns as a nemesis, but the featured opponent here is corpulent General Calvet, fresh from the Russian campaign where he brags he engaged in cannibalism and scalp collecting. Another joy is Cornwell’s variation on the theme of the greed and perfidy among the aristocratic British officers. Here this role falls to pompous Captain Bampfylde, whose lust for glory leads him to repeatedly endanger Sharpe’s men over attractive enemy ruses and to hog all the credit for any of his successes. We know he will ultimately get outfoxed by Sharpe and meet his just desserts, but that doesn’t diminish the satisfaction of waiting for fulfillment of this destiny.
The main focus of action in this tale is not Sharpe’s taking of a fortress, but a defense of it when he returns from an inland foray to find Bampfylde and his ships have abandoned him with minimal food and ammunition and with the fort’s cannons all spiked. Calvet’s division of 2,000 men is headed their way. Sharpe’s mind is having trouble focusing because of his worry that his wife, ill when he left, is dying from a fever. Pretty compelling fix he’s gotten into this time. Everyone deserves to read at least one from the Sharpe series, and there is no reason not to start with this. And if you get addicted, I recommend getting much the same pleasures by varying your fix with books from his Saxon Chronicles (set in 10th century Britain) or his Grail Quest series (set in 14th century France).
Cornwell is masterful in portraying all the human and inhuman details of combat at the level of the common soldier. He does cover the big picture, but from Sharpe’s jaundiced eye:
God only knows why politicians resorted to soldiers as a final instrument of policy; it was like wagering on a cockfight to decide the fate of empires.
As usual, Sharpe, now a major, succeeds with impossible tasks due to his ability to lead his men and to outsmart the enemy with his verve and unpredictable craft. So why read more than one? The glory of his loyal compadres in action is one recurring pleasure. Such as his gentle, giant Irish master sergeant Harper. So congenial and sweet most of the time, but when his righteous, volcanic anger is released, he becomes an unstoppable killing machine. The other pleasure is in the personalities of his foes. Some he respects, like a dashing American privateer captain captured with the fort. The French spymaster Ducos returns as a nemesis, but the featured opponent here is corpulent General Calvet, fresh from the Russian campaign where he brags he engaged in cannibalism and scalp collecting. Another joy is Cornwell’s variation on the theme of the greed and perfidy among the aristocratic British officers. Here this role falls to pompous Captain Bampfylde, whose lust for glory leads him to repeatedly endanger Sharpe’s men over attractive enemy ruses and to hog all the credit for any of his successes. We know he will ultimately get outfoxed by Sharpe and meet his just desserts, but that doesn’t diminish the satisfaction of waiting for fulfillment of this destiny.
The main focus of action in this tale is not Sharpe’s taking of a fortress, but a defense of it when he returns from an inland foray to find Bampfylde and his ships have abandoned him with minimal food and ammunition and with the fort’s cannons all spiked. Calvet’s division of 2,000 men is headed their way. Sharpe’s mind is having trouble focusing because of his worry that his wife, ill when he left, is dying from a fever. Pretty compelling fix he’s gotten into this time. Everyone deserves to read at least one from the Sharpe series, and there is no reason not to start with this. And if you get addicted, I recommend getting much the same pleasures by varying your fix with books from his Saxon Chronicles (set in 10th century Britain) or his Grail Quest series (set in 14th century France).
October 31, 2022
Sharpe #18. Another re-read. The events take place in the southwest of France near the Bay of Biscay, 1814.
This another of my favorites from the series. The story revolves around the back-and-forth sieges of a fortress called Teste de Buch. There is a lot more going on than siege warfare, but the fortress holds the main setting for the book. Major Sharpe is trapped in this fortress behind enemy lines with limited troops, food, water and ammunition.
Sharpe has some good adversaries in this story. He accumulates enemies like nobody's business! There's the really obnoxious CO Capt. Bampfylde; the questionable Comte Derpa Maquerre; General Calvet leading the besieging French forces; Napoleon's spy master Pierre Ducos; the American on France's payroll Capt. Killick; and one of the more sympathetic enemies, Commandant Henri Lassan.
A truly memorable scene in this book ironically had nothing to do with war, (strictly speaking), but dealt with Sgt. Harper's bad tooth. Gee whiz that never fails to give me the heebie jeebies 😖
Outstanding book!
This another of my favorites from the series. The story revolves around the back-and-forth sieges of a fortress called Teste de Buch. There is a lot more going on than siege warfare, but the fortress holds the main setting for the book. Major Sharpe is trapped in this fortress behind enemy lines with limited troops, food, water and ammunition.
Sharpe has some good adversaries in this story. He accumulates enemies like nobody's business! There's the really obnoxious CO Capt. Bampfylde; the questionable Comte Derpa Maquerre; General Calvet leading the besieging French forces; Napoleon's spy master Pierre Ducos; the American on France's payroll Capt. Killick; and one of the more sympathetic enemies, Commandant Henri Lassan.
A truly memorable scene in this book ironically had nothing to do with war, (strictly speaking), but dealt with Sgt. Harper's bad tooth. Gee whiz that never fails to give me the heebie jeebies 😖
Outstanding book!
March 12, 2023
This was a delightful and engaging Sharpe book, though like most of the other fully fictionalized adventures, it didn't have the same impact for me as most of the books centered around a real historical battle. I just enjoy spending time with the character Richard Sharpe so much that we could be doing just about anything and I'd be almost guaranteed to have a good time. You can tell Cornwell is having a blast writing so many colorful characters, and the Rupert Farley audio is spectacular as usual as he digs his teeth into the various English accents along with Irish, French, Spanish, American, and German ones.
The fighting in this one was as gritty as ever, and the inevitable new doddering British officer that serves to frustrate Sharpe was as fun and infuriating to meet as usual. The book had its share of beautiful atmospheric writing and deep character moments, and it's a joy to track the gradual character growth and change of our central protagonist Sharpe as the years go by. I'm now only one book away from Waterloo which I'm so psyched to finally read about!
The fighting in this one was as gritty as ever, and the inevitable new doddering British officer that serves to frustrate Sharpe was as fun and infuriating to meet as usual. The book had its share of beautiful atmospheric writing and deep character moments, and it's a joy to track the gradual character growth and change of our central protagonist Sharpe as the years go by. I'm now only one book away from Waterloo which I'm so psyched to finally read about!
April 13, 2021
Wow. Just. Wow. This book is soooooo much better than its correlating episode. Like so much better you wonder what was wrong with the writers of the show. How could they choose to take this story and turn it into what they did? The episode is semi-comical with a bumbling French general and Sharpe and Harper winning the day through cleverness.
The book is this brave, heroic horror story that leaves Sharpe sobbing on a bridge at the end. Dude! Sharpe was literally sobbing. I'm still freaking out. The book captured the horror of war, the burden commanding officers bear, and the destructiveness of feeling like it was all for nothing. This might be my favorite one yet. There were no women, there were Americans!, and Sharpe just finally broke down.
Really good book that kinda rose above the others, which have all been really fun.
The book is this brave, heroic horror story that leaves Sharpe sobbing on a bridge at the end. Dude! Sharpe was literally sobbing. I'm still freaking out. The book captured the horror of war, the burden commanding officers bear, and the destructiveness of feeling like it was all for nothing. This might be my favorite one yet. There were no women, there were Americans!, and Sharpe just finally broke down.
Really good book that kinda rose above the others, which have all been really fun.
August 9, 2024
4.5 stars
May 6, 2023
Interesting to throw in an American to mix with Sharpe and his grumpy bloody mindedness. However the story didn’t feel like anything special. Has all the usual stuff bur never quite comes alive or doesn’t anything to distinguish itself.
August 30, 2009
I'm sad that I am reaching the end of the Richard Sharpe series - three volumes to go. Next to the Patrick O'Brian authored Aubrey/Maturin series this is the best set of stories covering the Napoleonic wars that I have read. It is also one of the best historical fiction series I've run across.
This story, taking place in 1814, details an incursion into France near Bordeaux, a joint venture between the British Army and the Royal Navy. After investing a fort guarding the approaches to the Bassin d'Arachon on the Bay of Biscay, Sharpe heads inland to harass any French troops he might happen upon. He successfully ambushes a brigade of conscripts but when he arrives back at the fort he discovers that he and his troops have been betrayed by a French double agent, deserted by the Navy and left to perish at the hands of the soon to arrive French in the destroyed fort.
The architect of all of this is the arch-villain Pierre Ducos, who Sharpe keeps bumping up against and who wants nothing more than to see Sharpe destroyed. The usual supporting cast is present, Patrick Harper, Sharpe's loyal side-kick, William Fredrickson, a fellow officer, Jane, Sharpe's new wife, Michael Hogan, his mentor and sometimes protector, and in the background Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington and Commander-in-chief of the combined British and Portoguese forces. Other characters, drawn with Cornwell's usual skill, are Captain Bampfylde, an arrogant, self-serving Post Captain, Colonel Wigram a clueless engineer, Cornelius Killick, an American Privateer, Comte de Maquerre, a spy working for the British, Andre Lassan, French Commandant of the fort, and General Calvet, bloodthirsty French commander and survivor of the Russian campaign.
The story unfolds quickly and is hard to put down. Once I got halfway through, I had to finish it even though it was after midnight. The battle scenes are, as always, compelling and exciting. The book is well-plotted and straightforward. Sometimes Sharpe's survival skills and luck strain credulity to the limit and this time is no exception. Nevertheless, this book like most of the others in the series is a delight to read.
This story, taking place in 1814, details an incursion into France near Bordeaux, a joint venture between the British Army and the Royal Navy. After investing a fort guarding the approaches to the Bassin d'Arachon on the Bay of Biscay, Sharpe heads inland to harass any French troops he might happen upon. He successfully ambushes a brigade of conscripts but when he arrives back at the fort he discovers that he and his troops have been betrayed by a French double agent, deserted by the Navy and left to perish at the hands of the soon to arrive French in the destroyed fort.
The architect of all of this is the arch-villain Pierre Ducos, who Sharpe keeps bumping up against and who wants nothing more than to see Sharpe destroyed. The usual supporting cast is present, Patrick Harper, Sharpe's loyal side-kick, William Fredrickson, a fellow officer, Jane, Sharpe's new wife, Michael Hogan, his mentor and sometimes protector, and in the background Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington and Commander-in-chief of the combined British and Portoguese forces. Other characters, drawn with Cornwell's usual skill, are Captain Bampfylde, an arrogant, self-serving Post Captain, Colonel Wigram a clueless engineer, Cornelius Killick, an American Privateer, Comte de Maquerre, a spy working for the British, Andre Lassan, French Commandant of the fort, and General Calvet, bloodthirsty French commander and survivor of the Russian campaign.
The story unfolds quickly and is hard to put down. Once I got halfway through, I had to finish it even though it was after midnight. The battle scenes are, as always, compelling and exciting. The book is well-plotted and straightforward. Sometimes Sharpe's survival skills and luck strain credulity to the limit and this time is no exception. Nevertheless, this book like most of the others in the series is a delight to read.
May 1, 2011
I've just finished this book and as another reviewer noted, there's a certain sadness that comes with nearing the end - just three more novels after this one. Still, SIEGE is Cornwell's favourite Sharpe book and having just finished it, I can see why.
It's thoroughly exciting, superbly written and, while I can't pick a #1 in this exceptional series of books, it's definitely among the top five. Once Sharpe disembarks and begins his mission, it never lets up. The kind of book that hooks you and keeps you reading long after you should be asleep.
Siege stories have always been my very favourite type of book - there's just something about the situation, whether the protagonists are besieged or besiegers, that grips me. SHARPE'S HAVOC, SHARPE'S FORTRESS, David Gemmell's LEGEND and Harry Sidebottom's WARRIOR OF ROME: FIRE IN THE EAST are all favourites of mine. The climatic siege in this book is exceptionally written and full of the kind of ingenuity that Cornwell allows his hero and which makes him a cut above the rest. Breakneck, edge-of-the-seat stuff containing the most exciting passages of action I've ever encountered.
It's thoroughly exciting, superbly written and, while I can't pick a #1 in this exceptional series of books, it's definitely among the top five. Once Sharpe disembarks and begins his mission, it never lets up. The kind of book that hooks you and keeps you reading long after you should be asleep.
Siege stories have always been my very favourite type of book - there's just something about the situation, whether the protagonists are besieged or besiegers, that grips me. SHARPE'S HAVOC, SHARPE'S FORTRESS, David Gemmell's LEGEND and Harry Sidebottom's WARRIOR OF ROME: FIRE IN THE EAST are all favourites of mine. The climatic siege in this book is exceptionally written and full of the kind of ingenuity that Cornwell allows his hero and which makes him a cut above the rest. Breakneck, edge-of-the-seat stuff containing the most exciting passages of action I've ever encountered.
December 8, 2018
Sharpe's back to a small battlefield defending a coastal fort. Once again, he's proved a good soldier and bad politician, as he's being used by people who manipulate him to reach their own goals.
Though Sharpe is successful in battle, he barely escapes the political entanglement.
It's unclear whether being a newly wed to a beautiful woman or surviving such a long war makes him more pensive and afraid. Cornwell spends a lot of time with Sharpe's inner thoughts and we get a rather rare glimpse into the inner working of his soul.
Though Sharpe is successful in battle, he barely escapes the political entanglement.
It's unclear whether being a newly wed to a beautiful woman or surviving such a long war makes him more pensive and afraid. Cornwell spends a lot of time with Sharpe's inner thoughts and we get a rather rare glimpse into the inner working of his soul.
July 1, 2025
Major Sharpe is back and he's sent behind enemy lines to capture a French Coastal fort, hit Marshall Soult's supply lines and then retreat back to the sea. But a British navy captain with dreams of glory and Sharpe's old foe Pierr Ducos independently leave Sharpe abandoned in France with a mixed force of about 200 riflemen and marines facing a demi-brigade that outnumbers them ten to one.
This was another one where the description left me feeling that this might be the time where Cornwell fails me on Sharpe. But by this point I should know better. This is consistently one of the best historical fiction series' that I've read. This one again, kept me up nights savoring the exploits of Sharpe, Harper, Sweet William and the rest of the crew. Sharpe again shows that he is the very best there is at warfare and almost always inept at diplomacy and dealing with military hierarchy. I think if it weren't for that latter part that Sharpe would lean too far in the territory of being a Mary Sue. But Cornwell balances it pretty well and you end up caring about the characters. I was even oddly effected by the death of a secondary character in this one.
Next up is a prequel...and I'm a bit trepidatious about that. But I have learned to trust Cornwell, so we shall see.
This was another one where the description left me feeling that this might be the time where Cornwell fails me on Sharpe. But by this point I should know better. This is consistently one of the best historical fiction series' that I've read. This one again, kept me up nights savoring the exploits of Sharpe, Harper, Sweet William and the rest of the crew. Sharpe again shows that he is the very best there is at warfare and almost always inept at diplomacy and dealing with military hierarchy. I think if it weren't for that latter part that Sharpe would lean too far in the territory of being a Mary Sue. But Cornwell balances it pretty well and you end up caring about the characters. I was even oddly effected by the death of a secondary character in this one.
Next up is a prequel...and I'm a bit trepidatious about that. But I have learned to trust Cornwell, so we shall see.
March 26, 2022
[3.3 stars=I liked it, might read again]
Richard Sharpe combines grit, honor, and savagery in this fast paced novel set that is a mixture of espionage and battle on the periphery of Wellington's invasion of France. If you have read and liked the previous 17 Sharpe novels, you will not be disappointed with this installment, which has less of a lull before things get interesting than some of the earlier novels. If you have not read them, but are interested in the setting of the Napoleonic Wars by land, most of the novels are fairly independent of each other, and this book will give you a flavor of it.
Richard Sharpe combines grit, honor, and savagery in this fast paced novel set that is a mixture of espionage and battle on the periphery of Wellington's invasion of France. If you have read and liked the previous 17 Sharpe novels, you will not be disappointed with this installment, which has less of a lull before things get interesting than some of the earlier novels. If you have not read them, but are interested in the setting of the Napoleonic Wars by land, most of the novels are fairly independent of each other, and this book will give you a flavor of it.
October 21, 2022
This is a rather curious entry in Sharpe's saga. The main drama is plausible enough with the war in Southern France in early 1814, though it's clear the focus has now totally gravitated toward Sharpe. There most enjoyable elements are in the establishing action and side intrigues- the siege itself feels like action that has played out half a dozen times already by this point in the chronology. Not the worst, but far from the best the series has to offer.
August 5, 2021
Cornwell's Sharpe books are exceptional. His battle scenes are the best I've ever read. His grasp of historical detail is unmatched--and while most of Sharpe's battles are placed in fictional settings, that in no way detracts from their realism. I have followed Sharpe's career since he was a Private in India, and now he's a Major fighting Napoleon's troops in France. Along the way I've become a huge Bernard Cornwell fan and look forward to continuing to read his novels.
Warning: His battle scenes are gory, but then when soldiers are hacking at each other with swords, sabres and bayonets it will get bloody--and that's without counting the cannon fire.
Warning: His battle scenes are gory, but then when soldiers are hacking at each other with swords, sabres and bayonets it will get bloody--and that's without counting the cannon fire.
January 20, 2022
This has everything you want from a Sharpe novel; clever (not two-dimensional) enemies, great characters and fantastic battles. Apart from the narrator's strange choice of accents for Sharpe and Harper (which I'm growing used to), I couldn't really fault it.
October 10, 2025
Shout out to the Americans
December 14, 2021
Nothing really new except Americans fighting with France on the continent
I am about ready for Sharpe to face his "Waterloo" (two English words: water and loo>>>toilet water?
I am about ready for Sharpe to face his "Waterloo" (two English words: water and loo>>>toilet water?
September 23, 2021
I don't usually read this type of book but it looked interesting so thought I would give it a go. Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish it as my Prime membership ran out and the book disappeared! What I did read I enjoyed but not enough to buy it.
January 30, 2016
Napoleon may not realize it, but his wars are lost. The English have achieved total naval supremacy, and are free to raid the coasts of the imperial hexagon at their leisure. Richard Sharpe, whose sturdy Riflemen are in part responsible for l’Empereur’s imminent job loss, has been dispatched on one such raid. His orders are to capture a small but potentially bothersome fort, and possibly wander over to Bordeaux, where it is said the people are clamoring for the restoration of the Bourbons. Alas for Sharpe, he is a pawn twice over; he has been invited to join the raid only so the bumbling generals in charge of it will have hope of victory, or at the very least a good scapegoat – and the generals themselves are operating on suspect intelligence fed to them by French counterintelligence mastermind, Pierre Ducos. When Ducos learns that the redcoats are up for a little raiding and Sharpe is with him, he takes a personal interest in not only rendering their plans moot, but condemning Sharpe to die. In short order, the good rifleman is trapped in France with no hope of escape but an American pirate who was to have hung for crimes against the Crown. Sharpe’s Siege distinguishes itself from many other Sharpe novels in that the military action is wholly fabricated; the raid he participates in never took place. Although the military scenes are full of excitement and explosions and the like, they take second place to Ducos’ scheming; there’s no doubt that Sharpe will capture the fort and then defend it against a host of embarrassed Frenchmen, but getting out of the greater trap is an altogether different feat. What I appreciated most about it was the mixing-in of naval action. Alas for me, there are only two more Sharpe books waiting – Sharpe’s Revenge, which is next, and then Sharpe’s Waterloo.
January 14, 2018
Sharpe's Siege picks up with the English army working their way into France, Sharpe's happily married to Jane and Harper the proud father of a two month old. Sharpe's soldierly duties always come first however, and here he is drafted into helping the Royal Navy on a mission to possibly assist in Bordeaux turning against the French Empire in a stroke that could end the Napoleonic War. Anyone who knows Sharpe (or European history) will know this doesn't happen, and instead Sharpe will end up being caught in a trap left by the French intelligence officer Ducot, who is making yet another appearance, rivaling Obadiah Hakeswill's run as a villain.
The title of the book gives away that there will be a siege, though Cornwell pulls out all the stops in making it more intense and creative than similar battles in earlier books. **Spoilers follow** For starters, Sharpe, Harper and Sweet William Frederickson are all on the inside the the structure under siege, and they are vastly outnumbered and outgunned. The limited bullets in particular is unusual in this series, and the tricks that Sharpe and friends pull to even the odds were more similar to those found in the various Sharpe short stories that I've reviewed on here.
While Sharpe is worrying about the enemy, he is equally distracted by the possibility of losing his wife Jane to fever, as she has come down with symptoms immediately before he was deployed. Also sick is Major Michael Hogan, who is (along with Harper) as long tenured as an ally to Sharpe as we've seen in the series. This installment also introduces the character of Cornelius Killick, an American naval officer or pirate, depending on the moment. Killick provides for many of the surprises in this novel, as both Sharpe and the French are at times forced to depend on him or go after him.
The title of the book gives away that there will be a siege, though Cornwell pulls out all the stops in making it more intense and creative than similar battles in earlier books. **Spoilers follow** For starters, Sharpe, Harper and Sweet William Frederickson are all on the inside the the structure under siege, and they are vastly outnumbered and outgunned. The limited bullets in particular is unusual in this series, and the tricks that Sharpe and friends pull to even the odds were more similar to those found in the various Sharpe short stories that I've reviewed on here.
While Sharpe is worrying about the enemy, he is equally distracted by the possibility of losing his wife Jane to fever, as she has come down with symptoms immediately before he was deployed. Also sick is Major Michael Hogan, who is (along with Harper) as long tenured as an ally to Sharpe as we've seen in the series. This installment also introduces the character of Cornelius Killick, an American naval officer or pirate, depending on the moment. Killick provides for many of the surprises in this novel, as both Sharpe and the French are at times forced to depend on him or go after him.
April 24, 2009
So far, this is the most exciting of the many Sharpe novels I have read. Even though this is one of the few not constructed around one of Wellington's major battles, it is almost all fighting from beginning to end. My heart was pounding in the last chapters as Sharpe and his 200 men held off one of Napoleon's demi-brigades -- 2,000 men -- under the command of one of the heroes of the Russian campaign, General Calvet.
The villains are prime, including the French intelligence chief Ducos; the supercilious cowardly twit, Captain Horace Bampfylde of the Royal Navy; the notorious "Maquereau" (or pimp), Comte de Maquerre, a French double agent; and the odious bureaucratic Army colonel Wigram.
To lend some veracity to the proceedings, I've been reading Ian Fletcher's The Campaigns of Wellington in a 3-volume Folio Society edition in parallel with the Sharpe novels.
Great male escapist entertainment.
The villains are prime, including the French intelligence chief Ducos; the supercilious cowardly twit, Captain Horace Bampfylde of the Royal Navy; the notorious "Maquereau" (or pimp), Comte de Maquerre, a French double agent; and the odious bureaucratic Army colonel Wigram.
To lend some veracity to the proceedings, I've been reading Ian Fletcher's The Campaigns of Wellington in a 3-volume Folio Society edition in parallel with the Sharpe novels.
Great male escapist entertainment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2014
One of the best I've read in this series. Contains all the usual assets of Cornwell's writing--plotting, action, and historical detail--and avoids some of the unfortunate efforts of other books in the series to include a romantic element. In this book, Sharpe finds himself landed in France behind enemy lines with the task of taking a French fort; as usual, he has to contend with dangerous opponents, numerically superior enemy forces, treachery and more. Against these odds, can he be successful? You must be joking.
September 29, 2014
I have now completed eleven of the 21 books in this series.
This adventure has Sharpe off to help the Navy capture a French fort. It's supposedly lightly defended ramparts hold more trouble than Sharpe can possibly imagine (even if the reader knows) and with the help of Harper and some handy Americans, Share just may be able to outwit Ducos again.
Predictable, enjoyable and entertaining.
This adventure has Sharpe off to help the Navy capture a French fort. It's supposedly lightly defended ramparts hold more trouble than Sharpe can possibly imagine (even if the reader knows) and with the help of Harper and some handy Americans, Share just may be able to outwit Ducos again.
Predictable, enjoyable and entertaining.
June 11, 2015
I loved this book. Basically, it's The Alamo. Sharpe and a small force desperately trying to hold an old abandoned fort way behind enemy lines against a force way larger than his own. Some of the stuff he does is pretty fascinating. Who knew you could burn/crush sea-shells and make lime? Who knew you could then dump clouds of this toxic crap in your attacking enemy's faces, permanently blinding them and badly burning their breathing tract? You do what you gotta do to win I guess.
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