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Title: Sharpe's Siege: Richard Sharpe and the Winter Campaign, 1814 by Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 0-14-029437-6 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.27 (11 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Richard Sharpe fights on...
Comment: Bernard Cornwell gives another solid adventure novel from his Sharpe series, the military counterpart to Forester's celebrated Hornblower novels. In this story, Sharpe is dispatched with the Royal Navy to capture a coastal fort and a few dozen luggers. Napoleon's spymaster, Major Ducos, learns of his bitter enemy's presence and schemes to trap him, and succeeds in marooning Sharpe in his fortress. The "Siege" follows, as Sharpe stands off a force of 2000 crapauds plus artillery, with little more than 200 Riflemen and Marines, and his own will to win.
On the minus side, longtime Sharpe confidant and British spymaster Michael Hogan dies of fever. I believe that Cornwell handled this matter poorly. Hogan's death was consistent with Napoleonic reality (many more soliders died of disease than wounds back then), but it was anti-climactic - and it was anti-climactic because Hogan's death was used to create anxiety in Sharpe that his new wife would also die of the fever. Basically, Cornwell bumped off a long-standing, well-developed character in a poorly developed fashion to make the hero anxious about a new, underdeveloped character. That is bad writing.
If Cornwell's Sharpe serial has any general failing, it is in how cookie-cutter all his novels are. If you are reviewing one of them, you are basically reviewing all of them. There is rarely ANY variation from his standard plot and character archtypes. Just ONCE I would like to see Sharpe get into trouble because of a otherwise competent superior's honest mistake (or the brilliance of the enemy - imagine that!) and not because said superior is an incompetent, corrupt, cowardly, arrogant bumbler.
However, even if Cornwell is formulaic, it is a thoroughly enjoyable formula. History buffs, fans of swash and buckle, and anyone who has enjoyed Forester's Hornblower will just love this stuff.
Rating: 5
Summary: Best in Series
Comment: Hands down, my favorite of the Sharpe series. Major Sharpe and some of his Rifle regiment are sent to help take a French coastal fort that defends access to a number of small craft the Navy needs to capture to make a huge pontoon bridge for the invasion of France. Of course there's a French spy, a pompous and greedy British Naval officer, an American privateer, Sharpe's wife possibly dying from fever, and lurking behind everything, Sharpe's nemesis, French spymaster Pierre Ducos. Sharpe has to leave most of his men behind (but not, of course, Harper), and easily takes the fort. However, he is stranded on land with a company of Marines and must suddenly hole up in the flimsy fort and hope for salvation. This is Cornwell at his best, inventing a non-historic situation for Sharpe, taking him out of his natural element, presenting him with overwhelming odds, and then having him improvise his way to victory. The siege is a wonderfully frantic affair, as Sharpe must contend with overwhelming enemy numbers, low ammunition, and a crumbling defense. Great stuff.
Rating: 5
Summary: One of the best, if not THE best
Comment: When a quick raid on a French fort falls victim to cowardice and miscommunication it is up to Richard Sharp and his men to dig in and defend themselves. Can Sharp get his men out alive with nothing but their guns and an American privateer who may or may not be a friend? Lots of action and good battle scenes an excellent Cornwell book.
This particular edition of the Sharp's series is one of my particular favorites. My favorite character Patrick Harper has a notable part to play(b y which I mean the part played by his seven barreled navy gun). If you are one of those people that likes to start a series from the middle and work your way back this is an excellent book to start with
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Title: Sharpe's Company: The Siege of Badajoz by Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 0140294325 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 10 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Sharpe's Sword: Richard Sharpe and the Salamanca Campaign June and July, 1812 by Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 0140294333 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 10 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Sharpe's Devil : Chile 1820 by Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 0060932295 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Sharpes Gold: Richard Sharpe and the Destruction of Almeida, August 1810 by Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 0140294317 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: February, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Sharpe's Skirmish by Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 0972222006 Publisher: The Sharpe Appreciation Society Pub. Date: 03 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.00 |
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