Bernard Cornwell
1 One of the best Sharoe books yet!
After finishing this book I thought it was one of the best of the series. This is the book that pits Sharpe against as Enemy like himself, Brigadier Loup is a great French commander, he commands an 'elite' Battalion known as the Loup Brigade. Like Sharpe's own rifles, these are a well-trained unit.
The book in general is typical Cornwell writing, you get a dose of history, a bit of romance and a whole load of heroism and action. Once you read a Sharpe novel the battle scenes get you gripped, you find yourself living it, smelling the acrid cannon smoke, tasting the foul, salty gunpowder of the muskets. This book is typical Sharpe and then some, the battle with Loup is like a clash of the titans, I recommend this book greatly, its one of the best of the series.
5 Stars
2 Sharpe's
I haven't read a single book in this series that has disappointed. If you want to have a feel for how things were during the Peninsular war, buy and enjoy!
3 Reads Like a Screenplay, But Still Worthy
The Richard Sharpe of SHARPE'S BATTLE is not necessarily the same character in Cornwell's earlier Sharpe novels. Instead, the Sharpe of this novel is taken from the screen - namely Sean Bean's excellent portrayal of the combative rifleman. There are little things that will drive fans of the novels nuts, for instance, when does Sharpe EVER refer to Harper as "Pat" in any of the 11 original novels ?
Still Bean really does nail Sharpe onscreen and the basic feel of the original Sharpe novels still shines through.
The plot is pretty predictable and has already been summarized well by other reviewers so I won't go into details.
Let me sum it up simply - great idea for a story not made the most of, but even a mediocre Sharpe novel is better than a lot of what gets published these days.
If you're a devotee of the original novels, like me, grit your teeth and plow through. SHARPE'S BATTLE is an exciting read despite itself.
4 Reads Like a Screenplay, But Still Worthy
The Richard Sharpe of SHARPE'S BATTLE is not necessarily the same character in Cornwell's earlier Sharpe novels. Instead, the Sharpe of this novel is taken from the screen - namely Sean Bean's excellent portrayal of the combative rifleman. There are little things that will drive fans of the novels nuts, for instance, when does Sharpe EVER refer to Harper as "Pat" in any of the 11 original novels ?
Still Bean really does nail Sharpe onscreen and the basic feel of the original Sharpe novels still shines through.
The plot is pretty predictable and has already been summarized well by other reviewers so I won't go into details.
Let me sum it up simply - great idea for a story not made the most of, but even a mediocre Sharpe novel is better than a lot of what gets published these days.
If you're a devotee of the original novels, like me, grit your teeth and plow through. SHARPE'S BATTLE is an exciting read despite itself.
5 The only disappointment in the series so far
Not a bad story for the genre, but completely out of sync with the rest of the Sharpe series in terms of writing style and characterization. I wish I'd skipped it. Not sure what got into Cornwell on this one.
6 One of the Best
When I first read this book, nearly three years I found it intriguing, exciting, and delightful. A few weeks ago I picked it up and read it again, and it was just as good the second time around, especially the meeting of Loup. Cornwell certainly out did himself with this one. It is a story of lost honor, mixed in with some espionage, all centered around a historical campaign in the Spanish highlands, 1811. I disagree that Cornwell did not have his heart in this novel. In fact I believe that it is one of the finest in the series-more "underground" action and plot twists than most, which keeps the story ever moving and ever interesting. Highly highly recommended.
7 A very boring TV series
I don't know about the book, but Sharpe's Battle certainly didn't make good television viewing. I thought the first episode was bad and wouldn't have bothered with the second except that my husband wanted to give it another go. "Why am I wasting time watching this?" I asked myself and, since I'm not usually masochistic, I walked out of the room halfway through the episode. Apart from the fact that I found the series boring, I wondered if guns were really as accurate in Napoleon's time as they were portrayed. It seemed to me that every time someone fired a gun the bullet didn't just hit the targeted man but instantly killed him.
8 Great Fun!
Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe's Battle" is another fine entry in the Sharpe series. As with all of Cornwell's Sharpe books there are loads of action and excitement. "Battle" was written during the BBC series 1995 and is even dedicated to Sean Bean, the actor who played Sharpe.
It is Spain 1811 the British are trying to maintain their foothold in the Iberian Peninsula. Sharpe gets his company lost in the foothills and stumbles across a town that was wiped up by the French. Sharpe orders the execution of two French soldiers thus earning the enmity of the ruthless French Brigadier General Loup (the Wolf). Thus begins a story that includes characters such as: the evil spy-master Major Ducos, the hysterical ruminations of Wagon Master (General) Runciman, the tragic drunken Irish Lord Kiely, the impotent partisan El Castrador (that's right Castrador). Can you imagine a better cast of characters. What fun!
I disagree with some of the other reviews and found "Sharpe's Battle" great. I would recommend this story to anyone, especially Sharpe fans.
9 Subpar for the series
Because this book was written with the movie in mind, it doesn't flow in the same manner as the other books. While this makes the book lighter and sunnier than the rest of the series, it also makes the situation somewhat ridiculous, especially since some of the Chosen Men appear in this book, but then never appear again in any of the books chronologically before or after it. The description of the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro, however, was probably the best in the series, and rescued a subpar story. Read the book for the battle sequences. If a movie could be made with this level of descriptiveness and eloquence, I'd go watch it tomorrow.
10 Sharpe as Ever!
I had read all of the Sharpe novels but this one, and I had put off reading it for a long time. I didn't like the fact that Cornwell stuck this into the middle of the series after he had finished it. When I read the first few pages, I had reservations. It sounded like a weak movie script. After a while, however, like most Sharpe fans, I felt the need for more! When I finally bought and starting reading it in earnest, I found it was pretty good. Like all Sharpe novels,it certainly keeps your attention. The opening confrontation with Loup is great, just what we've come to expect from Cornwell. And as the story goes along,I was once again cheering for my favorite literary hero! It had been a while since I'd read Sharpe, and frankly I'd missed him, good old Harps, Hagman,Cooper and the ever wily Major Hogan. (With all these Hibernian heroes, I wonder if Cornwell isn't really a closet Irishman!). The story moves along. the characters are fun as ever, and it's just a plain good read. However, I do agree with critics of the book: somehow, it does seem out of kilter with the rest of the series. I was extremely happy, though, to see that Cornwell had dedicated the book to Sean Bean. As Cornwell has admitted in interviews, once Sean played the role, he really became Sharpe! Like many people (including Cornwell), I can't imagine anyone playing the role but Sean.(I do think Colin Firth might be a close contender, though). When you read this book, you're picturing Sean and Darragh O'Malley as Harper. My only regret about the Sharpe novels is that there aren't a hundred more! Patrick O'Brian's novels tended to fade as time went on, but Bernard's still got it, and Sharpe's Battle shows it better than any evidence I or anyone else can give!
11 Shape's Battle is another triumph for Bernard Cornwell
Once again, Bernard Cornwell has written an exciting page-turner of a book. I found it very addictive - staying up late at night to finish it. I recommend it to all who enjoy a good historical action/adventure book in the genre of Horatio Hornblower.
I can't wait to read more books of the Sharpe series.
12 One of the Weaker in the Series
Another in the long-running Sharpe series, this one starts promisingly enough as Sharpe encounters the nasty French Brigadier General "Loup" (Wolf) and his elite counterinsurgency unit, who author atrocities worthy of modern warfare in the name of suppressing the Spanish partisans. After establishing Sharpe and Loup as dire enemies, the book continues through an initial fight, which ties into a subplot involving an Irish regiment of the Spanish emperor's bodyguard. This subplot occasionally bogs things down, and in the final third of the book--which details the battle of Fuentes de Ooro (1811)--we unfortunately lose track of Sharpe for long stretches before the inevitable climactic encounter between him and Loup. Not surprisingly, there's a beautiful and dangerous woman involved in it all. It's one of the weaker entries in the series, but still quite enjoyable.
13 What could you expect from Cornwell
This is one of the best historical novels I have ever read. The only part I didn't like was the small history of what realy did happen at the end. It was a jolt back to reality.
14 Dustin's revew of a good book
I enjoyed this book very much. I especially enjoyed Bernard Cornwells excellent battle discriptions. I admire his amazing imagination and wonderful use of words and the way he would just paint a picture in my head of his charicters and his scenes.
15 Sharpe's Battle: Not Cornwell's Best, But A Lot Of Fun
'Sharpe's Battle,' starts out with a bang and then gets bogged down to an ultimatley unsatisfying ending. While this book holds true to the spirit of the series and the attention to historical detail is first rate (a Cornwell trademark,) the wonderful story is sacrificed in Cornwell's attempt to illustrate the battle of Fuentes De Ornero. In other 'Sharpe' novels the battle scenes enhance the story but not so in 'Sharpe's Battle.' Fans of the series should enjoy it but those new to the world of Richard Sharpe would do well read the author's original series which starts with 'Sharpe's Rifles.'
16 Feels Like it was Written From a Script
'Sharpes Battle' is a hard read. The characters and the dialogue do not fit, they don't mesh with the relationships that Bernard Cornwell built up in his original books. Someone suggested that they felt Cornwell was forced into writing this for the television series and that may be true. This book is an addition to the original 11 of the series, that span the Peninsular & Napoleonic wars, and fills in an almost two year gap between the battles of 'Sharpes Gold' and 'Sharpes Company' (books 3 & 4). It was also written/published five years after book 11 ('Waterloo'), while the television series was in production. And it's the only Sharpes book written after 'Waterloo' that delves back to the original series - 'Sharpes Devil' takes place in 1820, after Richard Sharpe has retired from the army (and is a great ending to the stories of Sharpe and Harper), while 'Sharpes Tiger' goes back to his origins as an enlisted man in India.
If written by anyone other than Cornwell (and for a brief moment I wondered if Sharpes Battle had been ghostwritten), I would have given it five stars - because it is good. But it seems like Cornwells' heart wasn't in to writing this tale and so it falls short.
But, if you've read all the others, you gotta read this one. If you're new to the series, any of the original books are worth reading, in any order (I started with books 8 thru 11, and then 1 thru 7).
17 Cornwell's adaptation of the Carlton Television screenplay..
Although a thoroughly good read, I can't help but feel that Cornwell was forced into this by the TV producers, who refused to use his original books, and only his characters.
18 Back from the future!
Cornwell does a superb job, but for some reason I was not overwhelmed as I have been with the other books. Perhaps, because though Cornwell's dialogue and plot are fast-paced, I've perhaps read too many of them and his books have become too formulistic (off course most fans like the tried and true approach). I still very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading the last remaining book in the series that I haven't read yet - Sharpe's Rifles.
19 Simply Fantastic
Who can resist a big battle, lots of bloodshed, and Bernard Cornwell manages to place u in the middle of it. Particularly good is the way that the entire battle revolves around Sharpe.
20 Incredible writing style and historic accuracy.
Wow! What a story. This one book got me hooked, and I am currently gnawing away at the rest of the series. It is great! Cornwell combines an incredible ability to describe a scene in vivid detail with his penchant for historical accuracy. Definitly a 5-star series.
21 This Sharpe book has everthing!
This Sharpe book goes back and details one of the earlier battles Sharpe was involved with. The villian is evil and the woman is traditionally less than innocent. A good addition to the Sharpe series and another victory for Cornwell!
22 This Sharpe book has everthing!
This Sharpe book goes back and details one of the earlier battles Sharpe was involved with. The villian is evil and the woman is traditionally less than innocent. A good addition to the Sharpe series and another victory for Cornwell!
23 CAPTAIN (not Lt. Col.) Sharpe's Battle in the Pennisula
Basically an aside from the main 11 novels in the Sharpe series (between no. 3 and 4), Sharpe's Battle highlights the conflict between one of the British Army's best officers against the French best. Cornwell manages to convincingly combine actual events and people with his imagination to create a setting for adventure, action, and drama. I believe this is the only Sharpe novel where a newly introduced lady does not fall for/bed Sharpe:) I couldn't put the book down until I had finished reading all 400+ pages. I too have to add my request for more Sharpe.
24 Adventure reading at its best
Sharpe's Battle is part of a series recounting the adventurous rise of a fictional officer, Richard Sharpe, in the British army during the Pennisular War against Napoleon's army. Sharpe received a battlefield promotion from the ranks into an aristocratic officer corps, and his enemies are intolerant fellow officers as well as the French. The author has an invisible, fast-pace writing style which carries the reader into pure escape. His storytelling ability to keep the hero in constant death defying situations is compelling. Woven throughout the tale is well researched military history for understanding Napoleonic tactics, formations and weapons. It is adventure reading at its best.
