A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.

A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.


Enemies on both sides, 22 Oct 2008
This maybe my favourite Sharpe novel so far. The return of his arch emeny Obadiah Hakeswill, love, an impossible task and hurt pride, Sharpe has his biggest challenge for some time. This was such a page turner I finished it in 3 days.... impossible to put down

Not so sharpe, 17 Dec 2007
I found this novel disjointed and out of keeping with the Sharpe of the previous novels. The plot was not one of the best that Cornwell has managed, and the character of hakeswill was a totaly different person from the Hakeswill of India. All in all a disappointment, I found Sharpe incompetent and dithering and Harper having a bad novel. Still its only a book, just not a very good one. Cornwell, could and has done better.

Exciting account of 2 great sieges, 02 Oct 2007
In the winter of 1812 Wellington is set on capturing the 2 great fortress-cities that guard the border between Portugal and Spain. The novel begins with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with the siege of Badajoz, and in themselves these provide plenty of action and battle-scenes for the British Peninsular army and Sharpe, but inbetween Sharpe also risks losing the command of his company, and finds himself confronted with his arch-enemy Sergeant Hakeswill again...

In a nutshell: another great addition to the series, with Sharpe and his trusted companion Harper in the thick of action!

Sheer class!, 14 Nov 2000
I have only read five Sharpe books but I have to say by far this book is the best I have read, it will be very hard to top this story. It is based on the dramatic events of Badajoz, the seemingly impregnable fort in Spain held by the French. Sharpe has problems of his own, let alone facing the fort he has lost command of his South Essex light company to a rich man, a daughter and wife to-be to protect, and his old enemy, the twiching, maddened and seemingly indestructable Sgt. Hakeswill to deal with. The book is a master piece and I challenge anyone who has read the book to say it isn't.

Sharpe (aided by Wellington) captures the "Keys of Spain.", 30 Jan 2000
I have stayed in and explored both Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz - altough technically/historically, in the wrong order. I had read "Sharpe's Company" before visiting these fine places, and once again I must say that Bernard Cornwell and his friend Richard Sharpe provided me with a first class insight into the events which culminated in Wellington's capture of these vital fortress towns. What comes across best is the sheer size and apparent impossibility of the task - standing outside the walls, your money would always be on the defenders. Back to the novel though. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of "Company," borne of Mr. Cornwell's meticulate research, what the reader cannot fail to appreciate is the absolute terror of siege warfare in the Napoleonic age. Here we learn about two of Wellington's most important successes of the Peninsular War, both coming in 1812. Followed in the Summer by his brilliant victory at Salamanca, that year was truly the turning point of Napoleon's fortunes in Europe. (Things didn't go particularly well in the East either). The sub-plot finds our old friend Sgt.Obadiah Hakeswill returning to make Sharpe's life a misery. This time he avoids death in the bloody breaches at Badajoz by feigning death, and once inside the walls he finds and attempts to rape Sharpe's wife, killing one of our hero's friends in the process. Sharpe arrives in the nick of time, but Hakeswill escapes, and although we know he will meet his maker eventually, I personally feel that this would have been the opportune moment for Sharpe's ultimate revenge. "Battle," "Company," and "Sword" are, for me at least, the most entertaining and historicaly enlightning of the series. Coming, as they do, consecutively in chronological order, they make for the ultimate Sharpe trilogy, and I would recommend the Sharpe/Peninsula enthusiast to take time out to read all three one after the other. Clive Witcomb. Birmingham, England. January 2000.

A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.


Enemies on both sides, 22 Oct 2008
This maybe my favourite Sharpe novel so far. The return of his arch emeny Obadiah Hakeswill, love, an impossible task and hurt pride, Sharpe has his biggest challenge for some time. This was such a page turner I finished it in 3 days.... impossible to put down

Not so sharpe, 17 Dec 2007
I found this novel disjointed and out of keeping with the Sharpe of the previous novels. The plot was not one of the best that Cornwell has managed, and the character of hakeswill was a totaly different person from the Hakeswill of India. All in all a disappointment, I found Sharpe incompetent and dithering and Harper having a bad novel. Still its only a book, just not a very good one. Cornwell, could and has done better.

Exciting account of 2 great sieges, 02 Oct 2007
In the winter of 1812 Wellington is set on capturing the 2 great fortress-cities that guard the border between Portugal and Spain. The novel begins with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with the siege of Badajoz, and in themselves these provide plenty of action and battle-scenes for the British Peninsular army and Sharpe, but inbetween Sharpe also risks losing the command of his company, and finds himself confronted with his arch-enemy Sergeant Hakeswill again...

In a nutshell: another great addition to the series, with Sharpe and his trusted companion Harper in the thick of action!

Sheer class!, 14 Nov 2000
I have only read five Sharpe books but I have to say by far this book is the best I have read, it will be very hard to top this story. It is based on the dramatic events of Badajoz, the seemingly impregnable fort in Spain held by the French. Sharpe has problems of his own, let alone facing the fort he has lost command of his South Essex light company to a rich man, a daughter and wife to-be to protect, and his old enemy, the twiching, maddened and seemingly indestructable Sgt. Hakeswill to deal with. The book is a master piece and I challenge anyone who has read the book to say it isn't.

Sharpe (aided by Wellington) captures the "Keys of Spain.", 30 Jan 2000
I have stayed in and explored both Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz - altough technically/historically, in the wrong order. I had read "Sharpe's Company" before visiting these fine places, and once again I must say that Bernard Cornwell and his friend Richard Sharpe provided me with a first class insight into the events which culminated in Wellington's capture of these vital fortress towns. What comes across best is the sheer size and apparent impossibility of the task - standing outside the walls, your money would always be on the defenders. Back to the novel though. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of "Company," borne of Mr. Cornwell's meticulate research, what the reader cannot fail to appreciate is the absolute terror of siege warfare in the Napoleonic age. Here we learn about two of Wellington's most important successes of the Peninsular War, both coming in 1812. Followed in the Summer by his brilliant victory at Salamanca, that year was truly the turning point of Napoleon's fortunes in Europe. (Things didn't go particularly well in the East either). The sub-plot finds our old friend Sgt.Obadiah Hakeswill returning to make Sharpe's life a misery. This time he avoids death in the bloody breaches at Badajoz by feigning death, and once inside the walls he finds and attempts to rape Sharpe's wife, killing one of our hero's friends in the process. Sharpe arrives in the nick of time, but Hakeswill escapes, and although we know he will meet his maker eventually, I personally feel that this would have been the opportune moment for Sharpe's ultimate revenge. "Battle," "Company," and "Sword" are, for me at least, the most entertaining and historicaly enlightning of the series. Coming, as they do, consecutively in chronological order, they make for the ultimate Sharpe trilogy, and I would recommend the Sharpe/Peninsula enthusiast to take time out to read all three one after the other. Clive Witcomb. Birmingham, England. January 2000.

Not his best, 22 Oct 2008
A good read, but agree with some of the other reviews, certainly not a Sharpe classic. Without giving away the ending, found it a little out of character and in general the book wasn't as fast paced as the others. However still worth a read

Take Care, 17 Aug 2008
This is an excellent book, but take care it was first published in 1981 so you may already have it on your book case!

One of the best in the series, 19 Sep 2007
Summer 1810, and Captain Sharpe is in trouble again, this time for threatening a provost intent on hanging one of his riflemen for pillaging. On any other day this would mean a court-martial, but Wellington needs Sharpe for a critical mission. Wellington is desperately short of money and orders Sharpe to go and get a hoard of gold stashed in the Spanish village of Casatejada (how it got to be there we never learn but who cares?). However, there's 2 problems: the gold doesn't actually belong to the British but to their Spanish allies and they aren't going to just hand it over, and - secondly - Casatejada is in French-controlled territory... What follows is a rollercoaster of a novel at breakneck speed in which Sharpe finds himself beleaguered on all sides.

And before I forget: there's a Spanish beauty involved too off course who fights with the best (pity Flashman never ran across her!). All in all, one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, and that's saying something!

Sharpe has struck Gold, 06 May 2006
Incrediable read. Non-stop action and story never lets you go. Sharpe is as daring as ever, Harper is as comical and the battles are as visual.

I love the new book cover artwork.

Sharpe's Gold, 05 Sep 2003
Having read all of the sharpe series and watched the TV programmes. I'm a bit biased to these books, if you love military history, the napoleonic wars or have read Hornblower. Then this book and the other books based on the charectors Richard Sharpe and Sgt Harper will be a must read.

In this one Sharpe and his band of sharpshooters are sent on a mission to retrieve some gold from a spanish partisan. This book and all the others in the series will grip you from page one.

I would also recommend the TV series staring sean Bean.

A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.


Enemies on both sides, 22 Oct 2008
This maybe my favourite Sharpe novel so far. The return of his arch emeny Obadiah Hakeswill, love, an impossible task and hurt pride, Sharpe has his biggest challenge for some time. This was such a page turner I finished it in 3 days.... impossible to put down

Not so sharpe, 17 Dec 2007
I found this novel disjointed and out of keeping with the Sharpe of the previous novels. The plot was not one of the best that Cornwell has managed, and the character of hakeswill was a totaly different person from the Hakeswill of India. All in all a disappointment, I found Sharpe incompetent and dithering and Harper having a bad novel. Still its only a book, just not a very good one. Cornwell, could and has done better.

Exciting account of 2 great sieges, 02 Oct 2007
In the winter of 1812 Wellington is set on capturing the 2 great fortress-cities that guard the border between Portugal and Spain. The novel begins with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with the siege of Badajoz, and in themselves these provide plenty of action and battle-scenes for the British Peninsular army and Sharpe, but inbetween Sharpe also risks losing the command of his company, and finds himself confronted with his arch-enemy Sergeant Hakeswill again...

In a nutshell: another great addition to the series, with Sharpe and his trusted companion Harper in the thick of action!

Sheer class!, 14 Nov 2000
I have only read five Sharpe books but I have to say by far this book is the best I have read, it will be very hard to top this story. It is based on the dramatic events of Badajoz, the seemingly impregnable fort in Spain held by the French. Sharpe has problems of his own, let alone facing the fort he has lost command of his South Essex light company to a rich man, a daughter and wife to-be to protect, and his old enemy, the twiching, maddened and seemingly indestructable Sgt. Hakeswill to deal with. The book is a master piece and I challenge anyone who has read the book to say it isn't.

Sharpe (aided by Wellington) captures the "Keys of Spain.", 30 Jan 2000
I have stayed in and explored both Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz - altough technically/historically, in the wrong order. I had read "Sharpe's Company" before visiting these fine places, and once again I must say that Bernard Cornwell and his friend Richard Sharpe provided me with a first class insight into the events which culminated in Wellington's capture of these vital fortress towns. What comes across best is the sheer size and apparent impossibility of the task - standing outside the walls, your money would always be on the defenders. Back to the novel though. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of "Company," borne of Mr. Cornwell's meticulate research, what the reader cannot fail to appreciate is the absolute terror of siege warfare in the Napoleonic age. Here we learn about two of Wellington's most important successes of the Peninsular War, both coming in 1812. Followed in the Summer by his brilliant victory at Salamanca, that year was truly the turning point of Napoleon's fortunes in Europe. (Things didn't go particularly well in the East either). The sub-plot finds our old friend Sgt.Obadiah Hakeswill returning to make Sharpe's life a misery. This time he avoids death in the bloody breaches at Badajoz by feigning death, and once inside the walls he finds and attempts to rape Sharpe's wife, killing one of our hero's friends in the process. Sharpe arrives in the nick of time, but Hakeswill escapes, and although we know he will meet his maker eventually, I personally feel that this would have been the opportune moment for Sharpe's ultimate revenge. "Battle," "Company," and "Sword" are, for me at least, the most entertaining and historicaly enlightning of the series. Coming, as they do, consecutively in chronological order, they make for the ultimate Sharpe trilogy, and I would recommend the Sharpe/Peninsula enthusiast to take time out to read all three one after the other. Clive Witcomb. Birmingham, England. January 2000.

Not his best, 22 Oct 2008
A good read, but agree with some of the other reviews, certainly not a Sharpe classic. Without giving away the ending, found it a little out of character and in general the book wasn't as fast paced as the others. However still worth a read

Take Care, 17 Aug 2008
This is an excellent book, but take care it was first published in 1981 so you may already have it on your book case!

One of the best in the series, 19 Sep 2007
Summer 1810, and Captain Sharpe is in trouble again, this time for threatening a provost intent on hanging one of his riflemen for pillaging. On any other day this would mean a court-martial, but Wellington needs Sharpe for a critical mission. Wellington is desperately short of money and orders Sharpe to go and get a hoard of gold stashed in the Spanish village of Casatejada (how it got to be there we never learn but who cares?). However, there's 2 problems: the gold doesn't actually belong to the British but to their Spanish allies and they aren't going to just hand it over, and - secondly - Casatejada is in French-controlled territory... What follows is a rollercoaster of a novel at breakneck speed in which Sharpe finds himself beleaguered on all sides.

And before I forget: there's a Spanish beauty involved too off course who fights with the best (pity Flashman never ran across her!). All in all, one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, and that's saying something!

Sharpe has struck Gold, 06 May 2006
Incrediable read. Non-stop action and story never lets you go. Sharpe is as daring as ever, Harper is as comical and the battles are as visual.

I love the new book cover artwork.

Sharpe's Gold, 05 Sep 2003
Having read all of the sharpe series and watched the TV programmes. I'm a bit biased to these books, if you love military history, the napoleonic wars or have read Hornblower. Then this book and the other books based on the charectors Richard Sharpe and Sgt Harper will be a must read.

In this one Sharpe and his band of sharpshooters are sent on a mission to retrieve some gold from a spanish partisan. This book and all the others in the series will grip you from page one.

I would also recommend the TV series staring sean Bean.

A change of scenery, 22 Oct 2008
Some people weren't as keen on this as a bit of a change of scenery and more politics than battles, however I thought this showed how Sharpe has grown, and how he is more than just a soldier now. Of course Sharpie does it in his own way, and there are still fights and love interests, but it does also show London at the time, and gives a real insight in how Wellingtons campaign never really hit home to the normal people without the benefit of TV and cinema. I enjoyed this book, sad that there are only 4 more to read!

Sharpe on the loose in England, 17 Oct 2007
In virtually every novel in the Sharpe-series our hero's had to deal with as many enemies from within the British army (Hakeswill being the foremost off course) as from the French but in "Sharpe's Regiment" he has nothing but enemies from within.

At the start of the story Sharpe is in Spain eagerly awaiting the necessary reinforcements for the South Essex Regiment when, to his utter astonishment, he learns that none are coming and the Regiment is likely to be disbanded (a fate only slightly less worse than losing your Colours). When Sharpe travels to England to investigate he stumbles upon a conspiracy by some very high-ranking people, and (no Sharpe-novel's complete without one) a woman he hasn't seen in quite a while.

I found this one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, if only because there's not only the usual action and battle scenes, but Sharpe in England instead of Spain (or India in the first novels) makes for a very welcome change of scenery. An utterly compelling read, as we've come to expect for Bernard Cornwell!

Sharpe's Difference - but lacks action of others, 21 Jul 2006
Sharpe novels, as a rule, follow a strict template. A battle at the start, Sharpe being persecuted but winning, and a battle at the end. 'Sharpe's Regiment' takes the long running series in a different direction by taking Sharpe away from the battle field and placing him back in England.

Napoleon has retreated to France and a lull has occurred in the war. Sharpe believed that his regiment was being given reinforcements but it turns out that someone is selling his men to other regiments. It's up to Sharpe and Harper to stop fighting the old enemy and concentrates on the enemy within. Who needs enemies with friends like these?

I enjoyed this novel as a great diversion from the usual action packed battles and tales of revenge. The description of corruption and everyday life in England was very vivid. The reason I feel this was only an average novel was that the differences that made the novel stand out form the rest of the series, also stole the action that makes them so great.

As a Sharpe fan this is a great book to get to see the character's develop, but also as a fan book ending the novel with two out of place battles did not make up for the fact that I felt it lacked the urgency and excitement of many of the other Sharpe adventures.


a pleasant diversion, 20 Nov 2005
The first book of the Sharpe series to be set largely on British soil sees Sharpe return to England to save the South Essex from an uncertain future. Threatened with being disbanded due to dwindling recruits, Sharpe returns to their Chelmsford depot to uncover a political intrigue which his experience fighting against the French on the Iberian peninsula has little prepared him for.

Sharpe's regiment gives a fascinating insight into military bureaucracy and society during the Napoleonic wars. Despite the lack of pitched battles we see Sharpe at his most exciting; when fighting the upper ranks of his own army with the reintroduction of the inept but powerful Sir Henry Simmerson. However, there is a feeling that this book could fit almost anywhere in the chronology of the later books in the series and it seems chiefly designed to give us further insight into Sharpe's character.

No less exciting than its predecessors, but little opportunity for witnessing the further elevation of Sharpe's career.

Sharpe's Regiment, 26 Apr 2003
sharpe's regiment is by far the best book in it series. I don't what it was but i could not prize this book from my hands. If you are looking for a good book a reccommend this one.

A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.


Enemies on both sides, 22 Oct 2008
This maybe my favourite Sharpe novel so far. The return of his arch emeny Obadiah Hakeswill, love, an impossible task and hurt pride, Sharpe has his biggest challenge for some time. This was such a page turner I finished it in 3 days.... impossible to put down

Not so sharpe, 17 Dec 2007
I found this novel disjointed and out of keeping with the Sharpe of the previous novels. The plot was not one of the best that Cornwell has managed, and the character of hakeswill was a totaly different person from the Hakeswill of India. All in all a disappointment, I found Sharpe incompetent and dithering and Harper having a bad novel. Still its only a book, just not a very good one. Cornwell, could and has done better.

Exciting account of 2 great sieges, 02 Oct 2007
In the winter of 1812 Wellington is set on capturing the 2 great fortress-cities that guard the border between Portugal and Spain. The novel begins with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with the siege of Badajoz, and in themselves these provide plenty of action and battle-scenes for the British Peninsular army and Sharpe, but inbetween Sharpe also risks losing the command of his company, and finds himself confronted with his arch-enemy Sergeant Hakeswill again...

In a nutshell: another great addition to the series, with Sharpe and his trusted companion Harper in the thick of action!

Sheer class!, 14 Nov 2000
I have only read five Sharpe books but I have to say by far this book is the best I have read, it will be very hard to top this story. It is based on the dramatic events of Badajoz, the seemingly impregnable fort in Spain held by the French. Sharpe has problems of his own, let alone facing the fort he has lost command of his South Essex light company to a rich man, a daughter and wife to-be to protect, and his old enemy, the twiching, maddened and seemingly indestructable Sgt. Hakeswill to deal with. The book is a master piece and I challenge anyone who has read the book to say it isn't.

Sharpe (aided by Wellington) captures the "Keys of Spain.", 30 Jan 2000
I have stayed in and explored both Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz - altough technically/historically, in the wrong order. I had read "Sharpe's Company" before visiting these fine places, and once again I must say that Bernard Cornwell and his friend Richard Sharpe provided me with a first class insight into the events which culminated in Wellington's capture of these vital fortress towns. What comes across best is the sheer size and apparent impossibility of the task - standing outside the walls, your money would always be on the defenders. Back to the novel though. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of "Company," borne of Mr. Cornwell's meticulate research, what the reader cannot fail to appreciate is the absolute terror of siege warfare in the Napoleonic age. Here we learn about two of Wellington's most important successes of the Peninsular War, both coming in 1812. Followed in the Summer by his brilliant victory at Salamanca, that year was truly the turning point of Napoleon's fortunes in Europe. (Things didn't go particularly well in the East either). The sub-plot finds our old friend Sgt.Obadiah Hakeswill returning to make Sharpe's life a misery. This time he avoids death in the bloody breaches at Badajoz by feigning death, and once inside the walls he finds and attempts to rape Sharpe's wife, killing one of our hero's friends in the process. Sharpe arrives in the nick of time, but Hakeswill escapes, and although we know he will meet his maker eventually, I personally feel that this would have been the opportune moment for Sharpe's ultimate revenge. "Battle," "Company," and "Sword" are, for me at least, the most entertaining and historicaly enlightning of the series. Coming, as they do, consecutively in chronological order, they make for the ultimate Sharpe trilogy, and I would recommend the Sharpe/Peninsula enthusiast to take time out to read all three one after the other. Clive Witcomb. Birmingham, England. January 2000.

Not his best, 22 Oct 2008
A good read, but agree with some of the other reviews, certainly not a Sharpe classic. Without giving away the ending, found it a little out of character and in general the book wasn't as fast paced as the others. However still worth a read

Take Care, 17 Aug 2008
This is an excellent book, but take care it was first published in 1981 so you may already have it on your book case!

One of the best in the series, 19 Sep 2007
Summer 1810, and Captain Sharpe is in trouble again, this time for threatening a provost intent on hanging one of his riflemen for pillaging. On any other day this would mean a court-martial, but Wellington needs Sharpe for a critical mission. Wellington is desperately short of money and orders Sharpe to go and get a hoard of gold stashed in the Spanish village of Casatejada (how it got to be there we never learn but who cares?). However, there's 2 problems: the gold doesn't actually belong to the British but to their Spanish allies and they aren't going to just hand it over, and - secondly - Casatejada is in French-controlled territory... What follows is a rollercoaster of a novel at breakneck speed in which Sharpe finds himself beleaguered on all sides.

And before I forget: there's a Spanish beauty involved too off course who fights with the best (pity Flashman never ran across her!). All in all, one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, and that's saying something!

Sharpe has struck Gold, 06 May 2006
Incrediable read. Non-stop action and story never lets you go. Sharpe is as daring as ever, Harper is as comical and the battles are as visual.

I love the new book cover artwork.

Sharpe's Gold, 05 Sep 2003
Having read all of the sharpe series and watched the TV programmes. I'm a bit biased to these books, if you love military history, the napoleonic wars or have read Hornblower. Then this book and the other books based on the charectors Richard Sharpe and Sgt Harper will be a must read.

In this one Sharpe and his band of sharpshooters are sent on a mission to retrieve some gold from a spanish partisan. This book and all the others in the series will grip you from page one.

I would also recommend the TV series staring sean Bean.

A change of scenery, 22 Oct 2008
Some people weren't as keen on this as a bit of a change of scenery and more politics than battles, however I thought this showed how Sharpe has grown, and how he is more than just a soldier now. Of course Sharpie does it in his own way, and there are still fights and love interests, but it does also show London at the time, and gives a real insight in how Wellingtons campaign never really hit home to the normal people without the benefit of TV and cinema. I enjoyed this book, sad that there are only 4 more to read!

Sharpe on the loose in England, 17 Oct 2007
In virtually every novel in the Sharpe-series our hero's had to deal with as many enemies from within the British army (Hakeswill being the foremost off course) as from the French but in "Sharpe's Regiment" he has nothing but enemies from within.

At the start of the story Sharpe is in Spain eagerly awaiting the necessary reinforcements for the South Essex Regiment when, to his utter astonishment, he learns that none are coming and the Regiment is likely to be disbanded (a fate only slightly less worse than losing your Colours). When Sharpe travels to England to investigate he stumbles upon a conspiracy by some very high-ranking people, and (no Sharpe-novel's complete without one) a woman he hasn't seen in quite a while.

I found this one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, if only because there's not only the usual action and battle scenes, but Sharpe in England instead of Spain (or India in the first novels) makes for a very welcome change of scenery. An utterly compelling read, as we've come to expect for Bernard Cornwell!

Sharpe's Difference - but lacks action of others, 21 Jul 2006
Sharpe novels, as a rule, follow a strict template. A battle at the start, Sharpe being persecuted but winning, and a battle at the end. 'Sharpe's Regiment' takes the long running series in a different direction by taking Sharpe away from the battle field and placing him back in England.

Napoleon has retreated to France and a lull has occurred in the war. Sharpe believed that his regiment was being given reinforcements but it turns out that someone is selling his men to other regiments. It's up to Sharpe and Harper to stop fighting the old enemy and concentrates on the enemy within. Who needs enemies with friends like these?

I enjoyed this novel as a great diversion from the usual action packed battles and tales of revenge. The description of corruption and everyday life in England was very vivid. The reason I feel this was only an average novel was that the differences that made the novel stand out form the rest of the series, also stole the action that makes them so great.

As a Sharpe fan this is a great book to get to see the character's develop, but also as a fan book ending the novel with two out of place battles did not make up for the fact that I felt it lacked the urgency and excitement of many of the other Sharpe adventures.


a pleasant diversion, 20 Nov 2005
The first book of the Sharpe series to be set largely on British soil sees Sharpe return to England to save the South Essex from an uncertain future. Threatened with being disbanded due to dwindling recruits, Sharpe returns to their Chelmsford depot to uncover a political intrigue which his experience fighting against the French on the Iberian peninsula has little prepared him for.

Sharpe's regiment gives a fascinating insight into military bureaucracy and society during the Napoleonic wars. Despite the lack of pitched battles we see Sharpe at his most exciting; when fighting the upper ranks of his own army with the reintroduction of the inept but powerful Sir Henry Simmerson. However, there is a feeling that this book could fit almost anywhere in the chronology of the later books in the series and it seems chiefly designed to give us further insight into Sharpe's character.

No less exciting than its predecessors, but little opportunity for witnessing the further elevation of Sharpe's career.

Sharpe's Regiment, 26 Apr 2003
sharpe's regiment is by far the best book in it series. I don't what it was but i could not prize this book from my hands. If you are looking for a good book a reccommend this one.

Gripping, 22 Oct 2008
Although back to the familiar battleground Sharpe, Cornwell again manages to come up with a new enemy who, of course, Sharpe needs to sort out. The new characters introduced in this book are some of his strongest to date, which makes you feel the hatred and passion of our down to earth hero. A good addition to the series!

One of the best, 27 Sep 2007
Chronologically the 12th novel in the series, "Sharpe's Battle" begins with an unhappy Sharpe who is given the ungrateful task of minding the Royal Irish Guards of the Spanish Throne (toy soldiers really, who've never had a taste of battle). There's a personal vendetta going on as well with the French Brigadier Loup, a fearsome character, and all the while Marshal Masséna is gathering his troops to attack Wellington's outnumbered force...

I very much like all the Sharpe-novels I've read so far, so it's difficult to choose favorites but this surely ranks as one of the best because of the virtually continuous action, culminating in the bloodbath at Fuentes de Onoro. If you like action-packed historical novels you really can't go wrong with any of Cornwell's novels, and definitely not with this particular one.

Evocative, 02 Jun 2003
This is one of my favourite Sharpe's. I own all but three of the series (no wait, four, I have to get Havoc) and have read them all. This is, apart from Regiment and Eagle, my favourite book. It combines incredibly powerful and invocative description of the battle for the village, and the brilliant Light Division rescue of the 7th (i think thats right). The characters are all perfect, each embodying a stereotype of the era. This is the book that make you want to jump into the book and experience the battle firsthand... One of the best books i have ever read.

Vivid tale of battle and honour, 27 Aug 2001
This is my first Richard Sharpe novel and I had high expectations following the TV series which I really enjoyed. I wasn't disappointed. Cornwell does an excellent job of weaving the story into a real battle and the villaineous Captain Loup jumps from the page. Compulsive reading!

Fuentes D'Onoro - no better account., 19 Dec 1999
I am a Sharpe enthusiast and have read every one of the novels from India to South America. The battle scenes are magnificent, and have evidently been meticulously researched by Mr.Cornwell. I have personally visited many of the battlefields where Sharpe and his colleagues fought, including Fuentes D'Onoro, on the Spanish/Portugese border, where "Battle" is set. Having walked up from the Dos Casas stream through the village to the Church and the ridge beyond, for me there is no more evocative Sharpe story than this one - the description of the bitter struggle up through the narrow streets is unsurpassed, as is the account of the magnificent rescue and withdrawal involving the Light Division, the 7th Division and the Horse Artillery. This is as good as it gets, and if you only ever read one Sharpe novel, this is (for me at least) the one.

A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.


Enemies on both sides, 22 Oct 2008
This maybe my favourite Sharpe novel so far. The return of his arch emeny Obadiah Hakeswill, love, an impossible task and hurt pride, Sharpe has his biggest challenge for some time. This was such a page turner I finished it in 3 days.... impossible to put down

Not so sharpe, 17 Dec 2007
I found this novel disjointed and out of keeping with the Sharpe of the previous novels. The plot was not one of the best that Cornwell has managed, and the character of hakeswill was a totaly different person from the Hakeswill of India. All in all a disappointment, I found Sharpe incompetent and dithering and Harper having a bad novel. Still its only a book, just not a very good one. Cornwell, could and has done better.

Exciting account of 2 great sieges, 02 Oct 2007
In the winter of 1812 Wellington is set on capturing the 2 great fortress-cities that guard the border between Portugal and Spain. The novel begins with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with the siege of Badajoz, and in themselves these provide plenty of action and battle-scenes for the British Peninsular army and Sharpe, but inbetween Sharpe also risks losing the command of his company, and finds himself confronted with his arch-enemy Sergeant Hakeswill again...

In a nutshell: another great addition to the series, with Sharpe and his trusted companion Harper in the thick of action!

Sheer class!, 14 Nov 2000
I have only read five Sharpe books but I have to say by far this book is the best I have read, it will be very hard to top this story. It is based on the dramatic events of Badajoz, the seemingly impregnable fort in Spain held by the French. Sharpe has problems of his own, let alone facing the fort he has lost command of his South Essex light company to a rich man, a daughter and wife to-be to protect, and his old enemy, the twiching, maddened and seemingly indestructable Sgt. Hakeswill to deal with. The book is a master piece and I challenge anyone who has read the book to say it isn't.

Sharpe (aided by Wellington) captures the "Keys of Spain.", 30 Jan 2000
I have stayed in and explored both Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz - altough technically/historically, in the wrong order. I had read "Sharpe's Company" before visiting these fine places, and once again I must say that Bernard Cornwell and his friend Richard Sharpe provided me with a first class insight into the events which culminated in Wellington's capture of these vital fortress towns. What comes across best is the sheer size and apparent impossibility of the task - standing outside the walls, your money would always be on the defenders. Back to the novel though. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of "Company," borne of Mr. Cornwell's meticulate research, what the reader cannot fail to appreciate is the absolute terror of siege warfare in the Napoleonic age. Here we learn about two of Wellington's most important successes of the Peninsular War, both coming in 1812. Followed in the Summer by his brilliant victory at Salamanca, that year was truly the turning point of Napoleon's fortunes in Europe. (Things didn't go particularly well in the East either). The sub-plot finds our old friend Sgt.Obadiah Hakeswill returning to make Sharpe's life a misery. This time he avoids death in the bloody breaches at Badajoz by feigning death, and once inside the walls he finds and attempts to rape Sharpe's wife, killing one of our hero's friends in the process. Sharpe arrives in the nick of time, but Hakeswill escapes, and although we know he will meet his maker eventually, I personally feel that this would have been the opportune moment for Sharpe's ultimate revenge. "Battle," "Company," and "Sword" are, for me at least, the most entertaining and historicaly enlightning of the series. Coming, as they do, consecutively in chronological order, they make for the ultimate Sharpe trilogy, and I would recommend the Sharpe/Peninsula enthusiast to take time out to read all three one after the other. Clive Witcomb. Birmingham, England. January 2000.

Not his best, 22 Oct 2008
A good read, but agree with some of the other reviews, certainly not a Sharpe classic. Without giving away the ending, found it a little out of character and in general the book wasn't as fast paced as the others. However still worth a read

Take Care, 17 Aug 2008
This is an excellent book, but take care it was first published in 1981 so you may already have it on your book case!

One of the best in the series, 19 Sep 2007
Summer 1810, and Captain Sharpe is in trouble again, this time for threatening a provost intent on hanging one of his riflemen for pillaging. On any other day this would mean a court-martial, but Wellington needs Sharpe for a critical mission. Wellington is desperately short of money and orders Sharpe to go and get a hoard of gold stashed in the Spanish village of Casatejada (how it got to be there we never learn but who cares?). However, there's 2 problems: the gold doesn't actually belong to the British but to their Spanish allies and they aren't going to just hand it over, and - secondly - Casatejada is in French-controlled territory... What follows is a rollercoaster of a novel at breakneck speed in which Sharpe finds himself beleaguered on all sides.

And before I forget: there's a Spanish beauty involved too off course who fights with the best (pity Flashman never ran across her!). All in all, one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, and that's saying something!

Sharpe has struck Gold, 06 May 2006
Incrediable read. Non-stop action and story never lets you go. Sharpe is as daring as ever, Harper is as comical and the battles are as visual.

I love the new book cover artwork.

Sharpe's Gold, 05 Sep 2003
Having read all of the sharpe series and watched the TV programmes. I'm a bit biased to these books, if you love military history, the napoleonic wars or have read Hornblower. Then this book and the other books based on the charectors Richard Sharpe and Sgt Harper will be a must read.

In this one Sharpe and his band of sharpshooters are sent on a mission to retrieve some gold from a spanish partisan. This book and all the others in the series will grip you from page one.

I would also recommend the TV series staring sean Bean.

A change of scenery, 22 Oct 2008
Some people weren't as keen on this as a bit of a change of scenery and more politics than battles, however I thought this showed how Sharpe has grown, and how he is more than just a soldier now. Of course Sharpie does it in his own way, and there are still fights and love interests, but it does also show London at the time, and gives a real insight in how Wellingtons campaign never really hit home to the normal people without the benefit of TV and cinema. I enjoyed this book, sad that there are only 4 more to read!

Sharpe on the loose in England, 17 Oct 2007
In virtually every novel in the Sharpe-series our hero's had to deal with as many enemies from within the British army (Hakeswill being the foremost off course) as from the French but in "Sharpe's Regiment" he has nothing but enemies from within.

At the start of the story Sharpe is in Spain eagerly awaiting the necessary reinforcements for the South Essex Regiment when, to his utter astonishment, he learns that none are coming and the Regiment is likely to be disbanded (a fate only slightly less worse than losing your Colours). When Sharpe travels to England to investigate he stumbles upon a conspiracy by some very high-ranking people, and (no Sharpe-novel's complete without one) a woman he hasn't seen in quite a while.

I found this one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, if only because there's not only the usual action and battle scenes, but Sharpe in England instead of Spain (or India in the first novels) makes for a very welcome change of scenery. An utterly compelling read, as we've come to expect for Bernard Cornwell!

Sharpe's Difference - but lacks action of others, 21 Jul 2006
Sharpe novels, as a rule, follow a strict template. A battle at the start, Sharpe being persecuted but winning, and a battle at the end. 'Sharpe's Regiment' takes the long running series in a different direction by taking Sharpe away from the battle field and placing him back in England.

Napoleon has retreated to France and a lull has occurred in the war. Sharpe believed that his regiment was being given reinforcements but it turns out that someone is selling his men to other regiments. It's up to Sharpe and Harper to stop fighting the old enemy and concentrates on the enemy within. Who needs enemies with friends like these?

I enjoyed this novel as a great diversion from the usual action packed battles and tales of revenge. The description of corruption and everyday life in England was very vivid. The reason I feel this was only an average novel was that the differences that made the novel stand out form the rest of the series, also stole the action that makes them so great.

As a Sharpe fan this is a great book to get to see the character's develop, but also as a fan book ending the novel with two out of place battles did not make up for the fact that I felt it lacked the urgency and excitement of many of the other Sharpe adventures.


a pleasant diversion, 20 Nov 2005
The first book of the Sharpe series to be set largely on British soil sees Sharpe return to England to save the South Essex from an uncertain future. Threatened with being disbanded due to dwindling recruits, Sharpe returns to their Chelmsford depot to uncover a political intrigue which his experience fighting against the French on the Iberian peninsula has little prepared him for.

Sharpe's regiment gives a fascinating insight into military bureaucracy and society during the Napoleonic wars. Despite the lack of pitched battles we see Sharpe at his most exciting; when fighting the upper ranks of his own army with the reintroduction of the inept but powerful Sir Henry Simmerson. However, there is a feeling that this book could fit almost anywhere in the chronology of the later books in the series and it seems chiefly designed to give us further insight into Sharpe's character.

No less exciting than its predecessors, but little opportunity for witnessing the further elevation of Sharpe's career.

Sharpe's Regiment, 26 Apr 2003
sharpe's regiment is by far the best book in it series. I don't what it was but i could not prize this book from my hands. If you are looking for a good book a reccommend this one.

Gripping, 22 Oct 2008
Although back to the familiar battleground Sharpe, Cornwell again manages to come up with a new enemy who, of course, Sharpe needs to sort out. The new characters introduced in this book are some of his strongest to date, which makes you feel the hatred and passion of our down to earth hero. A good addition to the series!

One of the best, 27 Sep 2007
Chronologically the 12th novel in the series, "Sharpe's Battle" begins with an unhappy Sharpe who is given the ungrateful task of minding the Royal Irish Guards of the Spanish Throne (toy soldiers really, who've never had a taste of battle). There's a personal vendetta going on as well with the French Brigadier Loup, a fearsome character, and all the while Marshal Masséna is gathering his troops to attack Wellington's outnumbered force...

I very much like all the Sharpe-novels I've read so far, so it's difficult to choose favorites but this surely ranks as one of the best because of the virtually continuous action, culminating in the bloodbath at Fuentes de Onoro. If you like action-packed historical novels you really can't go wrong with any of Cornwell's novels, and definitely not with this particular one.

Evocative, 02 Jun 2003
This is one of my favourite Sharpe's. I own all but three of the series (no wait, four, I have to get Havoc) and have read them all. This is, apart from Regiment and Eagle, my favourite book. It combines incredibly powerful and invocative description of the battle for the village, and the brilliant Light Division rescue of the 7th (i think thats right). The characters are all perfect, each embodying a stereotype of the era. This is the book that make you want to jump into the book and experience the battle firsthand... One of the best books i have ever read.

Vivid tale of battle and honour, 27 Aug 2001
This is my first Richard Sharpe novel and I had high expectations following the TV series which I really enjoyed. I wasn't disappointed. Cornwell does an excellent job of weaving the story into a real battle and the villaineous Captain Loup jumps from the page. Compulsive reading!

Fuentes D'Onoro - no better account., 19 Dec 1999
I am a Sharpe enthusiast and have read every one of the novels from India to South America. The battle scenes are magnificent, and have evidently been meticulously researched by Mr.Cornwell. I have personally visited many of the battlefields where Sharpe and his colleagues fought, including Fuentes D'Onoro, on the Spanish/Portugese border, where "Battle" is set. Having walked up from the Dos Casas stream through the village to the Church and the ridge beyond, for me there is no more evocative Sharpe story than this one - the description of the bitter struggle up through the narrow streets is unsurpassed, as is the account of the magnificent rescue and withdrawal involving the Light Division, the 7th Division and the Horse Artillery. This is as good as it gets, and if you only ever read one Sharpe novel, this is (for me at least) the one.

That damn Ducos!, 22 Oct 2008
Our hero is once again faced with arch nemesis Pierre Ducos, who as usual will do everything for personal gain and whatever possible to bring down Sharpe..... our poor hero is once again dragged into a situation out of his control, but needless to say wins the day. Good addition to the Sharpe series

Sharpe's honour at risk, 15 Oct 2007
This is a grand book, one of the best in the series. Sharpe is still mourning for his wife Teresa (killed by Obadiah Hakeswill in the previous novel, "Sharpe's enemy") when the British army is readying for the final campaign to push the French out of Spain. But not all Spanish are keen on that, and unknown to Sharpe, some of them have struck a deal with his enemy Ducos. Soon Sharke finds himself wrongfully accused of murder and cashiered from the army. His former lover Helene Leroux, 'La Marquesa', is at the centre of the intriguers' web, and Sharpe must risk life and limb to uncover the plot. That's all in a day's work for Sharpe, but then it seems he must put his honour on the line too...

Cornwell's given us another splendid novel here, with action galore and Sharpe facing some very difficult choices. The final release comes with the battle of Vitoria (June 21st 1813), and if there's any place Sharpe feels at home in it's surely a battlefield? I read this book in a day and a half of uninterrupted reading, unable to put it down save for visits to the loo and quick meals!

Love this book..., 19 Jun 2007
Sharpe, wrongly accused of murdering La Marquesa's husband after an interrupted duel, goes on the run to clear his name and find the real culprit. Along the way he has to rescue La Marquesa from a convent and a distinctly unpatriotic partisan, and escape from the French, who want to send him into the depths of France as a prisoner of war. Tempted though he is to spend the rest of the war with La Marquesa, he knows he has to get back to the army and his beloved regiment with his knowledge of the treachery cooked up by Major Ducos and a very clever Spanish priest. He escapes as the French fortress at Burgos explodes, and finds his way back to the South Essex in the midst of the Battle of Vitoria. Believing him to be dead, his regiment are naturally startled to see him, though as they have just lost their commanding officer, they are also very relieved to have him to lead them. In the aftermath of the battle Sharpe has to save La Marquesa once again from the treacherous El Maratife, and along the way Harper picks up enough gold and jewels from the French baggage to make his own and Sharpe's fortunes.
This is a fantastic novel, the battle scenes described with Cornwell's usual flair, and all the action in between wonderfully fast-paced and engaging. A brilliant read!

These books, the sharpe series, are amazing., 18 Oct 2001
These books may not be amazingly well written, I don't know, but because the story is so deep you can't even stop to think. You're engrossed in the hi-octane drama and battles that when you finish the book you feel suddenly empty...That is until you buy the next book in the series. For gods sake just read these books. They are a very good read indeed

Excellent, 24 May 2001
Sharpe's Honour is an excellent book. If you have seen the film, then after you have started reading this book you will see that is much better than the video-all the Sharpe books are. Sharpe's honour is about the battle of Vitoria where Sharpe and Harper make there fortunes. Sharpe also once again meets the beautiful Marquesa. An excellent book.

A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.


Enemies on both sides, 22 Oct 2008
This maybe my favourite Sharpe novel so far. The return of his arch emeny Obadiah Hakeswill, love, an impossible task and hurt pride, Sharpe has his biggest challenge for some time. This was such a page turner I finished it in 3 days.... impossible to put down

Not so sharpe, 17 Dec 2007
I found this novel disjointed and out of keeping with the Sharpe of the previous novels. The plot was not one of the best that Cornwell has managed, and the character of hakeswill was a totaly different person from the Hakeswill of India. All in all a disappointment, I found Sharpe incompetent and dithering and Harper having a bad novel. Still its only a book, just not a very good one. Cornwell, could and has done better.

Exciting account of 2 great sieges, 02 Oct 2007
In the winter of 1812 Wellington is set on capturing the 2 great fortress-cities that guard the border between Portugal and Spain. The novel begins with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with the siege of Badajoz, and in themselves these provide plenty of action and battle-scenes for the British Peninsular army and Sharpe, but inbetween Sharpe also risks losing the command of his company, and finds himself confronted with his arch-enemy Sergeant Hakeswill again...

In a nutshell: another great addition to the series, with Sharpe and his trusted companion Harper in the thick of action!

Sheer class!, 14 Nov 2000
I have only read five Sharpe books but I have to say by far this book is the best I have read, it will be very hard to top this story. It is based on the dramatic events of Badajoz, the seemingly impregnable fort in Spain held by the French. Sharpe has problems of his own, let alone facing the fort he has lost command of his South Essex light company to a rich man, a daughter and wife to-be to protect, and his old enemy, the twiching, maddened and seemingly indestructable Sgt. Hakeswill to deal with. The book is a master piece and I challenge anyone who has read the book to say it isn't.

Sharpe (aided by Wellington) captures the "Keys of Spain.", 30 Jan 2000
I have stayed in and explored both Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz - altough technically/historically, in the wrong order. I had read "Sharpe's Company" before visiting these fine places, and once again I must say that Bernard Cornwell and his friend Richard Sharpe provided me with a first class insight into the events which culminated in Wellington's capture of these vital fortress towns. What comes across best is the sheer size and apparent impossibility of the task - standing outside the walls, your money would always be on the defenders. Back to the novel though. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of "Company," borne of Mr. Cornwell's meticulate research, what the reader cannot fail to appreciate is the absolute terror of siege warfare in the Napoleonic age. Here we learn about two of Wellington's most important successes of the Peninsular War, both coming in 1812. Followed in the Summer by his brilliant victory at Salamanca, that year was truly the turning point of Napoleon's fortunes in Europe. (Things didn't go particularly well in the East either). The sub-plot finds our old friend Sgt.Obadiah Hakeswill returning to make Sharpe's life a misery. This time he avoids death in the bloody breaches at Badajoz by feigning death, and once inside the walls he finds and attempts to rape Sharpe's wife, killing one of our hero's friends in the process. Sharpe arrives in the nick of time, but Hakeswill escapes, and although we know he will meet his maker eventually, I personally feel that this would have been the opportune moment for Sharpe's ultimate revenge. "Battle," "Company," and "Sword" are, for me at least, the most entertaining and historicaly enlightning of the series. Coming, as they do, consecutively in chronological order, they make for the ultimate Sharpe trilogy, and I would recommend the Sharpe/Peninsula enthusiast to take time out to read all three one after the other. Clive Witcomb. Birmingham, England. January 2000.

Not his best, 22 Oct 2008
A good read, but agree with some of the other reviews, certainly not a Sharpe classic. Without giving away the ending, found it a little out of character and in general the book wasn't as fast paced as the others. However still worth a read

Take Care, 17 Aug 2008
This is an excellent book, but take care it was first published in 1981 so you may already have it on your book case!

One of the best in the series, 19 Sep 2007
Summer 1810, and Captain Sharpe is in trouble again, this time for threatening a provost intent on hanging one of his riflemen for pillaging. On any other day this would mean a court-martial, but Wellington needs Sharpe for a critical mission. Wellington is desperately short of money and orders Sharpe to go and get a hoard of gold stashed in the Spanish village of Casatejada (how it got to be there we never learn but who cares?). However, there's 2 problems: the gold doesn't actually belong to the British but to their Spanish allies and they aren't going to just hand it over, and - secondly - Casatejada is in French-controlled territory... What follows is a rollercoaster of a novel at breakneck speed in which Sharpe finds himself beleaguered on all sides.

And before I forget: there's a Spanish beauty involved too off course who fights with the best (pity Flashman never ran across her!). All in all, one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, and that's saying something!

Sharpe has struck Gold, 06 May 2006
Incrediable read. Non-stop action and story never lets you go. Sharpe is as daring as ever, Harper is as comical and the battles are as visual.

I love the new book cover artwork.

Sharpe's Gold, 05 Sep 2003
Having read all of the sharpe series and watched the TV programmes. I'm a bit biased to these books, if you love military history, the napoleonic wars or have read Hornblower. Then this book and the other books based on the charectors Richard Sharpe and Sgt Harper will be a must read.

In this one Sharpe and his band of sharpshooters are sent on a mission to retrieve some gold from a spanish partisan. This book and all the others in the series will grip you from page one.

I would also recommend the TV series staring sean Bean.

A change of scenery, 22 Oct 2008
Some people weren't as keen on this as a bit of a change of scenery and more politics than battles, however I thought this showed how Sharpe has grown, and how he is more than just a soldier now. Of course Sharpie does it in his own way, and there are still fights and love interests, but it does also show London at the time, and gives a real insight in how Wellingtons campaign never really hit home to the normal people without the benefit of TV and cinema. I enjoyed this book, sad that there are only 4 more to read!

Sharpe on the loose in England, 17 Oct 2007
In virtually every novel in the Sharpe-series our hero's had to deal with as many enemies from within the British army (Hakeswill being the foremost off course) as from the French but in "Sharpe's Regiment" he has nothing but enemies from within.

At the start of the story Sharpe is in Spain eagerly awaiting the necessary reinforcements for the South Essex Regiment when, to his utter astonishment, he learns that none are coming and the Regiment is likely to be disbanded (a fate only slightly less worse than losing your Colours). When Sharpe travels to England to investigate he stumbles upon a conspiracy by some very high-ranking people, and (no Sharpe-novel's complete without one) a woman he hasn't seen in quite a while.

I found this one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, if only because there's not only the usual action and battle scenes, but Sharpe in England instead of Spain (or India in the first novels) makes for a very welcome change of scenery. An utterly compelling read, as we've come to expect for Bernard Cornwell!

Sharpe's Difference - but lacks action of others, 21 Jul 2006
Sharpe novels, as a rule, follow a strict template. A battle at the start, Sharpe being persecuted but winning, and a battle at the end. 'Sharpe's Regiment' takes the long running series in a different direction by taking Sharpe away from the battle field and placing him back in England.

Napoleon has retreated to France and a lull has occurred in the war. Sharpe believed that his regiment was being given reinforcements but it turns out that someone is selling his men to other regiments. It's up to Sharpe and Harper to stop fighting the old enemy and concentrates on the enemy within. Who needs enemies with friends like these?

I enjoyed this novel as a great diversion from the usual action packed battles and tales of revenge. The description of corruption and everyday life in England was very vivid. The reason I feel this was only an average novel was that the differences that made the novel stand out form the rest of the series, also stole the action that makes them so great.

As a Sharpe fan this is a great book to get to see the character's develop, but also as a fan book ending the novel with two out of place battles did not make up for the fact that I felt it lacked the urgency and excitement of many of the other Sharpe adventures.


a pleasant diversion, 20 Nov 2005
The first book of the Sharpe series to be set largely on British soil sees Sharpe return to England to save the South Essex from an uncertain future. Threatened with being disbanded due to dwindling recruits, Sharpe returns to their Chelmsford depot to uncover a political intrigue which his experience fighting against the French on the Iberian peninsula has little prepared him for.

Sharpe's regiment gives a fascinating insight into military bureaucracy and society during the Napoleonic wars. Despite the lack of pitched battles we see Sharpe at his most exciting; when fighting the upper ranks of his own army with the reintroduction of the inept but powerful Sir Henry Simmerson. However, there is a feeling that this book could fit almost anywhere in the chronology of the later books in the series and it seems chiefly designed to give us further insight into Sharpe's character.

No less exciting than its predecessors, but little opportunity for witnessing the further elevation of Sharpe's career.

Sharpe's Regiment, 26 Apr 2003
sharpe's regiment is by far the best book in it series. I don't what it was but i could not prize this book from my hands. If you are looking for a good book a reccommend this one.

Gripping, 22 Oct 2008
Although back to the familiar battleground Sharpe, Cornwell again manages to come up with a new enemy who, of course, Sharpe needs to sort out. The new characters introduced in this book are some of his strongest to date, which makes you feel the hatred and passion of our down to earth hero. A good addition to the series!

One of the best, 27 Sep 2007
Chronologically the 12th novel in the series, "Sharpe's Battle" begins with an unhappy Sharpe who is given the ungrateful task of minding the Royal Irish Guards of the Spanish Throne (toy soldiers really, who've never had a taste of battle). There's a personal vendetta going on as well with the French Brigadier Loup, a fearsome character, and all the while Marshal Masséna is gathering his troops to attack Wellington's outnumbered force...

I very much like all the Sharpe-novels I've read so far, so it's difficult to choose favorites but this surely ranks as one of the best because of the virtually continuous action, culminating in the bloodbath at Fuentes de Onoro. If you like action-packed historical novels you really can't go wrong with any of Cornwell's novels, and definitely not with this particular one.

Evocative, 02 Jun 2003
This is one of my favourite Sharpe's. I own all but three of the series (no wait, four, I have to get Havoc) and have read them all. This is, apart from Regiment and Eagle, my favourite book. It combines incredibly powerful and invocative description of the battle for the village, and the brilliant Light Division rescue of the 7th (i think thats right). The characters are all perfect, each embodying a stereotype of the era. This is the book that make you want to jump into the book and experience the battle firsthand... One of the best books i have ever read.

Vivid tale of battle and honour, 27 Aug 2001
This is my first Richard Sharpe novel and I had high expectations following the TV series which I really enjoyed. I wasn't disappointed. Cornwell does an excellent job of weaving the story into a real battle and the villaineous Captain Loup jumps from the page. Compulsive reading!

Fuentes D'Onoro - no better account., 19 Dec 1999
I am a Sharpe enthusiast and have read every one of the novels from India to South America. The battle scenes are magnificent, and have evidently been meticulously researched by Mr.Cornwell. I have personally visited many of the battlefields where Sharpe and his colleagues fought, including Fuentes D'Onoro, on the Spanish/Portugese border, where "Battle" is set. Having walked up from the Dos Casas stream through the village to the Church and the ridge beyond, for me there is no more evocative Sharpe story than this one - the description of the bitter struggle up through the narrow streets is unsurpassed, as is the account of the magnificent rescue and withdrawal involving the Light Division, the 7th Division and the Horse Artillery. This is as good as it gets, and if you only ever read one Sharpe novel, this is (for me at least) the one.

That damn Ducos!, 22 Oct 2008
Our hero is once again faced with arch nemesis Pierre Ducos, who as usual will do everything for personal gain and whatever possible to bring down Sharpe..... our poor hero is once again dragged into a situation out of his control, but needless to say wins the day. Good addition to the Sharpe series

Sharpe's honour at risk, 15 Oct 2007
This is a grand book, one of the best in the series. Sharpe is still mourning for his wife Teresa (killed by Obadiah Hakeswill in the previous novel, "Sharpe's enemy") when the British army is readying for the final campaign to push the French out of Spain. But not all Spanish are keen on that, and unknown to Sharpe, some of them have struck a deal with his enemy Ducos. Soon Sharke finds himself wrongfully accused of murder and cashiered from the army. His former lover Helene Leroux, 'La Marquesa', is at the centre of the intriguers' web, and Sharpe must risk life and limb to uncover the plot. That's all in a day's work for Sharpe, but then it seems he must put his honour on the line too...

Cornwell's given us another splendid novel here, with action galore and Sharpe facing some very difficult choices. The final release comes with the battle of Vitoria (June 21st 1813), and if there's any place Sharpe feels at home in it's surely a battlefield? I read this book in a day and a half of uninterrupted reading, unable to put it down save for visits to the loo and quick meals!

Love this book..., 19 Jun 2007
Sharpe, wrongly accused of murdering La Marquesa's husband after an interrupted duel, goes on the run to clear his name and find the real culprit. Along the way he has to rescue La Marquesa from a convent and a distinctly unpatriotic partisan, and escape from the French, who want to send him into the depths of France as a prisoner of war. Tempted though he is to spend the rest of the war with La Marquesa, he knows he has to get back to the army and his beloved regiment with his knowledge of the treachery cooked up by Major Ducos and a very clever Spanish priest. He escapes as the French fortress at Burgos explodes, and finds his way back to the South Essex in the midst of the Battle of Vitoria. Believing him to be dead, his regiment are naturally startled to see him, though as they have just lost their commanding officer, they are also very relieved to have him to lead them. In the aftermath of the battle Sharpe has to save La Marquesa once again from the treacherous El Maratife, and along the way Harper picks up enough gold and jewels from the French baggage to make his own and Sharpe's fortunes.
This is a fantastic novel, the battle scenes described with Cornwell's usual flair, and all the action in between wonderfully fast-paced and engaging. A brilliant read!

These books, the sharpe series, are amazing., 18 Oct 2001
These books may not be amazingly well written, I don't know, but because the story is so deep you can't even stop to think. You're engrossed in the hi-octane drama and battles that when you finish the book you feel suddenly empty...That is until you buy the next book in the series. For gods sake just read these books. They are a very good read indeed

Excellent, 24 May 2001
Sharpe's Honour is an excellent book. If you have seen the film, then after you have started reading this book you will see that is much better than the video-all the Sharpe books are. Sharpe's honour is about the battle of Vitoria where Sharpe and Harper make there fortunes. Sharpe also once again meets the beautiful Marquesa. An excellent book.

You won't be disappointed, 03 Nov 2008
This book paints an incredible picture of Spain in the 1930s; poor, under- developed and on the brink of civil war. A genuine, reflective, thoughtful tale, what an incredible adventure it must have been.

I wish I'd done it...

LAURIE LEE As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, 03 Sep 2008
Widely regarded as one of the greatest examples of travel writing ever made, 'As I walked out one midsummer morning' is a massively engaging book.
At once visceral, heartfelt, honest, bursting with humanity and in some part disturbing, this account of a young man's walk through the Spain of the 1930s is a vicarious experience that transports the reader into an unforgettable but lost world.
There are occasions when Lee seems to have arrived at truly momentous turning points. After crossing the Guadarrama peaks he first sees Madrid in the plain of La Mancha and his knowledge of Spain is to become transformed by his experience of the capital. And then later, when he meets a Spanish sailor who portentiously warns "I don't know who you are, but if you want to see blood, stick around -you're going to see plenty."
Lee's politics are not overtly expressed, but his love of the people and their way of life is clear. Written later and first published in 1969, a lesser writer would have a built in nostalgia for a lost ideal, but not so here. His record of the Spanish rural way of life is far from idealistic.
This is a book that I would recommend to all readers, young and old alike, and is one of the best books that I have ever read.

A forgotten style, 24 Jul 2008
A style of writing that we dont see much these days. So much description that you almost feel heady. The warmth of the sun and the total atmosphere of old Spain were almost tangible.
A very relaxed writing by a young man with a zest for life and discovery.
Also a great book for anyone studying the Spanish civil war and the mood of the country beforehand,not from the politician's and historian's point of view,but an ordinary person's.
One of those books I would read again just for the descriptive narrative.


'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning', 15 May 2008
I first read this book in 1970 and just like one reviewer said,'Beware though as this book may make you want to give it all up and set off with your knapsack', well I did just that. In 1973/74 I travelled through 'Laurie Lee's Spain and it was just as I imagined it would be. This book for me evoked the essence of Spain of that time. Lee is an excellent writer, not only of novels but of poetry. I have re-read it many time since and it still evokes those feelings of wanting to go and explore. I'm thankful that I did do just that.

An odd little book, 31 Dec 2007
I managed to finish reading this the second time I picked it up. It was a case of putting it to rest, or else, sometime in the future I'd feel compelled to try again - and then, maybe I'd have to start from scratch. And I haven't got the energy to do that again.

While I enjoyed the honeyed recollections of 'Cider with Rosie', 'As I walked..." is by far a more difficult read. For a start it's oddly balanced. Why - I wonder - bother with the time spent travelling to and staying in London, when the pertinent focus of the book is his time spent in Spain? The end is a terrible cliff-hanger, which I suppose would encourage the interested reader to pick up the next installment 'A Moment of War'. Not me, I'm afraid.

In comparison with the rosy recollections of his childhood in Slad, Lee's vision of Spain is on a par with Dante's Hell. Everywhere is in a state of physical decay and moral decline. Throughout his journey he accepts the generosity of impoverished folks across the country, but shows little gratitude or appreciation on the printed page for this quality in the Spanish people. He appears quite dispassionate about what he sees. I find the claim that he mastered a fluency in Spanish after only a short time into his year-long journey, little short of a miracle. I understand there is a controversial idea that Lee did not, in fact, do all that he said he did, which includes his alleged later involvement in fighting Fascists in the Civil War. The growing presence of the impending Civil War arrives too late in the book to save me from boredom. I personally found this book a pompous, self-satisfying bore.

A fun way to learn some Spanish words, 12 Aug 2007
This is a little book of 25 Spanish crossword puzzles. Maybe puzzle isn't quite the right word here as each puzzle only consists of around six words! Still, it's only easy if you know all the words. You're likely to pick up some useful vocabulary even if you are an intermediate student as I could only manage to finish two puzzles unaided out of the 25. There's a list of the 150 Spanish words used at the back of the book and the solutions. I used to do a puzzle each day and found it sort of amusing. If you get bored with the puzzles, then you can always colour in the pictorial clues. Plus it's dirt cheap. Recommended.


Enemies on both sides, 22 Oct 2008
This maybe my favourite Sharpe novel so far. The return of his arch emeny Obadiah Hakeswill, love, an impossible task and hurt pride, Sharpe has his biggest challenge for some time. This was such a page turner I finished it in 3 days.... impossible to put down

Not so sharpe, 17 Dec 2007
I found this novel disjointed and out of keeping with the Sharpe of the previous novels. The plot was not one of the best that Cornwell has managed, and the character of hakeswill was a totaly different person from the Hakeswill of India. All in all a disappointment, I found Sharpe incompetent and dithering and Harper having a bad novel. Still its only a book, just not a very good one. Cornwell, could and has done better.

Exciting account of 2 great sieges, 02 Oct 2007
In the winter of 1812 Wellington is set on capturing the 2 great fortress-cities that guard the border between Portugal and Spain. The novel begins with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with the siege of Badajoz, and in themselves these provide plenty of action and battle-scenes for the British Peninsular army and Sharpe, but inbetween Sharpe also risks losing the command of his company, and finds himself confronted with his arch-enemy Sergeant Hakeswill again...

In a nutshell: another great addition to the series, with Sharpe and his trusted companion Harper in the thick of action!

Sheer class!, 14 Nov 2000
I have only read five Sharpe books but I have to say by far this book is the best I have read, it will be very hard to top this story. It is based on the dramatic events of Badajoz, the seemingly impregnable fort in Spain held by the French. Sharpe has problems of his own, let alone facing the fort he has lost command of his South Essex light company to a rich man, a daughter and wife to-be to protect, and his old enemy, the twiching, maddened and seemingly indestructable Sgt. Hakeswill to deal with. The book is a master piece and I challenge anyone who has read the book to say it isn't.

Sharpe (aided by Wellington) captures the "Keys of Spain.", 30 Jan 2000
I have stayed in and explored both Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz - altough technically/historically, in the wrong order. I had read "Sharpe's Company" before visiting these fine places, and once again I must say that Bernard Cornwell and his friend Richard Sharpe provided me with a first class insight into the events which culminated in Wellington's capture of these vital fortress towns. What comes across best is the sheer size and apparent impossibility of the task - standing outside the walls, your money would always be on the defenders. Back to the novel though. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of "Company," borne of Mr. Cornwell's meticulate research, what the reader cannot fail to appreciate is the absolute terror of siege warfare in the Napoleonic age. Here we learn about two of Wellington's most important successes of the Peninsular War, both coming in 1812. Followed in the Summer by his brilliant victory at Salamanca, that year was truly the turning point of Napoleon's fortunes in Europe. (Things didn't go particularly well in the East either). The sub-plot finds our old friend Sgt.Obadiah Hakeswill returning to make Sharpe's life a misery. This time he avoids death in the bloody breaches at Badajoz by feigning death, and once inside the walls he finds and attempts to rape Sharpe's wife, killing one of our hero's friends in the process. Sharpe arrives in the nick of time, but Hakeswill escapes, and although we know he will meet his maker eventually, I personally feel that this would have been the opportune moment for Sharpe's ultimate revenge. "Battle," "Company," and "Sword" are, for me at least, the most entertaining and historicaly enlightning of the series. Coming, as they do, consecutively in chronological order, they make for the ultimate Sharpe trilogy, and I would recommend the Sharpe/Peninsula enthusiast to take time out to read all three one after the other. Clive Witcomb. Birmingham, England. January 2000.

Not his best, 22 Oct 2008
A good read, but agree with some of the other reviews, certainly not a Sharpe classic. Without giving away the ending, found it a little out of character and in general the book wasn't as fast paced as the others. However still worth a read

Take Care, 17 Aug 2008
This is an excellent book, but take care it was first published in 1981 so you may already have it on your book case!

One of the best in the series, 19 Sep 2007
Summer 1810, and Captain Sharpe is in trouble again, this time for threatening a provost intent on hanging one of his riflemen for pillaging. On any other day this would mean a court-martial, but Wellington needs Sharpe for a critical mission. Wellington is desperately short of money and orders Sharpe to go and get a hoard of gold stashed in the Spanish village of Casatejada (how it got to be there we never learn but who cares?). However, there's 2 problems: the gold doesn't actually belong to the British but to their Spanish allies and they aren't going to just hand it over, and - secondly - Casatejada is in French-controlled territory... What follows is a rollercoaster of a novel at breakneck speed in which Sharpe finds himself beleaguered on all sides.

And before I forget: there's a Spanish beauty involved too off course who fights with the best (pity Flashman never ran across her!). All in all, one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, and that's saying something!

Sharpe has struck Gold, 06 May 2006
Incrediable read. Non-stop action and story never lets you go. Sharpe is as daring as ever, Harper is as comical and the battles are as visual.

I love the new book cover artwork.

Sharpe's Gold, 05 Sep 2003
Having read all of the sharpe series and watched the TV programmes. I'm a bit biased to these books, if you love military history, the napoleonic wars or have read Hornblower. Then this book and the other books based on the charectors Richard Sharpe and Sgt Harper will be a must read.

In this one Sharpe and his band of sharpshooters are sent on a mission to retrieve some gold from a spanish partisan. This book and all the others in the series will grip you from page one.

I would also recommend the TV series staring sean Bean.

A change of scenery, 22 Oct 2008
Some people weren't as keen on this as a bit of a change of scenery and more politics than battles, however I thought this showed how Sharpe has grown, and how he is more than just a soldier now. Of course Sharpie does it in his own way, and there are still fights and love interests, but it does also show London at the time, and gives a real insight in how Wellingtons campaign never really hit home to the normal people without the benefit of TV and cinema. I enjoyed this book, sad that there are only 4 more to read!

Sharpe on the loose in England, 17 Oct 2007
In virtually every novel in the Sharpe-series our hero's had to deal with as many enemies from within the British army (Hakeswill being the foremost off course) as from the French but in "Sharpe's Regiment" he has nothing but enemies from within.

At the start of the story Sharpe is in Spain eagerly awaiting the necessary reinforcements for the South Essex Regiment when, to his utter astonishment, he learns that none are coming and the Regiment is likely to be disbanded (a fate only slightly less worse than losing your Colours). When Sharpe travels to England to investigate he stumbles upon a conspiracy by some very high-ranking people, and (no Sharpe-novel's complete without one) a woman he hasn't seen in quite a while.

I found this one of the best Sharpe-novels I've read so far, if only because there's not only the usual action and battle scenes, but Sharpe in England instead of Spain (or India in the first novels) makes for a very welcome change of scenery. An utterly compelling read, as we've come to expect for Bernard Cornwell!

Sharpe's Difference - but lacks action of others, 21 Jul 2006
Sharpe novels, as a rule, follow a strict template. A battle at the start, Sharpe being persecuted but winning, and a battle at the end. 'Sharpe's Regiment' takes the long running series in a different direction by taking Sharpe away from the battle field and placing him back in England.

Napoleon has retreated to France and a lull has occurred in the war. Sharpe believed that his regiment was being given reinforcements but it turns out that someone is selling his men to other regiments. It's up to Sharpe and Harper to stop fighting the old enemy and concentrates on the enemy within. Who needs enemies with friends like these?

I enjoyed this novel as a great diversion from the usual action packed battles and tales of revenge. The description of corruption and everyday life in England was very vivid. The reason I feel this was only an average novel was that the differences that made the novel stand out form the rest of the series, also stole the action that makes them so great.

As a Sharpe fan this is a great book to get to see the character's develop, but also as a fan book ending the novel with two out of place battles did not make up for the fact that I felt it lacked the urgency and excitement of many of the other Sharpe adventures.


a pleasant diversion, 20 Nov 2005
The first book of the Sharpe series to be set largely on British soil sees Sharpe return to England to save the South Essex from an uncertain future. Threatened with being disbanded due to dwindling recruits, Sharpe returns to their Chelmsford depot to uncover a political intrigue which his experience fighting against the French on the Iberian peninsula has little prepared him for.

Sharpe's regiment gives a fascinating insight into military bureaucracy and society during the Napoleonic wars. Despite the lack of pitched battles we see Sharpe at his most exciting; when fighting the upper ranks of his own army with the reintroduction of the inept but powerful Sir Henry Simmerson. However, there is a feeling that this book could fit almost anywhere in the chronology of the later books in the series and it seems chiefly designed to give us further insight into Sharpe's character.

No less exciting than its predecessors, but little opportunity for witnessing the further elevation of Sharpe's career.

Sharpe's Regiment, 26 Apr 2003
sharpe's regiment is by far the best book in it series. I don't what it was but i could not prize this book from my hands. If you are looking for a good book a reccommend this one.

Gripping, 22 Oct 2008
Although back to the familiar battleground Sharpe, Cornwell again manages to come up with a new enemy who, of course, Sharpe needs to sort out. The new characters introduced in this book are some of his strongest to date, which makes you feel the hatred and passion of our down to earth hero. A good addition to the series!

One of the best, 27 Sep 2007
Chronologically the 12th novel in the series, "Sharpe's Battle" begins with an unhappy Sharpe who is given the ungrateful task of minding the Royal Irish Guards of the Spanish Throne (toy soldiers really, who've never had a taste of battle). There's a personal vendetta going on as well with the French Brigadier Loup, a fearsome character, and all the while Marshal Masséna is gathering his troops to attack Wellington's outnumbered force...

I very much like all the Sharpe-novels I've read so far, so it's difficult to choose favorites but this surely ranks as one of the best because of the virtually continuous action, culminating in the bloodbath at Fuentes de Onoro. If you like action-packed historical novels you really can't go wrong with any of Cornwell's novels, and definitely not with this particular one.

Evocative, 02 Jun 2003
This is one of my favourite Sharpe's. I own all but three of the series (no wait, four, I have to get Havoc) and have read them all. This is, apart from Regiment and Eagle, my favourite book. It combines incredibly powerful and invocative description of the battle for the village, and the brilliant Light Division rescue of the 7th (i think thats right). The characters are all perfect, each embodying a stereotype of the era. This is the book that make you want to jump into the book and experience the battle firsthand... One of the best books i have ever read.

Vivid tale of battle and honour, 27 Aug 2001
This is my first Richard Sharpe novel and I had high expectations following the TV series which I really enjoyed. I wasn't disappointed. Cornwell does an excellent job of weaving the story into a real battle and the villaineous Captain Loup jumps from the page. Compulsive reading!

Fuentes D'Onoro - no better account., 19 Dec 1999
I am a Sharpe enthusiast and have read every one of the novels from India to South America. The battle scenes are magnificent, and have evidently been meticulously researched by Mr.Cornwell. I have personally visited many of the battlefields where Sharpe and his colleagues fought, including Fuentes D'Onoro, on the Spanish/Portugese border, where "Battle" is set. Having walked up from the Dos Casas stream through the village to the Church and the ridge beyond, for me there is no more evocative Sharpe story than this one - the description of the bitter struggle up through the narrow streets is unsurpassed, as is the account of the magnificent rescue and withdrawal involving the Light Division, the 7th Division and the Horse Artillery. This is as good as it gets, and if you only ever read one Sharpe novel, this is (for me at least) the one.

That damn Ducos!, 22 Oct 2008
Our hero is once again faced with arch nemesis Pierre Ducos, who as usual will do everything for personal gain and w