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Sharpe's
Rifles |
| In the bitter
winter of 1809 the French are winning the war in Spain and Britain's forces are retreating
towards Corunna, with Napoleon's victorious armies in pursuit. Lieutenant Richard Sharpe
and a detachment of Riflemen are cut off from the British army and surrounded by enemy
troops. Their only hope of escape is to accept the help of an unlikely ally, a Spanish cavalry officer, Major Blas Vivar. Unknown to Sharpe, the Spaniard harbours a desperate and quixotic ambition which will lead to a suicidal assault on the holy city of Santiago de Compostela and a savage fight against overwhelming French numbers. Sharpe's determination must be tested to its limit if victory is to be snatched from disaster. "Consistently exciting...these are wonderful novels" STEPHEN KING
Reviews "I am a history teacher and I am very serious about historical details. The characters in this book may not be real, but that makes no difference. The book is well written, the characters are complex, and the story line is steeped with historical detail. Cornwall is a fantastic writer who seems to capture the feeling of the Napoleonic Wars as if he were there himself. This book introduces the reader to Richard Sharpe and Patrick Harper, two of the best written characters in modern fiction. The action starts almost immediately as Sharpe takes over the 95th Rifles. Your heart won't stop racing until the final page. Sharpe and Harper have grabbed my imagination as does the back drop of 19th century Spain. This is a must read for any student of the Napoleonic Wars. "
"A great series, an addiction! These are great landlocked companions toAubrey/Maturin; hope O'Brian and Cornwell met before it was too late. Sharpe is the Everyman soldier; does his duty with sense of cause but a concern for his men. One question: If Aubrey was Cochrane, who was Richard Sharpe? Sharpe and Harper are heroes and Simmerson is about as evil as any character I have ever met. Read the series, don't forget India; then, get your best brandy " taken off the French at Oporto" and settle in with your VCR. Sean Bean as you never knew him! "
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Buy
the book online in... |
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Paperback - 304 pages (May
1993) HarperCollins
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Buy the book online in...
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Paperback - 304 pages Reissue edition (November
1993) |
Audio Cassette cassett edition (February 1996)
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(USA)
