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227th out of 3,140 books
—
13,774 voters
Sharpe's Eagle (Sharpe #8)
After the cowardly incompetence of two officers besmirches their name, Captain Richard Sharpe must redeem the regiment by capturing the most valued prize in the French Army—a golden Imperial Eagle, the standard touched by the hand of Napoleon himself.
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
August 3rd 2004
by Signet
(first published January 1st 1981)
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WARNING: This review claims that historical novels are like porn movies, and I discuss porn throughout. Please avoid this review if porn offends you.
Historical novels are a bit like porn for me. I am always faintly ashamed to be a fan, I generally hide my taste for them, but I get off on what they have to offer.
There are high-end historical novels, like Aubrey-Maturin (the one series I am proud to be a fan of) or Wolf Hall, that are sort of like Deep Throat and other the classic porn movies --...more
Historical novels are a bit like porn for me. I am always faintly ashamed to be a fan, I generally hide my taste for them, but I get off on what they have to offer.
There are high-end historical novels, like Aubrey-Maturin (the one series I am proud to be a fan of) or Wolf Hall, that are sort of like Deep Throat and other the classic porn movies --...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
No. 8 in the Richard Sharpe series.[return][return]It� s 1809, and the British Army under Wellesley (not yet Lord Wellington) is in Portugal. Lieutenant Sharpe, recovering from a saber wound, has his first encounter with the South Essex Battalion of infantry, newly arrived from England with two aristocratic and totally incompetent officers at their head. Sharpe and Sergeant Harper, as well as the thirty surviving Rifles of the 95th, are attached to the South Essex in what will be a memorable ass...more
Another adventure story about Richard Sharpe. In this one, Sharpe and his Rifles accompany Hogan into Spain, where he has to blow up a bridge. Sent with them is the newly formed South Essex Regiment, under Colonel Simmerson, who is out to prove he is a great soldier...only he isn't. At the bridge, he foolishly attacks French cavalry, looses one of his colours and ends up blowing the bridge...with Sharpe and the Light Company on the wrong side. Sharpe wins the day and gets his men back, but Simme...more
Bernard Cornwell does an excellent job of detailing the events of Sharpe in this book.
I personally love the series being a fan of the books and the TV series. The story is. The Struggling Sharpe is a Captain on Sufferance meaning he is only a Captain because of someone dying. He needs to earn or do something heroic to make sure he earns and stays a captain.
So after the start events where the Colors get taken by the enemy (which is the worse thing possible to an army that can happen, losing yo...more
I personally love the series being a fan of the books and the TV series. The story is. The Struggling Sharpe is a Captain on Sufferance meaning he is only a Captain because of someone dying. He needs to earn or do something heroic to make sure he earns and stays a captain.
So after the start events where the Colors get taken by the enemy (which is the worse thing possible to an army that can happen, losing yo...more
My first Sharpe book -- really amazing -- best military adventure story ever!
I had heard about these Sharpe books for years, but I never really got interested in them until my good friend Deborah Hale mentioned them. SHARPE'S EAGLE really impressed me, even on audiobook!
The thing that surprised me the most was the way Cornwell is so open about the injustices of the British army. I grew up on Rudyard Kipling, and in his army stories there's a right-wing bias against any kind of social criticism o...more
I had heard about these Sharpe books for years, but I never really got interested in them until my good friend Deborah Hale mentioned them. SHARPE'S EAGLE really impressed me, even on audiobook!
The thing that surprised me the most was the way Cornwell is so open about the injustices of the British army. I grew up on Rudyard Kipling, and in his army stories there's a right-wing bias against any kind of social criticism o...more
SHARPE'S EAGLE is the first in the series of Sharpe novels by Cornwell, and by god it’s a corker. A stunning, Spanish-set action/adventure yarn laced with intrigue and violence, it is as plausible and as well worked out as any other historical novel you can think of.
The book never slows down or becomes boring; every page contains plenty of characterisation, zesty dialogue and detailed description which bring the sweaty locales to life. Following the general formula for the series, the story see...more
The book never slows down or becomes boring; every page contains plenty of characterisation, zesty dialogue and detailed description which bring the sweaty locales to life. Following the general formula for the series, the story see...more
Sharpe's Eagle is (currently) #8 in order of chronological ordering, #1 by original publication date, and #3 in the "Peninsular War" part of Sharpe's saga. This was the first time where the out-of-order writing of the books caused me serious fits.
Sharpe's Eagle was the first Sharpe book (though I didn't know that when I read it) and when viewed from that vantage point it is pretty good. It is not without flaws but it -- when considered in a vacuum -- it is a pretty good adventure story. The bad...more
Sharpe's Eagle was the first Sharpe book (though I didn't know that when I read it) and when viewed from that vantage point it is pretty good. It is not without flaws but it -- when considered in a vacuum -- it is a pretty good adventure story. The bad...more
I am reading the history of Richard Sharpe adventures in chronological, not publication order. This has a side effect of accentuating the uneven quality of some of the books, and the episodic nature of the saga, with some inconsistencies from one book to the next that do not bear too close a scrutiny.
Sharpe's Eagle is my eighth book, but one of the first to be published. Cornwell is in a class of his own when it comes to actual battle scenes, and I have no complaint about the episode of the Peni...more
Sharpe's Eagle is my eighth book, but one of the first to be published. Cornwell is in a class of his own when it comes to actual battle scenes, and I have no complaint about the episode of the Peni...more
Feb 06, 2013
Mick
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
february-reads,
general-fiction
The author begins this edition of his first novel with a brief foreword, explaining how it came about and what he wanted to do with it. In this foreword he explains that in the decades since the release of Sharpe's Eagle he's never re-read it, out of fear of the crudity of his earlier writing.
Perhaps he'd be a harsh critic of his own work, but I think Cornwell has nothing to worry about. Sharpe's Eagle may be crude in parts, but it holds up strongly today as a terrific action-adventure story. Th...more
Perhaps he'd be a harsh critic of his own work, but I think Cornwell has nothing to worry about. Sharpe's Eagle may be crude in parts, but it holds up strongly today as a terrific action-adventure story. Th...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Not much more to say other than what I've already mentioned previously about the Sharpe books. Predictable and repetitive, but I know what I'm getting and it just puts me in a good mood when he strikes back against injustice and comes out on top.
The English are on the ropes because of the lack of support from the Spanish. It seems like they are constantly outnumbered and fighting the naysayers back at home. Although I was well aware of the glory the Duke of Wellington garnered from winning the b...more
The English are on the ropes because of the lack of support from the Spanish. It seems like they are constantly outnumbered and fighting the naysayers back at home. Although I was well aware of the glory the Duke of Wellington garnered from winning the b...more
So the gumph at the beginning says this was the first Sharpe book that Bernard Cornwell wrote, but is currently the eighth chronologically. I read them in chronological order, so I was well acquainted with Sharpe in India and Copenhagen long before he got to grips with the dastardly Napoleon. That said, it is a tribute to Bernard Cornwell that his prequels and sequels all fit together very well. This is one the best books in the series,it has all the ingredients. Sharpe and Harper of course, plu...more
Feb 18, 2011
Howard White
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
Absolutely spectacular book. This is the first in a long series of Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell, most dealing with the Napoleonic War period, and featuring Richard Sharpe--lowborn Englishman who rises to officer rank in the notoriously class-conscious British army of the early 1800s. First-rate historical fiction, exciting battles, lovely women, and tremendous detail about the mores and customs of early 19th Britain. The BBC series based on the Sharpe Novels, "Sharpe's Rifles," starring Sea...more
After having read Cornwells 'Alfred the Great' series, I decided it was probably about time I gave his most famous creation a test run.
I picked this book up at a second hand book fair, and have finished it in a few days, thoroughly enjoying it. The plotting is extremely well paced, the battle scenes figuratively bursting from the pages and placing you in the heart of the action.
In Richard Sharpe, Cornwell has created a flawed, ill tempered hero, one who is only too human but is a loyal comrade...more
I picked this book up at a second hand book fair, and have finished it in a few days, thoroughly enjoying it. The plotting is extremely well paced, the battle scenes figuratively bursting from the pages and placing you in the heart of the action.
In Richard Sharpe, Cornwell has created a flawed, ill tempered hero, one who is only too human but is a loyal comrade...more
I was mystified why a friend chose a military/army book for me. But when reading it I was unexpectedly drawn in to a great adventure novel. A real page turner, hard to put down and I read in 3 days! Sharpe cannot pay for his promotions like many others and earns them by heroic and brilliant deeds. And in this novel, he does this in spite of a cowardly leader more concerned with the rulebook than the effectiveness of his forces. Historically as accurate as author can manage, (he does explain wher...more
Sharpe's Eagle was the first of Bernard Cromwell's Sharpe's books, and, after being disappointed by his prequel Sharpe's Rifles, I've decided to read them in publishing order and not in "chronological", and that decision has paid off. This is a fun adventure book, and a quick read, and isn't burdened with fitting in with other books' events. It still is not terribly realistic, however much fun and needed detail Cromwell ladles in, and the romance side is as lame as ever, but Sharpe, Harper and H...more
Apr 13, 2010
Erik
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bernard-cornwell-sharpe-series,
read-in-2010
Very good book, Sharpe is an excellent soldier who finds himself under the command of a blowhard Colonel who knows more about flogging his troops than he does leading them. The Colonel embarrases the entire Army by losing a battle flag and then tries to pin the blame on Sharpe. As if that is not enough he also has to deal with the criminal deeds of the Colonel's Nephew who is intent on goading Sharpe into doing something that will get him kicked out of the Army.
The book was very good, even bette...more
The book was very good, even bette...more
This book is one that shows how reputation can destroy or make a person and their career in the British army at this point in history. Sharpe and Harper are on a mission to restore there credibility after is was tarnished by two senior officers who blamed their failures on Sharpe and Harper. To do this they decide to get themselves a Eagle which are the French battalion identifiers, to get to the point where they even have a chance to get an eagle they must go through many trials and overcome di...more
Feb 22, 2013
Jorgen Schäfer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Simmers ist der inkompetente Offizier eines neuen Battalions. Lieutenant Sharpe blamiert den Offizier in seiner ersten Schlacht, als Simmers alles falsch macht, und Sharpe gerade noch das schlimmste durch eine Befehlsverweigerung verhindern kann. Dadurch hat er jetzt jedoch einen mächtigen Feind, der Sharpes Karriere beenden könnte. Es gibt nur einen Ausweg: Sharpe muss eine französische Feldstandarte erobern, um mit dem damit einhergehenden Ruhm für Simmers unangreifbar...more
Talavera, Spain, 1809. Sharpe faces Napoleon’s armies at Talavera. His ferocity and strategic genius are, of course, hindered by weak and ineffectual allies (the Spanish, who flee in terror at their own musket volley, and the requisite enemies on his own side: in this book, the fatuous Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson, and his effete, woman-beating nephew). But they are no match for Sharpe, of course, who gets the girl, kills his enemies, loses the girl, and wins heaps of awards. Yes, it’s all a bit...more
How superb is Sharpe?
I would have him on my side in a bar fight!
I must be honest here - I never really thought that I would go for this sort of historical fiction. This period of history has never been my favourite. A chap I used to work with used to bore me endlessly regarding his escapades as an extra in the Sharpe tv series - so I made a point of never watching it.
I am so glad that I read the books though.
Bernard Cornwell is an excellent writer - his skill seems to develop with each new book.
I would have him on my side in a bar fight!
I must be honest here - I never really thought that I would go for this sort of historical fiction. This period of history has never been my favourite. A chap I used to work with used to bore me endlessly regarding his escapades as an extra in the Sharpe tv series - so I made a point of never watching it.
I am so glad that I read the books though.
Bernard Cornwell is an excellent writer - his skill seems to develop with each new book.
This is one of those books which as a reader you have to class as timeless. It is, without doubt, one of the main reasons why I became so addicted to reading. This book, and the rest of Cornwell's series, introduced me and capitvated me to the world of novels in ways that few books had managed at the time. For that I am always going to look upon these books with more than a fond opinion, but that isn't going to bias my opinion. Still, Five Stars is more than accurate, and that is me lessening my...more
First read January 14, 2009: Love the battle, tactics, camaraderie, and the history.
Eighth in the Richard Sharpe historical military fiction series with this particular selection revolving around the Peninsular War in Spain and Portugal against the French and the battle at Talavera on July 27 and 28, 1809.
My Take
There is something so real about Cornwell's treatment of the Peninuslar War as we read through Richard Sharpe's actions and thoughts. I love that we experience this war through a comm...more
Eighth in the Richard Sharpe historical military fiction series with this particular selection revolving around the Peninsular War in Spain and Portugal against the French and the battle at Talavera on July 27 and 28, 1809.
My Take
There is something so real about Cornwell's treatment of the Peninuslar War as we read through Richard Sharpe's actions and thoughts. I love that we experience this war through a comm...more
After almost 5 years and getting all the Sharpe's books I finally, finally found a way into the series. I've tried 3 times before (well actually 4 times) to start reading this series set in the Napoleonian Wars period featuring Richard Sharpe, professional soldier, great leader, romantic lead and all around action hero. I've tried reading chronologically (twice) starting with Sharpe's Tiger (set in India) didn't work, I found myself not "getting" the feel of the character like there was many man...more
Jun 07, 2008
Ed
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Historical Fiction Readers
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
reviewed
Trying to read the Richard Sharpe series in chronological order can be difficult. The reason being that Cornwell did not write the books in order. Sharpe's Eagle is the 8th book in the series but the first book of the series, he wrote.
In the Introduction, he mentions that he's never re-read it himself because he's afraid that he would be too critical of his own skills. It's a hell of a good read, though. I enjoyed it immensely.
The story's themes are familiar to anyone who has read any of the Sh...more
In the Introduction, he mentions that he's never re-read it himself because he's afraid that he would be too critical of his own skills. It's a hell of a good read, though. I enjoyed it immensely.
The story's themes are familiar to anyone who has read any of the Sh...more
Nov 10, 2008
Madeline
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Madeline by:
Sean Bean...and my mum.
This is another book where I could not find the exact edition that I read--for some reason it bothers me...
Cornwell, through this one book that I have read, is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Though many times I find the lengthy descriptions dull, the giant paragraphs of detail give me an idea of what Napolean's wars could be like. The characters are all like-able, even when they're not supposed to be, because it seems so believable. The only reason I'm not rating this a "5" is beca...more
Cornwell, through this one book that I have read, is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Though many times I find the lengthy descriptions dull, the giant paragraphs of detail give me an idea of what Napolean's wars could be like. The characters are all like-able, even when they're not supposed to be, because it seems so believable. The only reason I'm not rating this a "5" is beca...more
All of the Sharpe books are great fictional accounts of British Military exploits (India, Spain, Portugal, even Denmark) in the late 18th and early 19th century all centered around one man Richard Sharpe who was born into poverty, ran into the army to escape the law and subsequently found his life's calling. In the first book he is a private but in the second book his is given a commision for saving Lord Wellingtons life. (Rarely in those days a soldier raised from the rank into the officers mes...more
These books by Bernard Cornwell are actually a long series. I started reading them on the recommendation of my father-in-law. They take place during the Napoleonic wars and follow the life of one soldier--a bit like Horatio Hornblower. For me, the history is completely fascinating and Cornwell does an amazingly accurate job of describing the life of war in the 1800s. But anyone who does not enjoy details about history, these could get dry. The guys in my family loved them.
I am going through this very good series again after a number of years. This time with the audio versions. This novel is very typical of the whole, good battle descriptions, girl, and nasty villians. This is very masculine stuff and I am quite surprised looking over the GR reviews how many women have read and liked the book. To me it is sort of the polar opposite of a book like Little Women which I can't get through more than 10 pages.
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Cornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his mother's maiden name, Cornwe...more
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