** spoiler alert ** As usual Sharpe ends up bearing down on a pompous arrogant nemesis except this time he is Portugal and cut off from the main army. I think one of the funniest parts of the book was when the Rifles are pinned up in the watch tower and a shell is lobbed right into the middle. Without skipping a beat Sharpe knows that they'll all die if it explodes and proceeds to sacrifice himself by leaping on top of it. Only the fuse burns out prematurely with Sharp on top waiting to die and all the men watching with their mouths agape. After a few excruciating moments nothing happens and Harper eventually leans over and says "stay there much longer,and you'll hatch the bloody thing." Had a good chuckle imagining that scene!

These guys had to learn to live knowing life could be snatched away from them in an instant. I know they weren't all as tough as Harper & Sharpe, but even so they certainly had to be tough buggers to survive in these conditions. Of course Sharpe doesn't disappoint with his heroics!