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Sharpe #6,8,9,13-20
Sharpe Series 11 Book Set
These stories of the battlefields of the Napoleonic War have become classics of the genre. Featuring a hero who is fearsome to his opponents, Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels are fast-moving, full of wit and historically accurate.
This 11 book set follows Sharpe from skirmishes in India at the side of the Duke of Wellington to Portugal and Waterloo. Commissioned an officer on the battlefield, he overcomes class in an army where an officer's rank is often bought. Unlike many of the officers with whom he serves, Sharpe is an experienced soldier.
Titles in This Set includes Sharpe's Rifle, Sharpe's Eagle, Sharpe's Gold, Sharpe's Company, Sharpe's Sword, Sharpe's Enemy, Sharpe's Honor, Sharpe's Regiment, Sharpe's Siege, Sharpe's Revenge, and Sharpe's Waterloo.
This 11 book set follows Sharpe from skirmishes in India at the side of the Duke of Wellington to Portugal and Waterloo. Commissioned an officer on the battlefield, he overcomes class in an army where an officer's rank is often bought. Unlike many of the officers with whom he serves, Sharpe is an experienced soldier.
Titles in This Set includes Sharpe's Rifle, Sharpe's Eagle, Sharpe's Gold, Sharpe's Company, Sharpe's Sword, Sharpe's Enemy, Sharpe's Honor, Sharpe's Regiment, Sharpe's Siege, Sharpe's Revenge, and Sharpe's Waterloo.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Bernard Cornwell
527 books19.7k followersCornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother, who 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 birth mother's maiden name, Cornwell.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 21, 2016
This is the closest thing on Goodreads I could find to the entire book series.
Each book follows the same structure and while that sounds repetitive and dull it surprisingly isn't. Each book was thoroughly enjoyable and as a reader you really invest in the characters as they develop.
I treated these books as a mini history lesson as the detail provided gives you a good insight into the battles that each book follows and Cornwell cleverly inserts his hero/heroes into each one making it all the more enjoyable.
I can't recommend this book series enough and all the better if you have even the slightest interest in the Napoleonic war or British history, although neither are required to enjoy this series.
JF
Each book follows the same structure and while that sounds repetitive and dull it surprisingly isn't. Each book was thoroughly enjoyable and as a reader you really invest in the characters as they develop.
I treated these books as a mini history lesson as the detail provided gives you a good insight into the battles that each book follows and Cornwell cleverly inserts his hero/heroes into each one making it all the more enjoyable.
I can't recommend this book series enough and all the better if you have even the slightest interest in the Napoleonic war or British history, although neither are required to enjoy this series.
JF
June 23, 2014
Very few can write a battle scene better than Cornwell. He manages to combine an incredible amount of historical detail without making it read like a text book, thanks to witty, gritty characters. Waterloo is not to be missed - by far the best of the bunch. While the series doesn't necessarily need to be read in order, by the time you get to Waterloo, a prior familiarity with the characters will serve you well amid the non-stop action.
January 12, 2024
Phenomenal
October 4, 2021
Great tasting popcorn. Nice accompaniment to more serious reads.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews