Sharpe's Escape 
asked by crafty1 on November 6, 2006 1:18 AM
Only two obstacles stand between Napoleon's mighty army and its seemingly certain conquest of Portugal: a land wasted and stripped of food at Wellington's orders . . . and Captain Richard Sharpe. But perils from within and without threaten the bold captain of the Light Company -- the hatred and incompetence of a superior officer, the vicious treachery of a false ally, and the overwhelming numbers of a fierce, determined enemy -- combining to make Sharpe's escape a near impossibility.
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Having read every Sharpe novel as well as almost every other Cornwell novel, I'm always impressed with the beautiful word pictures Cornwell gives us. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in his description of the battle of Bussaco: the accuracy and detail is amazing. Despite it not being the best of the Sharpe novels, I'm liking it even though I'm finding dear Richard just a little too humdrum.
Perhaps this is because I'm simultaneously reading the fourth novel in the so-called "Flashman Papers" (another multi-volume saga) by George Macdonald Fraser about a British officer in the period of 1840 to 1890. Said Flashman is a womanizer and cad who grabs breasts and anything else of interest while, by contrast, our upstanding Sharpe steers away from them, muttering things like "sorry, ma'am". Nobody is THAT upstanding!
I've also recently finished the last of Patrick O'Brian's novels about Her Majesty's ship captain, James Aubrey (see movie "Captain and Commander") and have decided the Napoleonic era food for fighting men was much better on navy ships than in the Light Infantry.
As a matter of fact, the food on the ships was so varied and interesting (with things like "Spotted Dog" and "Boiled Baby"), there's even a cookbook about it!
Perhaps this is because I'm simultaneously reading the fourth novel in the so-called "Flashman Papers" (another multi-volume saga) by George Macdonald Fraser about a British officer in the period of 1840 to 1890. Said Flashman is a womanizer and cad who grabs breasts and anything else of interest while, by contrast, our upstanding Sharpe steers away from them, muttering things like "sorry, ma'am". Nobody is THAT upstanding!
I've also recently finished the last of Patrick O'Brian's novels about Her Majesty's ship captain, James Aubrey (see movie "Captain and Commander") and have decided the Napoleonic era food for fighting men was much better on navy ships than in the Light Infantry.
As a matter of fact, the food on the ships was so varied and interesting (with things like "Spotted Dog" and "Boiled Baby"), there's even a cookbook about it!
reviewed by bigben on November 18, 2006 5:09 AM
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You have to give Cornwall credit. He can churn out a pretty good Sharpe story no matter what the circumstances! Now after countless delvings back into the historical sequence of Sharpe's life which was over-looked in the original series he has come up with Massena's 1810 Campaign to re-conquer Portugal. This campaign results in the one sided Anglo-Portugese victory at Busaco.
Cornwall gives us a pretty good narrative of this battle, managing to make what was almost a fruitless French effort into something more dramatic. Sharpe plays his usual important role, although he is a bit more down-played here. Again he has a bothersome snob as his Colonel. Lawford came across better in the earlier novels, but here he seems to have become the usual pampered snob. One would think these were the only people Wellington had commanding his battalions! Still, they were good enough to beat the French!
Sharpe and his companions still manage their detached duty in a line battalion, allowing Cornwall to move him around freely in events. The usual good and bad types are there. The snob Brit aristos, the arrogant and lazy French, some cowardly Portugese traitors. The usual gore and bloodshed is there also. And there is a plunky forelorn heirone which Sharpe gets to bed of course!
Bonapartists will dislike the imcompetent portrayal of Marshal Massena, supposedly one of the best of French Marshal's, but who seems to have dropped the ball on this one! Still, the military detail of units, maneauvers and the complex interplay of tactics of the period make for good reading for those versed on the subject. There are no scenes with Wellington, and even Sharpe's gang like Harper, Perkins, Hangman, etc. seem less evident here. All in all an interesting evocation of the fatal French campaign of 1810. Sharpe fans will get their fill of the Green Rifleman and his Irish side-kick who fight more like heavy Grenadiers than skinny Light Infantry! Still, good fun and surprisingly fresh after all these years.
Cornwall gives us a pretty good narrative of this battle, managing to make what was almost a fruitless French effort into something more dramatic. Sharpe plays his usual important role, although he is a bit more down-played here. Again he has a bothersome snob as his Colonel. Lawford came across better in the earlier novels, but here he seems to have become the usual pampered snob. One would think these were the only people Wellington had commanding his battalions! Still, they were good enough to beat the French!
Sharpe and his companions still manage their detached duty in a line battalion, allowing Cornwall to move him around freely in events. The usual good and bad types are there. The snob Brit aristos, the arrogant and lazy French, some cowardly Portugese traitors. The usual gore and bloodshed is there also. And there is a plunky forelorn heirone which Sharpe gets to bed of course!
Bonapartists will dislike the imcompetent portrayal of Marshal Massena, supposedly one of the best of French Marshal's, but who seems to have dropped the ball on this one! Still, the military detail of units, maneauvers and the complex interplay of tactics of the period make for good reading for those versed on the subject. There are no scenes with Wellington, and even Sharpe's gang like Harper, Perkins, Hangman, etc. seem less evident here. All in all an interesting evocation of the fatal French campaign of 1810. Sharpe fans will get their fill of the Green Rifleman and his Irish side-kick who fight more like heavy Grenadiers than skinny Light Infantry! Still, good fun and surprisingly fresh after all these years.
reviewed by samoan on November 27, 2006 5:45 AM