Sharpe's Rifles

Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell (1988)

Reader's Annotation

After Lieutenant Richard Sharpe's battalion is cut down by the French, he must assume command of the survivors and lead them to rejoin the British Army in Portugal.

Summary

After Lieutenant Richard Sharpe's commanding officer is killed and his battalion of Riflemen nearly wiped out during the British retreat from the occupation of Galicia by Napoleon's forces, Sharpe struggles to assume command of the survivors and gain their respect. Hunted by a squadron of French cavalry, they ally themselves with the Spanish nobleman Blas Vivar, who carries a potent symbol of Spanish independence with which he hopes to rally the Spanish people against the French invaders.

Evaluation

Bernard Cornwell, inspired by C.S. Forester's tales of naval warfare during the Napoleonic Wars, created his own tales of land warfare set in that period. His character Richard Sharpe, who came up through the ranks at a time when most officers purchased their commissions, is hard-edged yet sympathetic. In Sharpe's Rifles, Sharpe struggles with self-doubt and with his men as he experiences his first command. The battle scenes are well described and realistic, yet always remain involving thanks to Sharpe's very personal point of view. And to round things out, Sharpe even suffers a bit of unrequited love. For more military fiction set during the Napoleonic Wars, try the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian and the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester.

Genres: Historical, Adventure
Subgenres: Historical Adventure, Military Adventure