May 14, 2001 04:21 PM
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This Bernard Cornwell book is set in the aftermath of the devastating defeat of the army under Sir John Moore at Corunna during the Peninsular War in Portugal and is our first introduction to the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell ably describes the limbo that Sharpe finds himself in.
As a officer promoted from the ranks his fellow officers see him as an upstart and the men in the ranks don’t believe he can be a “proper” officer because he isn’t of the gentry. Because of this antipathy towards him he is given the role of battalion quartermaster, a job reserved for either those that fail or like Sharpe are perceived to be above their station in society.
Following a brutal skirmish with French light cavalry Sharpe and a small group of men escape into the mountains and there follows a long eventful journey to the winter staging area where the rest of the Allied army has set up camp.
Cornwell again shows his through his passionate writing how hard it was for a common soldier at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Yet again his research is meticulous even describing the French dragoons “cadenettes” (pigtails).
A good book for the Sharpe veteran reader but not ideal for the people new to the series. Unfortunately this is billed as the beginning of the series. People new to the series would be better off reading Sharpes Tiger for background and then reading this as it explains a lot of assumed information.
Priced at £5.99 (sterling) this is an excellent read and good value for money.
