# Sharpe's Fury (Book Review)



## Danjanou (19 Nov 2006)

There is a theory that if an author makes too many trips to the same literary well for ideas that he may soon run dry. One wonders if Bernard Cornwell is aware of that theory in regards to his literary creation Richard Sharpe. His latest Sharpe Novel Sharpe’s Fury isn’t a disaster, but one wonders if the bucket was only half full when he pulled it up. Like some critics of Tom Clancy and Stephen King have noted one wonders if Cornwell is just going through the motions here. 

*Sharpe’s Fury* is the twenty-first in the series that cover the exploits of Richard Sharpe, London street urchin turned Napoleonic swashbuckler. It is set at the siege of Cadiz and the battle of Barossa in 1811. After the first Sharp novel *Sharpe’s Eagle* Cornwell quickly took the series in the first ten novels through the Peninsula Wars and on to Waterloo with Sharpe rising in rank from a mere averaged up from the ranks Lieutenant to a Colonel. Realising the popularity of the character he returned and began to “fill in the gaps” covering battles and exploits he had missed the first time round, including a trilogy set in India covering Sharpe’s earlier exploits. After this though it now becomes a bit of a trial to managed to get Sharpe and his men into the area of every battle fought in Spain and Portugal. 

In this instalment it is May 1811 and yet another crisis faces the British forces facing Napoleons armies in Spain and Portugal. The French and the British have conquered most of Spain and their allies have been driven back to Portugal and are besieged outside of Lisbon. The Spanish Government reluctant allies of the British control only the post city of Cadiz and a few miles surrounding it and are besieged by a French army. 

The Spanish Government is divided into two factions, one set on continuing the fight alongside their new allies the British and Portuguese and driving the French from their soil. The other suggests making peace with the French and turning on the British the traditional and ancient enemy. To make matters worse this faction has acquired some rather personal and embarrassing documents belonging to the English ambassador in Cadiz, The Duke of Wellington’s brother, and is intent on using them to further their cause. Enter Sharpe and his band of ruffians. 

The first problem Cornwell faces is getting Sharpe, his trusty Sergeant Harper and their riflemen out of besieged Lisbon and through French controlled Spain to Cadiz so they can undertake their acts of daring do. Cornwell develops a rather ingenious if not totally plausible _deux e machina_ here to move his central characters to where he and history needs them to be. 

Sharpe, Harper and their men are part of raiding force sent out from Lisbon under a rather pompous British Brigadier to destroy a bridge over the Guadiana River to prevent the French from using it. They succeed but in the process Sharpe Harper, the pompous Brigadier and a small contingent of men re trapped on the wrong side of the river. The escape form the pursuing French by floating down stream on the bridge remnants and after a few minor adventures are swept out to the open sea where they are rescued in the proverbial nick of time by a passing Royal Navy warship. Naturally the ship is bound for Cadiz. 

Once in the besieged Spanish capital, Sharpe and his men are dragged into the political intrigue that is rife in the city. The ambassador being Wellington’s brother knows full well of Sharpe’s unique skills and asks his help in either stealing back or destroying the incriminating and embarrassing papers. This our stalwart hero and his merry band of riflemen temporarily turned cat burglars do after much daring do on the roof tops and back alleys of Cadiz, including a tense fight in the catacombs beneath the cathedral. 

Crisis averted Sharpe and his men find time to march south and observe the battle of Barossa where a small British army from both Cadiz and Gibraltar defeats the larger French army and lifts the siege. As at the earlier victory at Talavera they manage to do this while their Spanish allies sit and take no part in the battle. 

As always Cornwell has easily mixed real historical characters with fictitious ones and weaved real events with his own. The battle of Barossa did take place and The British and Portuguese army under General Sir Thomas Graham did defeat the French under Marshall Victor, while Spanish troops under General Lapena took no part. Sir Arthur Wellesley’s brother Henry was ambassador at Cadiz, although history does not record him being careless with his personal papers and letter and therefore needing the services of a former London urchin and thief. 

Among the fictional characters we are introduced to the aforementioned pompous Brigadier, a high class courtesan, there always has to be a lady in distress in a Sharp novel, a vicious Spanish Priest who is more than willing to break a commandment or two to further his political agenda, a one legged Spanish Admiral who still hates the English for his defeat at Trafalgar and a vicious French Colonel who Sharpe has a score to settle with. All are weaved into the tale with Cornwell’s obvious skill and attention to detail. 

As with all his other novels this one is meticulously researched, including visits to Cadiz and walking the ancient battlefields. This detail and knowledge is evident throughout the book including a very descriptive section on the ancient catacombs under the cathedral. 

Despite all this I still only half enjoyed this novel. The story seemed all too similar to earlier Sharpe tale *Sharpe’s Sword *complete with political intrigue spies a high class courtesan in need of rescuing, evil Spanish priests or this case a monk and as a finale a major battle, in this case Salamanca (1812). This causes me to question if Cornwell has taken one too many trips to the well. 

However as I’m a fan of Richard Sharpe I’ll take whatever I can get these days, especially considering Cornwell has promised future adventures.


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## Yrys (19 Nov 2006)

Small Hijack

I've never heard of Mr. Cornweel. His Sharpe serie seems 
something that I (and a friend that like the Napoleaon area) would enjoy reading.

How would you qualifies the serie in term of historical detail and accuracy,
personages, actions, etc ?


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## Kirkhill (20 Nov 2006)

Yrys, I envy you.  You have many hours of excellent reading ahead of yourself.  Bernard Cornwell is faithful to the time and his characters are engaging. Like Danjanou I have read all of the Sharpe series and enjoyed them.


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## The Rifleman (27 Nov 2006)

The Sharpe series of books are brilliant - you don't have to be a Brit to love 'em! They follow the steps of a ranker who was commissioned from the ranks into the elite 95th Rifles, the top formation of the Napoleonic Wars (and some say still elite through to the new British regiment "The Rifles")

I loved the books and forgave Bernard Cornwell his little mistakes when he revisited the series after it became a smash hit TV drama series in the UK.


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## Bomber (27 Nov 2006)

I really enjoyed the book for about the first 15, but after the india books came, I started to notice the decline in adventure and the increase in "I can pick up the book and open it to any page and know what is going on"  Now they make great toilet books, but not great relax and read books.

Another author that has fallen into this trap is Clive Cussler, originally, his books were great, then they just became to repetitive.  every single one is Dirk Pitt rescuing a hot girl at the most opportune time, and through trying to go on a date with her, he always uncovers a sinister plot to bone America, then wacks some super rich megalomaniac, and gets the girl and a new car.  Time to spice things up.


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## joonrooj (28 Nov 2006)

I recently started this series, but began in chronological order, so in fact, the writings are getting better.

My suggestion: start with Sharpe's Tiger, read through the series and then watch the show.

As for historical accuracy, Im not an expert on that time or 90% of the events but at the end of the book, Cornwell has a 'Historical Note' section, which explains what really happened etcetera.

Enjoy!


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## Danjanou (28 Nov 2006)

Bomber my argument exactly. Cornwell has gone on to other things, the Arthur series he’s doing now seems to be his main priority, plus any other thriller novel he has in the works. Therefore I wonder if he’s putting as much efforts into the Sharpe series. He can’t stop writing them they’re to much of a money maker for him, but the last couple were almost as if he phone them in. 

Joonrooj they are accurate very much so, which is part of the appeal of the series.


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## The Rifleman (29 Nov 2006)

The Arthur series is old news - he has written the Grail Quest trilogy about an English bowman during the 100 years War - a very enjoyable series.

His latest trilogy is set in the time of King Alfred and the Viking invasion. So far the Pale Horseman and the Last Kingdom have been published.


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## Danjanou (29 Nov 2006)

Thanks Rifleman, I knew he had a couple of medieval/pre medieval series going after the short lived ACW series. Hard to keep track and not an area of interest for me in historical fiction military or otherwise. 8)


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## marshall sl (29 Nov 2006)

Did anyone catch the 2 part Sharpe movie on the History Channel the other night? Sharpe's conquest.


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## Danjanou (29 Nov 2006)

Actually my father (another big Sharpe fan) called to tell me it was on. 

It came out here in Toronto on DVD finally the week before so I’d already seen it. He’s taken elements of the plots from the first three books chronologically in the series _Sharpe’s Tiger, Sharpe’s Triumph_ and _Sharpe’s Fortress_ ( the so called India trilogy) and added bits from the last book the post Waterloo  _Sharpe’s Devil_ That one I still think would make an excellent movie, a middle aged retired Col Sharpe called out of retirement and sent to South America and gets involved with Bolivar, O” Higgins and the other revolutionaries in the 1820’s

Overall it worked and I found it one of the better ones of the series. Nice to see that they really had a big budget this time. 

Those who missed it should grab the DVD. There’s also a “making of” feature on it worth watching.


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## captainj (19 Dec 2006)

Another good read I would suggest along the same lines as good old Sharpe is Allan Mallinson. He has wrote several novels about a Young subby in the Light Dragoons during the same period as Sharpe. Mallinson is a serving  BGen in the British Army (Armour) he remains historically accurate (well kind of) and is very good at the old NCO Officer biz similar to Sgt Harper and Sharpe. There is a novel that actually takes place in Canada 1817 "A Regimental Affair". He is thought of as the "heir to O'Brian and CS Forester" that I am not too sure of but not a bad old read if you like Sharpe aka adult Hardy Boys. Another good novel is 'The Seven Men From Gascony' cannot remember the author for the life of me. I gave my copy to a French Alpine LCol who I served with in MOSTAR BiH. A great read about 7 chaps in a French Line Infantry Bn following the little Corsican around Europe. This novel is really neat and tells the other side of things at the time.

By the by does anybody know that LCol Richard Sharpe is actually a mess member of the RGR (Royal Green Jackets) too strange to be fiction.


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## The Rifleman (20 Dec 2006)

As an ex Royal Green Jacket I have never heard of this - but I will ask around


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## niner domestic (20 Dec 2006)

Just slightly off topic: When I was living in the UK, I read a Cornwell series he had written about a retired Royal Marine cum yachtsmen cum quasi Bond-ish.  Excellent series, but I can't recall the name of the books.  Anyone else heard of these? I do believe they were never released outside of the UK, so Rifleman, do you remember them?


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## The Rifleman (20 Dec 2006)

Could be this:

Wildtrack 

Publishing Information:
Penguin Group, 1988; Paperback and Audio Cassette


A crippled veteran of the Falkland's War sails into the north Atlantic to discover whether a famous television presenter is a murderer.


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## captainj (20 Dec 2006)

Rifleman

I got the info re LCol Sharpe being a mbr of the Officers Mess from a Col Bettie in 2005 who was D Bde Comd MNTF NW SFOR and a proud mbr of the "Black Mafia". I had it confirmed by a couple of Captains who were also RGR's. So go figure it sounds like a thing the Brits would do. Col Bettie while a super guy and great boss was as mad as a hatter, still miss him however. He saw the humour when I arrived in Banja Luka with the German BGen (MNTF South "Salamanders") and x2 Italian LCol's and a Oberst with me exclaiming to the Cdn BGen "Sir I got prisoners"............... The Dutch were killing themselves.


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## The Rifleman (21 Dec 2006)

when I was in Boz (UN & IFOR) the Germans were restricted to Croatia because of their previous history when they, with the help of the Croats, exterminated Serbs during WW2. They did escort convoys up to the Boz border, but obviously were worried about the Serbs as they would have 1 armoured vehicle per 1 convoy vehicle.


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## The Rifleman (9 Jan 2007)

CaptainJ

sorry, but I am just off the phone from the RHQ Royal Green Jackets. Sharpe isn't an honorary member of the officers mess as he is fictional as opposed to living.


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## Fraser.g (9 Jan 2007)

I have just read the entire series while over at KAF. It was a fantastic and enlightening series.
If you have not read them then I strongly recommend it and do yourself a favor and read them in order.

GF


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## hoist-monkey (14 Jan 2007)

Loved the Sharpe series & the Arthur series (I found it to be different)
I haven't read his series about the american civil war yet, but plan to.
I really liked Scoundrel, I found it read like a movie script and hope someday Hollywood gets off their butts and makes it into a movie.
I would see it in a heartbeat.
I have all of the Sharpes on DVD except the newest one that was just on the History channel, I regularly watch them.
On a trivia note did you know that Sean Bean was not originally chosen to be Richard Sharpe another actor was chosen,
I will give you a hint he was on Horatio Hornblower and he was his chief antagonist on that TV series.


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## The Rifleman (15 Jan 2007)

Personally I don't think Sean Bean should have got the part - Sharpe was a Londoner and Bean is a Northener (Sheffield). I think that Clive Owen would have made a better Sharpe and actually looks like him - tall, dark haired and right accent


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## Danjanou (15 Jan 2007)

Hmmm you're right Owen might hav meade an excellent Sharpe. However I'm satisified with Bean's portrayal. 

Mind I also thought Owen should have been the next Bond.  Hmmm no there's a thought Bean as Bond 8)


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## George Wallace (15 Jan 2007)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Hmmm you're right Owen might hav meade an excellent Sharpe. However I'm satisified with Bean's portrayal.
> 
> Mind I also thought Owen should have been the next Bond.  Hmmm no there's a thought Bean as Bond 8)



I think that would be a stretch now that he has played a Bond villian.


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## Danjanou (15 Jan 2007)

Not really Joe Don Baker appeared as a villian in The Living Daylights, and then later as a hero in Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies.


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## George Wallace (15 Jan 2007)

Sean Bean played Alec Trevelyan in Goldeneye   

From his Bio:   
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/sean_bean_biog/4  

The part of Richard Sharpe, star of Bernard Cornwell's hit series of novels, was intended for Paul McGann, a success in The Monocled Mutineer. But McGann suffered a timely accident and in stepped Bean to take the role of the Napoleonic hero. First came Sharpe's Rifles and Sharpe's Eagle, in 1993. There would be a further three productions each year till 1997, each of them massively popular, making Sean one of the UK's most beloved TV personalities. The occasional injury was easy to bear - like the time Sean and Alice Krige (as the Marquesa Dorada) galloped down a hill and both fell off their horses into a shallow stream. The director thought it looked great, so he ignored their pain and embarrassment and left it in.

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/sean_bean_biog/5

He cemented his rep as a particularly dastardly villain by shining as Alec Trevalyan, Agent 006, in Goldeneye. Could James Bond stop him from destroying London with a big nuclear pulsing thing?


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