In an age of heroes and death before dishonor, one man stands above the rest.
It is January 1812. Captain Richard Sharpe has one mission: to thwart Napoleon’s dreams of an empire. To accomplish that goal, Sharpe and the fighting men of the Light Company must seize the fortress of Badajoz, which looms on the border of Portugal and Spain. To lead an assault on its thick, sheer walls and battlements is suicide, yet Sharpe has no choice, for the stakes have suddenly become personal. Inside the walls are his wife and daughter, and only he can save them.
Outside is the misshapen, vengeance-crazed Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, a man determined to kill Sharpe. Sharpe knows that in the heat of battle, only the cold steel of his battered sword and the ruthless bloodlust of a soldier at war will protect him from the danger of both sides.
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"An obvious ploy to vary up the background for the story series and make Sharpe face the horse guards and the aristocracy back home. For those of us who are fans, it is a welcome change. The characters get some good personal growth. I also enjoyed the glimpse of England from the same time, the aristocracy, and the social strata of the time." — Joe (5 out of 5 stars)
"An obvious ploy to vary up the background for the story series and make Sharpe face the horse guards and the aristocracy back home. For those of us who are fans, it is a welcome change. The characters get some good personal growth. I also enjoyed the glimpse of England from the same time, the aristocracy, and the social strata of the time."
“The best of the series so far.”
“The world may have a new literary hero. His name is Richard Sharpe."
“Narrator Frederick Davidson is constantly in and around the bull’s-eye with all of his accents and attitudes as well as with the tempo of this fast-paced war story.”
" My favorite book of the Sharpe series, which I've read multiple times. "
" great author who interweaves history into a story that is easily followed and hard to put down "
" Though Sharpe is so ruthless, he still inspires so much affection and loyalty. Hakeswill is truly frightening, a great example of how Cornwell can write really twisted characters and make them believable. "
" Good, but not great. Sharpe has to deal with both internal intrigue and the storming of a fortress, and he does so well, but the bad guys seem to have a little too much good fortune to compensate for Sharpe being so darned capable. "
" Sharpe takes an emotional ride. He loses his company, is reintroduced to Hakesville, endures the siege of Badajoz and marries his Spanish sweetheart. "
" Bravery, villainy, heroism, brutality - this one's got 'em all, as well as nitty gritty details about 19th century military establishment and siege warfare. And Obediah Hakeswill! "
" The story of the sieges of Ciudad Rodriguez and Badajoz - Sharpe finally gets his captaincy following brave action, and marries the mother of this bastard daughter - well written and an easy, if bloody read. "
" once again a great Sharpe book, couldn't put it down "
" Serviceable historical fiction, nothing special but definitely not bad either. Fans of the period or the series will be pleased, as will players of Mount and Blade: Napoleonic Wars, which I highly recommend. Go buy it. "
" Just re-read it. Always great fun to read anything about Sharpe and his men. "
" The Richard Sharpe series is a magnificent work of historical fiction. Bernard Cornwell has written an amazing series following Sharpe from a private in India to a Lt. Colonel at Waterloo and then a civilian farmer. "
" Following Sharpe's progress through the ranks, despite the hostile system, is one of my favourite features of the series. "
" Sharpe's growing up, well in a military sense I mean, another good Sharpe adventure. "
" I've read all the Richard Sharpe books and there isn't a bad one in the bunch. "
" Probably more like 2.5 stars. It's getting a bit tiresome reading about how the British Army craps on their best soldiers. Every book has had that as a sub-plot, and Sharpe always has to fight to gain respect and retribution. "
" Bernard Cornwell brings a good story & History together wonderfully. "
" One of the few instances of Sharpe overcoming adversity not entirely borne of the enemy French. A fine read, highly recommended! "
" If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be in a siege, from storming a breach to the sacking of the city, then read Sharpe's Company. "
" As is typical of Cornwell, the action is horrifying in its detail and pulls no punches as the British lay siege to Badajoz. Sharpe battles Army bureaucrats, an old enemy, and the French as he tries to protect Teresa and their baby. "
" 7/10A satisfying adventure though I'd prefer to see more character development and period details. "
" Not bad, but I'm tired of hakeswill surviving. At least this time sharpe didn't leave hakeswill to die some ridiculous death like in a James bond movie "
" This is the darkest of the Sharpe books I've read. In part this is due to the historical events involved and in part due to the characters' story lines. I didn't care for this one much and for the first time with a Sharpe book struggled to finish. "
" I wish the writer didn't make everything so melodramatic, gets old, the basic storyline however is interesting, as is the history. "
" I think this is the best of the Sharpe series so far. It touched me on an emotional level in addition to providing entertaining reading, which all the Sharpe novels do. "
" One of the very good books in this series. "
Bernard Cornwell, born in London, worked for the BBC and Thames Television before coming to the United States to write full time. His sweeping historical novels, including the acclaimed Richard Sharpe series and many more, make him a number one bestselling author in the United Kingdom and around the world. He is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales series, which serves as the basis for the hit television series The Last Kingdom.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.
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