It is a perfect plot for Napoleon: stop Wellington’s forces in Spain and destroy Major Richard Sharpe.
Major Richard Sharpe awaits the opening shots of the army’s new campaign with grim expectancy. Victory depends on the increasingly fragile alliance between Britain and Spain—an alliance that must be maintained at any cost. Unfortunately, things are about to get complicated for the Sharpe.
An unfinished duel, a midnight murder, and the treachery of a beautiful prostitute lead to the imprisonment of Sharpe. The pawn in a plot conceived by his archenemy, Pierre Ducos, Sharpe is condemned to die as an assassin. Caught in a web of political intrigue for which his military experience has left him fatally unprepared, Sharpe becomes a fugitive—a man hunted by both ally and enemy alike.
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"A fun installment in an entertaining fictional historical series. On the one hand, Cornwell, over time, has permitted his characters to become so much larger than life, so vivid, so robust, so cunning, that they feel like parading caricatures. Conversely, Cornwell understands what his readers enjoy, and he dishes it out in large ladles. It's always fascinating to see which characters (and, here, objects) Cornwell jettisons with the swipe of a pen, and which he retains for further use. This won't be the last Sharpe book I read...."
— Steve (4 out of 5 stars)
“That every Sharpe novel is better than the last, devotees have long taken for granted, but this masterly narrative is no less worthy of high praise for that.”
— Times Literary Supplement (London)“Cornwell gives the [listener] vivid settings and the sound and smell of eighteenth-century warfare better than anyone else.”
— Newport News Daily Express“Another inventive, active outing for the stalwart…Major Sharpe.”
— Kirkus Reviews" In this adventure Sharpe Honour is lost, can he regain it? Another good book in the series. "
— Katie, 2/13/2014" Not much to add to what I have already written about Sharpe-series. It's like pop corn - once you start, you can't stop, but it will never really fill your belly. But as long as you take those books for what they are - a guilty pleasure and a quick, fun read - a book about Richard Sharpe is always an enjoyable experience. "
— Marcus, 2/13/2014" One from his back catalogue that I hadn't read before. He's my guilty secret on the literary front... But as ever it is a well told story woven around a relatively accurate history lesson. "
— David, 2/5/2014" Another good romp through Northern Spain with Sharpe "
— Ferdia, 1/28/2014" great author who interweaves history into a story that is easily followed and hard to put down "
— Jason, 1/22/2014" ~My obsession with Sharpe seemingly knows no end. "
— Sho, 1/15/2014" 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. "
— Hazel, 1/14/2014" Late in the Peninsular Campaign, now inside Spain "
— Tom, 1/10/2014" Sharpe come backs to life just in time to take part in the capture of Victoria, Spain, and become a very rich man. "
— Scott, 12/23/2013" Cornwell tends to spend more on battle depth then character at the end of his books, but I'm still reading! I'll post my complete review at my blog soon. "
— Kristin, 11/22/2013" I listened to the audiotape of this book while crossing Texas, and it was so good that 900 miles seemed to pass in a flash. So I bought and read the book when I returned. Good stuff. "
— Sherwood, 9/22/2013" Sharpe is Sharpe... I bogged down a bit after this one, having read 6 Sharpies in about a month. "
— Bill, 8/28/2013" Another immensely enjoyable Sharpe novel. "
— Jeremiah, 1/31/2013" An excellent book. Deviating a little from the fighting and going more into the cloak and dagger. Sharpe of course goes after a girl, what else did you expect. But does he get her? "
— Oleg, 12/16/2012" OK, however I like the Horatio Hornblower novels better. "
— Anita, 11/16/2012" The first of the Sharpe books I remember reading, I'd probably describe this one as solid, but not spectacular. "
— David, 6/12/2012" Bernard Cornwell brings a good story & History together wonderfully. "
— Stacy, 3/29/2012" Hair-raising adventure as Sharpe comes close to death several times (many NOT battle-related) during this novel. "
— Jansen, 2/25/2012" Lost sleep staying up to finish this one. I knew what was going to happen, but I still couldn't wait to read it. "
— Ryan, 11/20/2011" ~My obsession with Sharpe seemingly knows no end. "
— Sho, 6/11/2011" A duel, a beautiful woman, a French spymaster, a Spanish Inquisitor, and a French army trying to escape Wellington with a baggage train of plunder keep Sharpe VERY occupied. Non-stop action during the 1813 Vitoria campaign. "
— Bill, 3/20/2011" Late in the Peninsular Campaign, now inside Spain "
— Tom, 12/11/2010" Love the battle, tactics, camaraderie, and the history. "
— Kathy, 8/30/2010" One of the better novels in this huge series dealing with the Napoleonic war. If you like the first book in the series "Sharpe's Tiger" then you will like them all, and vice versa. "
— Ross, 8/17/2009" I listened to the audiotape of this book while crossing Texas, and it was so good that 900 miles seemed to pass in a flash. So I bought and read the book when I returned. Good stuff. "
— Sherwood, 5/7/2009" Getting near the end of the saga now. Amazing amount of booty seized by ordinary soldiers like Sharpe after the battle of Vitoria. "
— Stuart, 7/22/2008" <br/>Cornwell tends to spend more on battle depth then character at the end of his books, but I'm still reading! I'll post my complete review at my blog soon. "
— Kristin, 6/30/2008Bernard 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.