Most helpful customer reviews
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Lacks the Homely feeling of France and Spain., Dec 17 2003
In this book Richard Sharpe and companions travel to England, the whole book (bar an epilogue and an introduction) is set in England. Personally I didn't like it at first, it lacked the French connection which, to me, is a major factor that makes the Sharpe series so great. This book lacks the intense action of other Sharpe books and focuses more on the homefront. Sharpe is sent back to England to find recruits for the South Essex regiment, he quickly discovers that his task is not going to be as easy as he thought. His rifle is replaced by his mind and his sword, his wits. He has to fight on a new battlefield, a politicians battlefield. To some this would seem an interesting twist in the Sharpe saga, to me it seemed to detract from it, I like the action and detailed description of battles. But being part of the Sharpe series I felt compelled to read it and this is the last book (at present) where the British are still fighting in Spain, this book kicks open the door to the next set of books, Sharpe in France. 3 Stars only, not the best Sharpe but Sharpe nonetheless
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast paced action, Feb 20 2002
While there is some action in northern Spain and the invasion of southern France, in between the novel deals with the pecculations in the British Army circa 1813. The use of crimps was a common practice to supply crews for merchant ships (see Charles Tyng's "Before the Wind"). The Royal Navy used press gangs (see "John Nicol, Mariner"), but the British Army of that time period did not have authority to draft or press men. Consequently, the less popular regiments resorted to crimps to supplement the efforts of their recruiting sergeants. Up to the early 20th century, losses to disease were high in addition to battle casualties. A constant supply of new recruits was necessary.When replacements for the South Essex fail to arrive in Spain, Major Sharpe is sent back to England to investigate accompanied by Patrick Harper, recently promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), and two junior officers. This leads to the immediate problem of finding the missing Second Battalion of the South Essex. Sharpe and Harper are old campaigners, rough individuals with many skills and willing to kill enemies - definitely not to be trifled with. Finding the battalion is one thing, but getting the replacements to Spain is another matter. Crimping has been carried to extreme heights involving highly placed people. Trained companies are being sold to the highest bidder to fill the needs of other regiments. Sharpe may be a skilled combat soldier, but he is not a diplomat and is unwilling to compromise. It helps to be a hero in favor with the Prince of Wales, but his real assistance comes from unexpected allies. A side trip takes Sharpe into the St. Giles slum of his youth to dispose of a bagfull of diamonds acquired as spoils after the Battle of Vitoria. This provides an interesting view of the underside of sociey where life is cheap, and some commentary on Sharpe's early beginnings.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A Welcome Break from Portugal and Spain, Jul 16 2001
Cornwell's Napoleonic war series takes a break from the action in Spain to send Major Sharpe, his boon companion Sgt. Harper and two other trusted officers back to England to find out why they haven't been getting any recruits. Without new recruits, the South Essex regiment has fallen to dangerously understrength size and could be disbanded. They arrive in London to discover some shady dealings afoot, pay and provisions are being drawn from the army for men who are neither at the barracks or en route to Spain. Sharpe and Harper are forced to go undercover as raw recruits to discover the whereabouts of the missing men, and who's skimming the money. Along the way Sharpe runs into many characters from past adventures, including a big sister type from his street urchin days, his old commander Lawford who is now in government, his old nemesis Sir Henry Simmerson, and his personal English Rose, the lovely Jane Gibbons. He also meets and charms the airheaded Prince of Wales, and makes yet another dangerous enemy in Lord Fenner. It's a novel departure from the normal army action we're used to in the series, and Cornwell treats the reader to many neat tidbits about how recruiting worked, and how susceptible the system was to corruption. Of course, since it's a Sharpe book, there is a rousing battle finale as the army pushes into France.
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