Customer Reviews

Sharpe's Devil

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"When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time." -- Luke 4:13

It takes a special imagination to find a way to write another Richard Sharpe novel after Napoleon was soundly defeated at Waterloo, but Bernard Cornwell's fertile mind has conjured up a tale to bring back that intrepid hero for one last hurrah (at least for now). Sharpe is a farmer now until he's pulled out of retirement to look for one of his old compatriots from the Napoleonic wars in Spain, Don Blas Vivar, who has been leading Spain's efforts in Chile to fight off rebels.

Sharpe and Harper join a group of Spanish officers headed for Spain. On the way, they take a detour to visit Napoleon in exile on the island of St. Helena. If you've wondered what would happen if Napoleon and Sharpe ever met, this book will satisfy your curiosity.

Once in Spain, Sharpe finds himself in over his head and is soon sent packing as a pressed seaman on the very ship that just brought him from Europe. But at this point, the adventure takes a positive turn as Sharpe develops a new and unexpected ally among the rebels. The second half of the book recounts the kind of daring fights that made this series so appealing . . . combining land and sea forces in this case.

You'll probably guess the story's outcome before the end, but that won't spoil the fun very much. With the final historical note, you'll also be left with some very interesting "what if's" to ponder.

This isn't one of the best books in the series, but it's a must read for all Sharpe fans due to the meeting of the two retired soldiers in the middle of the Atlantic.

Good-bye for now, Richard. It's been fun reading about you.

Excellend adventure reading. I liked all Sharp stories.

The plot assumes that ships could land passengers at St. Helena in 1820 to interview Napoleon. Such was not the case. The British fired on any unauthorized ship attempting to approach the island including, in one case, a ship in distress. Other than that, it is an interesting tale.

This is the last novel, chronologically, in the Richard Sharpe series. Sharpe is separated from his wife and living in France with his latest mistress and their two children. His shortage of money indicates his wife in England has everything he stole in Spain. When the Countess of Mouromorto shows up to hire Sharpe to find her missing husband in Chile, his mistress is very receptive to the sight of the money (needed to improve her farm). Sharpe finds himself on his way to Chile with his old friend Patrick Harper, and makes the aforementioned stop at St. Helena to see Napoleon.

Sharpe and Harper become involved, unwillingly, in the civil war raging in Chile between the Spanish royalists and the rebels under O'Higgins (supported by Lord Cochrane). Sharpe's fortunes take some twists and turns, as does the plot. The involvement of Lord Cochrane in Chile is described fairly accurately, including the action at Valdivia. Sharpe, of course, gets his share of the spoils. One can hope that Sharpe will fare better with his latest mistress than he has with earlier women in his life. Having Sharpe acquire bags full of loot always creates the possibility of further action (after all, Lord Cochrane did invite him to go along, and we know from history that Lord Cochrane later served in Brazil and Greece).

Although I enjoy history and historical novels, I've never particularly cared for military history. But as anyone who has enjoyed the "Sharpe" television (& video) series will attest, there's so much more to these stories than mere military history. This is the first Bernard Cornwell novel I've read, and it certainly won't be the last. Without a doubt, fans of the show will not be disappointed with this novel; in fact, it is a must-read as it is the very last Sharpe novel, and it has not been dramatized (so far).

As for the story (without giving anything away--this is all in the prologue), it is 1820 and Sharpe & Harper are reunited for an expedition to Chile in search of an old friend. En route, they visit St. Helena and have the honour of meeting the imprisoned Napoleon, who entreats Sharpe to convey a gift to an admirer in Chile.

This novel is an absolute page-turner, and Cornwell is truly a master storyteller. Suffice it to say that no knowledge of military tactics or manoeuvres is necessary in order to fully enjoy this gem of a novel. Any action or suspense is seasoned with liberal doses of humour, and there is a most delightful array of entertaining characters. Lastly, the story is made all the more memorable by the historical afterword.

This novel is sure to please. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a thrilling, action-packed read, and particularly to aficionados of historical fiction.

Bernard Cornwell's Sharp's Devil is, once again, an excellently written and well crafted story of adventure and chivalry in the Napoleonic Age. It compares well with the earlier novels as well as the trilogy set in India. At the same time, one has to wonder when this series of books will ever end? Next thing you know we'll see Sharpe single-handedly winning the Battle of Vera Cruz in the Mexican-American War, or maybe Mr. Cornwell could rewrite some of C.S. Forester's Hornblower books, and have Sharpe savage an entire brigade of French troops in the landings at Quiberon Bay. Excellent books, but I think the situations are getting a bit ridiculous now; Sharpe does not need to fight any more wars. Let him retire in peace.

I devoured the first 11 Sharpe's, and the momentum thereof carried me through this one. I didn't think this was the best in the series, but what would we do without Richard Sharpe? The character in the books (and Sean Bean's screen rendition) are just fantastic! Sharpe is just so damn cool!

bernard cornwell at his best. as usual, sharpe comes to the rescue using his great cunning. there is no doubt why sharpe became a television series after you read this book. a masterpiece.

The final novel in the Richard Sharpe series, (thus far,) has retired Lt. Col. Richard Sharpe undertaking a mission to find an old friend in revolutionary Chile. With Patrick Harper at his side Sharpe first visits the isle of St. Helena with it's one tourist attraction: the Emperor Napoleon. After a brief audience with Bonoparte Sharpe heads to Chile where he faces the local Spanish Captain-General Bautista. Eventually Sharpe and Harper throw their lot in with the rebels and their rogue of an Admiral, Lord Cochrane. This novel is yet more proof of Cornwell's ability to tell an exciting story while at the same time evoke with absolute vision the early nineteenth century into the reader's mind. I hope this isn't the last book in the Richard Sharpe novels but if it is it is a fitting ending to a series that rank among the great adventure stories of modern fiction.

It is 1821, six years after the Battle of Waterloo. Richard Sharpe, veteran of the French Wars, has made his home and family in Normandy. However, the sudden arrival of Blas Vivar's wife alerts this instinctive hero to trouble. It is up to Sharpe in locating General Blas Vivar and bring him back from revolutionary Chile. Seeking out a fattened Patrick Harper - formerly his Irish sergeant-major - the two friends make their way by ship to the distant shores of the New World. They stop off at St. Helena to pay their respects to an exiled emperor: once the Scourge of Europe, now a saddened, sickened old man, plagued by what his own greatness could have brought France. Despite his restrictions, and being a former enemy, Napoleon proves a charming, almost sympathetic host. Yet, from almost beginning to end, Sharpe is tricked into aiding a conspiracy that could drench all the Americas in blood and turmoil. I won't spoil it for you by elaborating. But I will mention that the last (chonologically!) Sharpe adventure proves most entertaining: with varied, believable characters, a strange land fully described, peopled by treacherous, corrupt, and deceitful officials who delight in toying with two foreigners on an honourable mission. The interesting aspect of this great plot is that Spain gradually becomes Sharpe's enemy. In particular, I loved the delicate interview with Napoleon; Bautista proved a most cowardly, cunning arch-villain, and the wild, courageous rebel Cochrane added extra spice to a gripping read. Sharpe is set on course for an insane pursuit to find the truth about Vivar - and escape the jaws of certain death!