Sharpe’s Rifles Novels

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Tags: Action, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Military, Suspense

I want to get away from the detective genre and the NY Times Best Sellers list and for that I have moved to the historical fiction section of my virtual book collection (my wife and I have a large collection of real books but were forced to transfer our allegiance to library books when we ran out of space in our house) and one of the best book series I have ever read. Bernard Cornwell is a terrific historian and writer of historical fiction and this will not be the only series of his I will review.

I have called this series Sharpe's Rifles as that was the name of the TV series that was based on the books, although it is also the name of one of the novels so don't get confused. It follows Richard Sharpe's career through the Duke of Wellington's campaigns through India, Portugal, Waterloo and beyond. There are 26 books altogether and I was so transfixed that I read the whole series, one book after another, in just under three months.

As was not untypical in 18th century lower class England, Richard Sharpe was born into poverty, orphaned, raised by a prostitute, became a thief, and killed a man (justifiably of course), and this was all before the series starts! We learn all this in the course of the series but it was not an uncommon explanation of why he "Took the King's Shilling" (joined the army). There weren't many well paying jobs around for an uneducated grunt in those days but, if you read this series, I think you'll agree with me that serving in the military was extreme even for a desperate man.

Sharpe is assigned to the 33rd foot regiment but is rather fortunate that technology is changing and the rifle has recently been introduced to the army as a somewhat experimental instrument of destruction. He becomes a rifleman and is thus spared standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other musketeers blasting away at hundreds of enemy musketeers standing shoulder to shoulder just a few yards away blasting away at him (battles were usually won by the musketeers who could reload the fastest).

The role of a rifleman allows Sharpe some flexibility in his military positioning and, more importantly, allows Bernard Cornwell flexibility in his story telling. Hence, this is not just a description of a series of military engagements, this is a majestic transportation into a world of exotic locations, mysterious characters, intrigue, and romance, where Sharpe's recurring evil nemesis Sgt. Obadiah Hakeswill is constantly and cunningly taking advantage of situations to plot Sharpe's downfall and ultimate demise.

Although Sharpe is initially a ruffian serving as canon fodder, he unwittingly earns himself a promotion to an officer rank by being in the wrong place at the right time, somewhat typical of Richard Sharpe. A rarity in the British army, an officer from the ranks was very rarely accepted by his fellow "gentleman" officers and was treated with scorn and mistrust. However, Sharpe had also become known and respected by non other than Arthur Wellesley himself, aka., the Duke of Wellington, and the dynamic between Sharpe, Wellington, and his fellow officers is an important recurring theme in the stories.

Another recurring theme is Sharpe's lifelong friendship with Patrick Harper. Born out of conflict but cemented by mutual respect, the relationship is all the more unlikely because Sharpe is English and Harper is Irish, and I know from personal experience that everything bad that has happened in Ireland is blamed on the English - although I can see their point. Along our way through the fascinating narrative we encounter romance, betrayal, despair, and, of course, detailed accounts of what a British soldier had to endure on a day-to-day basis and, especially, in the absolute hell of battle. For me this is "I can't put the book down" territory. Many times I would find that I had been holding my breath for goodness knows how long while reading a particularly suspenseful passage.

Cornwell is a master at developing characters and in this series they are so deep they jump off the page and walk around your house with you. He makes you feel you are part of the action and often you don't know whether to duck or grab a weapon and jump right in. He is also a great story teller and his plots are full of intrigue and not without a dash or two of romance. For some reason that I don't understand Sharpe attracts beautiful women, not all of whom are trustworthy. This adds another dimension to the series and sometimes, if you are a romantic like me, the love story takes over as the main plot line in the novel.

As an aside, nobody but Sean Beane could have played Sharpe in the TV series. He portrays the perfect combination of brutality and intelligence required for the role.

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