In the spring of 1811, as one of the most bitter battles of the Peninsular War is about to commence, the hopes of all of Britain are turned toward Spain, where victory will be won or lost. A skilled leader and proven hero, Colonel Richard Sharpe has taken charge of a ragtag Irish battalion from the king of Spain's household guard. Poorly equipped and untrained, they are easily ambushed by an elite French unit commanded by Sharpe's deadly enemy, Brigadier General Guy Loup. Sharpe and Loup have tangled before, and now the fighting wolf means to exact his revenge. But something goes terribly wrong in their bloody skirmish, and Sharpe is faced with the ruin of his career and reputation. Stripped of all but his honor, spirit, and courage, Sharpe must lead his men to glory on the bloody streets of Spain to redeem himself in the eyes of his country—or die trying.
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
April 12, 2005 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781481598590
- File size: 313865 KB
- Duration: 10:53:53
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
AudioFile Magazine
Captain Richard Sharpe commits a political blunder and may be court-martialed. Wellington makes a tactical blunder, however, and Sharpe helps win a victory in spite of it. Sharpe believes a soldier is remembered only for his last battle, and this one saves his career. William Gaminara is a remarkable narrator. Cornwell's novel relies more on description than conversation, and Gaminara manages it very well. He evokes the period, the characters, the raging conflict and engages the listener's full attention. In that era war involved personal suffering and bravery; through Gaminara's voice we feel the humor, comradeship and horror of Sharpe's campaign. D.M.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine -
Publisher's Weekly
May 1, 1995
From a previous book in Cornwell's acclaimed Sharpe series, Sharpe's Devil, we know that Richard Sharpe, up-from-the-ranks captain in the Duke of Wellington's army, lived at least until 1821. So this tale, which finds the English soldier pitted against the vicious General Guy Loup in 1811, during the Napoleonic Wars, lacks some suspense. Still, there's the tantalizing question of how Sharpe gets out of some very dangerous scrapes, both on and off the battlefield. Once again, the captain faces lethal enemies (Loup; a French spymaster), dangerous ``allies'' (an arrogant Spanish general; a nasty Irish peer) and tricky political situations (opposition among the Allies-Britain, Ireland, Portugal-to making Wellington supreme Allied leader). Some loyal friends show up as well, notably Sergeant Patrick Harper, with his seven-shot gun, giant frame and even larger spirit. In this 13th volume in the series, Cornwell's superb storytelling and skill at historical re-creation are in top form as he masterfully presents the carnage, clamor, stink and ``sublime joy'' of battle.
-
Loading
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.