An Ode to Richard Sharpe-Part Two

So where was I? Ah, yes..I had stumbled across the first in the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, the novel known as "Sharpe's Rifles" which, as memory served, also happened to be the name I remembered from that long ago film from Maryland Public Television. I made my way up to the register and paid for it. I was eager to begin reading it, for I knew that I would immediately love the character and read all of the books in the series. It had a cool cover, too:


Look at that guy. Would you want to face him on the battlefield? There he is, looking mighty pissed off, holding an oversized cavalry sword and a patched up green jacket. This is the type of novel that positively begs to be read, right? Well, no. I always tend to drag my feet when it comes to adopting a new author. While I really wanted something new to read, I put the book aside for a couple of months and made do with the free newspapers that were available at the time (the RedEye and the RedLine). And it sat on my bookshelf until one August morning when I finally decided to give it a chance. I am glad that it did not stay there any longer. Although I could tell that this was an early novel (it read much like a first novel, and it was, in fact, the sixth Sharpe novel written), now, looking back, I can recognize the beginnings of the rich characterization Cornwell would bring to the Sharpe's novels.

"Sharpe's Rifles" introduces us to Richard Sharpe, a Lieutenant in a British rifle battalion that is part of the British force in Spain in 1809. The rifle company is part of the 95th, and the British rifleman are referred to as the "green jackets" because, rather than the red of the "redcoats", they wear jackets of green that speak to the elite nature of the rifle corp. As the story opens, the battalion is ambushed by French troops, and Sharpe must deal with mutiny within his ranks as a large Irishman named Patrick Harper and he do battle. Harper is beloved by the men and sees Sharpe as weak, but what is amazing is that the two become fast friends through the course of the events in this novel and the remaining novels in the series. Sharpe and the battalion meet up with Don Blas Vivar, a Spanish nobleman fighting for his country. Don Blas wants to get to Santiago de Compostela, a Spanish city occupied by the French, and raise the flag of Spain's patron saint as a sign of the indomitable spirit of the Spanish people during their war against Napoleon. Sharpe assists Don Blas in his efforts. One man seeks to thwart these plans, and that man is the Count of Mouromorto, a Spanish nobleman who also happens to be Don Blas' brother. Along the way, Sharpe and the rifles get into skirmishes and battles, rescue a damsel in distress, and end up no worse for the wear. By the end of the novel, however, one sees the greatness in the character.

I read the novel in record time. There were many things I loved about the novel. One of the main things was its educational aspect. Before I read the novel, I had no idea about the Peninsular Wars. The US educational system does not do justice to the proper study of Napoleon, Wellington, and the great European wars of the early 1800s. "Sharpe's Rifles" brought to life those volatile years in Europe. Cornwell's mastery of prose instantly transported me to the battlefields of Spain, and one could almost taste the salt from the gunpowder cartridges that Sharpe and his men used in their rifles. The character of Sharpe himself is a fascinating one. In future novels, we would discover that he was the son of a prostitute who had no knowledge of his father. After he was orphaned at the age of 3, he was raised in a foundling home, one of those horrible work houses straight out of "Oliver Twist." He grew up unloved and unwanted, beaten horribly and malnourished. He escaped to a bar where a barmaid named Maggie took him under her wing as a sort of matronly Fagin. He learned the finer arts of thieving from Maggie. As a young man, Sharpe joined the army as a way to escape the hangman's noose, for he had killed a man who was a rival for the affections of another young lady (young women would continue to be a weak spot for Sharpe throughout the novels). Sharpe started the novels as a Private and ended up a Lieutenant Colonel by the time of the 100 days (the period of time that marked Napoleon's return to power from the time of his escape from Elba until his defeat at Waterloo, Belgium). Sharpe's promotions were unheard of during a time when only the elite could be officers (commissions were purchased and not earned by merit, so only the rich could afford to be officers). Currently, there are 24 Sharpe's novels. Cornwell also wrote a 4 book series set during the Civil War (The Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles) that has a link to the Sharpe series through the inclusion of a character who happens to be related to a Sharpe regular.

My recommendation for anyone reading the series is to start with "Sharpe's Tiger", the novel that describes the adventures of young Private Sharpe in Wellington's army's of India. When you start reading, you will find a tremendous sense of time and place thanks to the wonderfully descriptive prose of Bernard Cornwell. You will learn more about Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington who was affectionately called "Nosey" by his troops. You will discover how the destinies of Sharpe and Wellesley became intertwined early in their careers and will learn about the British conquest of India, the Battle of Trafalgar (of course Sharpe was on one of the ships), the siege of Copenhagen, the retreat of Napoleon from Portugal through Spain and back to France thanks to the efforts of the British forces and Spanish freedom fighters, and the final battle at Waterloo. That novel, simply titled "Waterloo", is one of my favorite books. Period. You will not be disappointed in the series. I have recommended the series to many people, and they invariably get hooked. Who wouldn't?