Sharpe's Enemy (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #15) [Hardcover]

Bernard Cornwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 1989

A classic Sharpe adventure: Richard Sharpe and the Defence of Portugal, Christmas 1812 Newly promoted, Major Richard Sharpe leads his small force into the biting cold of the winter mountains. His task is to rescue a group of well-born women held hostage by a rabble of deserters. And one of the renegades is Sergeant Hakeswill, Sharpe's most implacable enemy. But the rescue is the least of Sharpe's problems. He must face a far greater threat. With only the support of his own company and the new Rocket Troop -- the last word in military incompetence -- to back his gamble, Sharpe cannot afford even to recognize the prospect of defeat. For to surrender -- or to fail -- would mean the end of the war for the Allied armies! The Complete Sharpe Collection

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Stirring! imaginative! inventive' Evening Standard --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Bernard Cornwell worked for BBC TV for seven years, mostly as producer on the Nationwide programme, before taking charge of the Current Affairs department in Northern Ireland. In 1978 he became editor of Thames Television's Thames at Six. Married to an American, he now lives in the United States. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; U.K. edition (January 16, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002214245
• ISBN-13: 978-0002214247
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,504,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944 - a 'warbaby' - whose father was a Canadian airman and mother in Britain's Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted by a family in Essex who belonged to a religious sect called the Peculiar People (and they were), but escaped to London University and, after a stint as a teacher, he joined BBC Television where he worked for the next 10 years. He began as a researcher on the Nationwide programme and ended as Head of Current Affairs Television for the BBC in Northern Ireland. It was while working in Belfast that he met Judy, a visiting American, and fell in love. Judy was unable to move to Britain for family reasons so Bernard went to the States where he was refused a Green Card. He decided to earn a living by writing, a job that did not need a permit from the US government - and for some years he had been wanting to write the adventures of a British soldier in the Napoleonic wars - and so the Sharpe series was born. Bernard and Judy married in 1980, are still married, still live in the States and he is still writing Sharpe.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the Sharpe novels!, July 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sharpe's Enemy: Richard Sharpe & the Defense of Portugal, Christmas 1812 (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #15) (Paperback)

I have read all the Sharpe novels and in my opinion, this is the most entertaining. Unfortunately, it is one of the few that is not based on historical accounts, but there is enough realism to make it interesting. From the new-fangled "rockets" that are put to good use to the descriptions of early 19th century Christmas celebrations to the wonderfully evil Hakeswill to incompetent senior officers, this book has it all. Sharpe has a chance to lead a battalion of troops against an enemy of overwhelming numerical superiority and, in the Sharpe tradition, does it through a combination of ferocious and dirty fighting. One has to wonder how much more quickly Britain would have won the Peninsula wars if they had promoted all officers based on merit instead of patronage and cash. To get the full flavor of the book, however, it should not be read out of sequence with the rest of the novels in the series. The twist at the end (which I will not reveal here) is somewhat of a downer, but it provides motivation in later novels.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous!!, May 13, 2003

By 

Rodger Raubach (Converse County ,WY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sharpe's Enemy (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #6) (Paperback)

Bernard Cornwell just keeps getting better and better as these books progress! This is now the 13th volume on Sharpe's timeline, and the 6th in order of publication. The character development continues to improve as new personae are introduced in each installment. An especially appealing new character is the one-eyed and mutilated rifle captain , "Sweet William", who joins Sharpe and Harper in this highly entertaining novel.

The time is late 1812 with Christmas approaching. A renegade army of British , Spanish , Portuguese , and French deserters have captured the "wife" of Colonel Sir Augustus Fotheringdale (what a name!), another of those rich and aristocratic and enormously egotistical bungling incompotents that seem to pop up regularly in these novels. Sharpe is selected to rescue the damsel in distress who is being held at an old castle and watchtower on the Northern border of Portugal , known as "the Gateway of God". He is provided by Wellington with two additional companies of riflemen and a batallion of Welsh Fusileers as reinforcements. Sharpe , now a Major , commands the rescue operation and manages to effect it with only minimal losses. The subsequent interference by Sir Augustus manages to result in the death of Colonel Kinney , the commander of the Fusileers , leaving Sharpe as the only experienced senior officer present. Also liberated is the wife of a French Colonel , who is returned promptly to her husband . The French seemingly have also mounted a rescue attempt , but only as a cover for an invasion of Portugal. Sharpe manages to uncover the scheme and settles in to thwart the French and brings them to battle , seeking to buy time for Wellington to respond.

There are many interesting twists and turns to the plot , in which Sharpe encounters his old mortal enemy , Obadiah Hakeswill , fights a battle , commands a batallion , and suffers a tragic loss.

This is one of the best Richard Sharpe novels ; not necessarily "the best" , but close enough. Five stars.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Great Story!, September 12, 2001

By 

"p_trabaris" (Naperville, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharpe's Enemy: Richard Sharpe & the Defense of Portugal, Christmas 1812 (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #15) (Paperback)

Sharpes Enemy by Bernard Cornwell is probably the best in the Sharpe series. There is nothing lacking in the story: evil and corrupt enemies, damsels in distress, heart breaking pathos and (of course) hard-fought battles. The year is 1812 and its Christmas time in Spain. Joining Sharpe in Enemy is his trusty companion Sargent Harper, the battle scared Captain Sweet William and the often drunk Lieutenant Harry Price. Typical of Cornwells Sharpe adventures are the enemy forces that will stop at nothing in their efforts to defeat the brave British soldiers.

Major Sharpe is given the task of liberating two officers wives and capturing the forces of Pot-au-Feu, a Marshal in the renegade army. During his ransom negotiations with the deserters, he encounters his old nemesis the evil and twisted Obadiah Hakeswill. Other enemies include: Sharpes commanding officer the incompetent and cowardly Colonel Sir Augustus and the evil and conniving French Major Ducos. One of the refreshing themes in this story is that the enemies are not just the French army but the people that are supposedly his allies. Surprisingly enough during a temporary treaty he gains some respect for a few of the Napoleons officers. Throughout the course of the story he commands a battalion, defends a castle and wins countless battles.

For people that have never read a Sharpe book I would like to quote a couple of sentences as an example of Cornwells style.

Charge!
This was the way to end it! Sword in hand and charging, and even though the battle was lost he could still make these
French regret the day they had come to the Gateway of God. He could put fear in them for their next battle, he would make them remember this place with sourness.

This is Cornwells gritty style. Sharpe is a soldiers soldier and hero for all ages.