Sharpe's Regiment [Import] [Hardcover]

Bernard Cornwell (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Collins; First British Edition edition (1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 000221430X
• ISBN-13: 978-0002214308
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,037,404 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

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced action, February 19, 2002

By 

Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sharpe's Regiment (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series) (Paperback)

While there is some action in northern Spain and the invasion of southern France, in between the novel deals with the pecculations in the British Army circa 1813. The use of crimps was a common practice to supply crews for merchant ships (see Charles Tyng's "Before the Wind"). The Royal Navy used press gangs (see "John Nicol, Mariner"), but the British Army of that time period did not have authority to draft or press men. Consequently, the less popular regiments resorted to crimps to supplement the efforts of their recruiting sergeants. Up to the early 20th century, losses to disease were high in addition to battle casualties. A constant supply of new recruits was necessary.

When replacements for the South Essex fail to arrive in Spain, Major Sharpe is sent back to England to investigate accompanied by Patrick Harper, recently promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), and two junior officers. This leads to the immediate problem of finding the missing Second Battalion of the South Essex. Sharpe and Harper are old campaigners, rough individuals with many skills and willing to kill enemies - definitely not to be trifled with. Finding the battalion is one thing, but getting the replacements to Spain is another matter. Crimping has been carried to extreme heights involving highly placed people. Trained companies are being sold to the highest bidder to fill the needs of other regiments. Sharpe may be a skilled combat soldier, but he is not a diplomat and is unwilling to compromise. It helps to be a hero in favor with the Prince of Wales, but his real assistance comes from unexpected allies.

A side trip takes Sharpe into the St. Giles slum of his youth to dispose of a bagfull of diamonds acquired as spoils after the Battle of Vitoria. This provides an interesting view of the underside of sociey where life is cheap, and some commentary on Sharpe's early beginnings.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Welcome Break from Portugal and Spain, July 16, 2001

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sharpe's Regiment (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #17) (Paperback)

Cornwell's Napoleonic war series takes a break from the action in Spain to send Major Sharpe, his boon companion Sgt. Harper and two other trusted officers back to England to find out why they haven't been getting any recruits. Without new recruits, the South Essex regiment has fallen to dangerously understrength size and could be disbanded. They arrive in London to discover some shady dealings afoot, pay and provisions are being drawn from the army for men who are neither at the barracks or en route to Spain. Sharpe and Harper are forced to go undercover as raw recruits to discover the whereabouts of the missing men, and who's skimming the money. Along the way Sharpe runs into many characters from past adventures, including a big sister type from his street urchin days, his old commander Lawford who is now in government, his old nemesis Sir Henry Simmerson, and his personal English Rose, the lovely Jane Gibbons. He also meets and charms the airheaded Prince of Wales, and makes yet another dangerous enemy in Lord Fenner. It's a novel departure from the normal army action we're used to in the series, and Cornwell treats the reader to many neat tidbits about how recruiting worked, and how susceptible the system was to corruption. Of course, since it's a Sharpe book, there is a rousing battle finale as the army pushes into France.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A homecoming of sorts., December 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Sharpe's Regiment (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #17) (Paperback)

In Sharpe's Regiment, Richard Sharpe takes a time out from the horrors of the Peninsular Campaign and finds an even more appalling situation back home in England. If reading the series in order, this book will provide you with a different look at Sharpe and serve as the turning point in both his military and personal lives. As always Cornwell's attention to historical detail shines through, showing the reader what was going on back in England while Wellington's forces persued Napolean across Europe.