Sharpe's Skirmish: Short Short (Richard Sharpe Adventure Series) [Paperback]

Bernard Cornwell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0972222006 | ISBN-13: 978-0972222006 | Publication Date: September 3, 2002

It is the summer of 1812 and Richard Sharpe, newly recovered from the wound he received in the fighting at Salamanca, is given an easy duty; to guard a Commissary Officer posted to an obscure Spanish fort where there are some captured French muskets to repair. But unknown to the British, the French are planning a lightning raid across the River Tormes, and they reckon the obscure Spanish fort, which guards an ancient bridge across the river, will be lightly guarded. Sharpe is in for a fight.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bernard Cornwell is the author of the best-selling Richard Sharpe series; the Starbuck Chronicles; the Warlord Trilogy; and the Grail Quest Series. Born in London, he now lives and writes on Cape Cod.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Sharpe Appreciation Society (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972222006
• ISBN-13: 978-0972222006
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,196 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

70 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Short Sharpe, May 27, 2003

By 

"okie580" (bergen county, nj) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharpe's Skirmish: Short Short (Richard Sharpe Adventure Series) (Paperback)

OK....a word to the wise. Only buy this story if you've read a bunch of the other books in the series. This is certainly no place to start. This book presupposes a good knowledge of the Sharpe saga. The characters are given little background or fleshing out. As Sharpe says himself, this is a skirmish, not a battle.
For all that, it is a rousing good read. Everything you would want from a Cornwell book only in ultra-condensed form. There is the hero and his loyal friends, the incompetent superior officer, a beautiful damsel (not at all distressed), and a bunch of French to kill. These French are not too evil, but I always found Cornwell made the villains a bit too cartoonish. Isn't the fact that they're French reason enough to hate 'em? Only kidding!
So the only question is, is the book worth the price of admission? In any other case I would probably say no, but Cornwell has basically had this one published for charity. So go ahead, splurge.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sharpe's Skirmish, August 16, 2004

By 

Leonard D. Brandenburg "Book 'em Danno" (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sharpe's Skirmish: Short Short (Richard Sharpe Adventure Series) (Paperback)

After having read all of Bernard Cornwell's fabulous series about the Penninsular Wars with Richard Sharpe as the hero I couldn't wait to read more of his adventures. To my suprise I found this short story that had been transformed into a very short book.
I loved this story as I was hungry for more Sharpe and I was not totally disappointed by this offering. Although this short story is somewhat lacking in the interesting detail of most of Cornwell's books (what short story isn't?) I was still held captive by the exploits of Sharpe and his mixed regiment of Redcoats and Riflemen. An interesting twist is thrown in as Richard's elusive wife makes an appearence but her action is confined to riding off for help. If this story was longer we would have really felt Sharpe's anxiety about command and how his leadership skills would appear if he called for help that was not needed.That is exactly waht is lacking in this story...details.
If expanded this "skirmish" could have been a full fledged novel or at the least a strong novelette but Cornwell has yet to make the jump with this story.
I recommend this short story to all of Richard Sharpe's fans but please read the entire series first before you make the attempt and this story will mean a lot more because you will be able to fill in the deatils with your own Cornwellish interpretation and detail. This story should have been combined with the other two tales in "Sharpe's Christmas" as a collection because it does not stand up tall like Richard Sharpe on its own.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth it for the avid Sharpe's fan, December 23, 2002

By 

Bibliolati "historical romance junkie" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sharpe's Skirmish: Short Short (Richard Sharpe Adventure Series) (Paperback)

Can't get enough of Sharpe? Loved Theresa and were really bummed out when she died? Need a great socking stuffer or Easter basket item? This is for you!!! I ordered copies for all my friends, and we all enjoyed it. It's a quick read (only 60+ pages), but I'll buy more if they're published.