The first book in Bernard Cornwell's epic Sharpe series, which completely transports the reader to an unforgettable time and place in history. At Talavera in July of 1809, Captain Richard Sharpe, bold, professional, and ruthless, prepares to lead his men against the armies of Napoleon into what will be the bloodiest battle of the war. Sharpe has earned his captaincy, but there are others, such as the foppish Lieutenant Gibbons and his uncle, Colonel Henry Simmerson, who have bought their commissions despite their incompetence. After their cowardly loss of the regiment's colors, their resentment toward the upstart Sharpe turns to treachery, and Sharpe must battle his way through sword fights and bloody warfare to redeem the honor of his regiment by capturing the most valued prize in the French Army—a golden Imperial Eagle, the standard touched by the hand of Napoleon himself.
With Wellington outnumbered, the bankrupt army's only hope of avoiding, collapse is a hidden cache of Portuguese gold. Only Captain Richard Sharpe is capable of stealing it-and it means turning against his own men.
The Seventeenth Sharpe Novel Sees Sharpe Returning From India To London To Join The Newly Formed Green Jackets. Sharpe, Though A Little More Comfortable With His New Officer Rank, Is Sure That This New Unit Is Of Lower Status, And That He Has Failed. His Ship Home Is Shipwrecked: He Is Captured By Pirates, But Fighting Free With A Few Companions, Finds Himself On A British Navy Ship Heading To Join Nelson'S Fleet. And There, In October 1805, He Finds Himself Involved In The Great Sea Battle, And Discovers New Skills In Fighting On Sea
Set in 1811, during some of the worst fighting of the Napoleonic Wars, Richard Sharpe is given responsibility of an Irish battalion of ceremonial troops who are poorly equipped and untrained for battle.
From New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, the first exciting adventure in the world-renowned Sharpe series, chronicling the rise of Richard Sharpe, a Private in His Majesty’s Army at the siege of Seringapatam. “The greatest writer of historical adventures today.” —Washington Post Richard Sharpe. Soldier, hero, rogue—the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles, whose green jacket he proudly wears.
After barely surviving a murderous act of treason by a bitter English officer who has joined the mercenary forces of the Mahratta confederation, young Richard Sharpe vows to hunt down the turncoat. Reissue.