Sharpe Series (books)

For the next few weeks, I will be reviewing a series that has been my favorite for a while now, Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe Series. The series chronicles the life of Richard Sharpe during his life in the British Army from 1799 to 1821. The books were not published in chronological order, beginning with Sharpe’s Eagle (1981), and the Talavera campaign in 1809 (which is book #8 if reading them in chronological order). The final book in the series to be published was Sharpe’s Fury (2007), and the Battle of Barrosa in 1811 (#11 if reading them in chronological order). Below is a list of all of the Sharpe series titles in chronological order.

I first became a fan of the Sharpe series a few years ago after watching Sharpe’s Rifles on TV. I discovered in channel surfing, saw Sean Bean, thought he was cute, and watched for a while. The action, excitement, and wit got me instantly hooked. I saw in the opening credits it was based on a book written by Bernard Cornwell, did a Google search, and checked out Sharpe’s Tiger (1997). and the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799. from my local library.

Eventually, I will be reviewing the movies as well, but there are 24 books to get through to keep us busy. For now please enjoy the reviews of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series which are being reviewed in chronological order. Please do check out the books from your local library, or buy them, and read along!

Sharpe Series (Chronological Order):

1. Sharpe’s Tiger Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Seringapatam, 1799
2. Sharpe’s Triumph Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye, September 1803
3. Sharpe’s Fortress Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803
4. Sharpe’s Trafalgar Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Trafalgar, October 1805
5. Sharpe’s Prey Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Copenhagen, 1807
6. Sharpe’s Rifles Richard Sharpe and the French Invasion of Galicia, January 1809
7. Sharpe’s Havoc Richard Sharpe and the Campaign in Northern Portugal, Spring 1809
8. Sharpe’s Eagle Richard Sharpe and the Talavera Campaign, July 1809
9. Sharpe’s Gold Richard Sharpe and the Destruction of Almeida, August 1810
10. Sharpe’s Escape Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Bussaco, September 1810
11. Sharpe’s Fury Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Barrosa March 1811, Winter 1811
12. Sharpe’s Battle Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, May 1811
13. Sharpe’s Company Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Badajoz, January to April 1812
14. Sharpe’s Sword Richard Sharpe and the Salamanca Campaign, June and July 1812
15. Sharpe’s Skirmish Richard Sharpe and the Defence of the Tormes, August 1812
16. Sharpe’s Enemy Richard Sharpe and the Defence of Portugal, Christmas 1812
17. Sharpe’s Honour Richard Sharpe and the Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813
18. Sharpe’s Regiment Richard Sharpe and the Invasion of France, June to November 1813
19. Sharpe’s Christmas December 1813, Franco-Spanish border
20. Sharpe’s Siege Richard Sharpe and the Winter Campaign, 1814
21. Sharpe’s Revenge Richard Sharpe and the Peace of 1814
22. Sharpe’s Waterloo Richard Sharpe and the Waterloo Campaign, 15 June to 18 June 1815
23. Sharpe’s Ransom December 1816, Normandy
24. Sharpe’s Devil Richard Sharpe and the Emperor, 1820–21