Rating: 
Summary: Stirring adventure fiction
Review: "Sharpe's Eagle" is "The Triumph and the Glory" of the Napoleonic War novels. What Rustad's WWII novel does for the Second World War, Cornwell's skill has done for this earlier era. I'm more familiar with war novels about 20th Century conflict, but greatly admired Cornwell's Civil War books so thought I'd give his Richard Sharpe books a try. I'm glad I did! He brings his gift for drama, flair for characterization, and vouminous knowledge of the military art to the fore with "Sharpe's Eagle."
Rating:
Summary: Once again, Cornwell nails it!
Review: Avenging the loss of his Battalion's colours, Richard Sharpe and his trusted friend Sergeant Patrick Harper, set out to capture a French battle standard... an Eagle.In Sharpe's Eagle, Cornwell again gives us the detail, and the fearsome exhilaration and confusion of personal combat and brings it to life. As with Sharpe's Rifles, I couldn't put this one down. As soon as I read it, I had to go to the library and get the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun "mind candy" historical fiction
Review: Before reading this I'd only read Cornwell's Civil War-related series, and it was immediately apparent that he is *much* more comfortable with this Napoleonic Wars setting. His facts seem far more accurate and more fluent, his characters' dialogue is more believable, and I overall get the sense that he simply has a better grasp of his material. This is the story of the young career Army man Sharpe, who finds himself in political hot water through no fault of his own, and who has to do something heroic to get himself out of it. The battle scenes are good, very detailed; the characters, as I've come to expect with Cornwell, are generally engaging though not particularly deep. I intend to read the rest of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: First in the series - Napoleonic wars, footsoldier's view
Review: First in the series, "Sharpe's Gold" gives the reader a vivid sense of warfare and adventure. These are good books to read if you've enjoyed Hornblower (C S Forester), Aubrey/Maturin (Patrick O'Brian), or Bolitho (Alexander Kent) novels. They are easier to read and less crowded with fact - ornithology, sailsmanship - than O'Brian's books. There is quite a bit of repetition from book to book - Sergeant Harper's amazing seven-barreled rifle is explained often enough to begin to sound preposterous. But it's probably true - the author has researched the subject thoroughly. If you want more literary merit there's Stendahl ("The Charterhouse of Parma") or Tolstoy ("War and Peace") to cover the same territory in more depth -- and just as vividly. Surprisingly the actor who plays Sharpe in the TV series looks a lot like John Wayne did in 1933.
Rating:
Summary: A fine headlong adventure!
Review: I came to the Sharpe series by a winding trail. Someone told me that, if I loved the Flashman books, the only other author writing a series of comic historical novels, but who was completely different from Fraser, was Van Reid. I didn't want any copy-cats. Van Reid's Moosepath novels are some of the best books I've read in years, exciting as well as funny and in a surprising and warm communication with Mr. Reid, by way of his website, he suggested I try James L. Nelson. Right again! Top notch nautical adventures! Then on the cover of Mr. Nelson's latest book "Glory in the Name" I see a blurb from Bernard Cornwell. Well, if Mr. Cornwell has such good taste, lets see if his books are tasty! Right again! Sharpe has a little of the anti-hero thing going, and he reminds me of Flashman in his dalliances with women, but what Mr. Cornwell does best is put you right into the middle of a battle and scares the life out of you. It seems pretty stupid to say that you can smell the gunpowder smoke when you read a book, but let's just say, that I could *see* everything as if I were watching a movie. Mr. Cornwell's action is terrific, his dialogue sharp,if you'll excuse the awful pun, and the plot twisty and believable. Thanks Mr. Reid, thanks Mr. Nelson, and thanks Mr. Cornwell for blurbing a favorite author so that I could be led to your great series!
Rating:
Summary: A fine headlong adventure!
Review: I came to the Sharpe series by a winding trail. Someone told me that, if I loved the Flashman books, the only other author writing a series of comic historical novels, but who was completely different from Fraser, was Van Reid. I didn't want any copy-cats. Van Reid's Moosepath novels are some of the best books I've read in years, exciting as well as funny and in a surprising and warm communication with Mr. Reid, by way of his website, he suggested I try James L. Nelson. Right again! Top notch nautical adventures! Then on the cover of Mr. Nelson's latest book "Glory in the Name" I see a blurb from Bernard Cornwell. Well, if Mr. Cornwell has such good taste, lets see if his books are tasty! Right again! Sharpe has a little of the anti-hero thing going, and he reminds me of Flashman in his dalliances with women, but what Mr. Cornwell does best is put you right into the middle of a battle and scares the life out of you. It seems pretty stupid to say that you can smell the gunpowder smoke when you read a book, but let's just say, that I could *see* everything as if I were watching a movie. Mr. Cornwell's action is terrific, his dialogue sharp,if you'll excuse the awful pun, and the plot twisty and believable. Thanks Mr. Reid, thanks Mr. Nelson, and thanks Mr. Cornwell for blurbing a favorite author so that I could be led to your great series!
Rating:
Summary: great reading you are there
Review: I HAVE READ ALL OF HIS BOOKS ALL THE SHARPS SERIES AND THE FOUR BOOKS ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR IM waiting for the him to complet the series,all so the other series about the archers find me more thank you DON
Rating:
Summary: Sharpe's Eagle flies!
Review: I have read many historical novels in my life and this one ranks high on the list. Cornwell does a very adequate job of conveying the feeling to you that the society of Britain is changing due to the coming of mass industrialization and the changes in class based military that eventually put merit before social standing. His use of analysis of the actual battlefield tactics of the Napoleanic era is fascinating and although the work is fiction I believe that a student of European history would find this to be a useful work to "get in the mood" to study more mudane and boring aspects of the time period. I would recommend this as a suitable book for a highschool history class or early college history major.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully addictive series of historical novels
Review: I love the Sharpe books. I'm amazed that Cornwell can be so prolific (in addition to the dozens of books in the Sharpe series, he's written novels on the American Civil War and early Britain) and produce books that are always spellbinding and entertaining. The history appears to be very accurate and well researched. He even visits and walks the battlefields before writing. Sharpe's Eagle is a good one. Of course, you have to get into these books with the understanding that they're violent (as war always is) and that Richard Sharpe is a pretty ruthless fellow, at least when it comes to disposing of his enemies on the British side. It is this violent and ruthless nature that makes Sharpe a successful (you might say amazing) soldier.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully addictive series of historical novels
Review: I love the Sharpe books. I'm amazed that Cornwell can be so prolific (in addition to the dozens of books in the Sharpe series, he's written novels on the American Civil War and early Britain) and produce books that are always spellbinding and entertaining. The history appears to be very accurate and well researched. He even visits and walks the battlefields before writing. Sharpe's Eagle is a good one. Of course, you have to get into these books with the understanding that they're violent (as war always is) and that Richard Sharpe is a pretty ruthless fellow, at least when it comes to disposing of his enemies on the British side. It is this violent and ruthless nature that makes Sharpe a successful (you might say amazing) soldier.
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