Sharpe's Eagle

Rating:
Summary: Perfect Start to an Engaging Historical Adventure Series.
Review: Set around the Talevera campaign of July 1809, this first installment in the Sharpe saga deploys all the elements found throughout Cornwell's entertaining Napoleonic War series: the friendship between Sharpe and the Irish Sgt. Harper, their bravery and cunning, the ignorance and arrogance that pervaded the foppish upper class officer corps, a beautiful woman, and rousing battle scenes. Cornwell uses this first book to firmly establish the absence of meritocracy in the British army of the time, as armchair commander Simmerson needlessly leads the South Essex (including Sharpe and his Riflemen) into a debacle in which they lose the King's Colours, thus disgracing the whole army. Also clearly established is the tension between Cpt. Sharpe, who was promoted from the enlisted ranks for an act of heroism, and the upper class officer corps, who paid for their rank, irrespective of any actual military knowledge or ability. Simmerson and his toadying nephew Lt. Gibbons attempt to place the blame for the rout on Sharpe, and his only hope to save his rank is to perform an outrageous act of courage in battle at Talevera. Meanwhile, there's a beautiful Spanish woman he rescues from Gibbons and a crony, whose honor he must avenge. All is resolved at the Talevera, as Cornwell clearly and crisply recounts the military maneuvering on both a macro and micro level without getting overly technical. Also introduced in the book are Major Hogan, the Irish engineer who develops over the series into Lord Wellington's spy, as well as Lord Wellington himself, who is fond of Sharpe, but not hesitant to use his deadly skills. Above all, Sharpe is presented as a full action hero, strong, smart, roguishly handsome, honorable, deadly and ruthless. A perfect start to an engaging historical adventure series.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction to the Series
Review: SHARPE'S EAGLE is the first in the famous series of books about Richard Sharpe and his adventures in the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. I was recently introduced to the writings of the talented Bernard Cornwell and his ability to transport the reader to a different era, by reading THE WINTER KING and THE ARCHER'S TALE. In both, Cornwell displays his knowledge of war and weapons, life and death, and human nature in both Arthurian England and during The Hundred Years' War.

Cornwell's writing elicits a wide range of emotional responses, especially with the vivid descriptions of battle preparation, weaponry, and the battles themselves. In SHARPE'S EAGLE, Sharpe must not only fight the French, but he also encounters Lt. Colonel Simmerson, an arrogant and inept coward who purchased his rank and the honor and responsibility that goes with it. The battle-experienced Sharpe, the epitome of bravery and competency, finds himself in a personal struggle with Simmerson, who made an egregious error by losing the regiment's flag and then makes Sharpe the scapegoat. Sharpe devises a plan which, if successful, will return the regiment's honor and will protect him from the political manueverings of Simmerson and his cronies.

SHARPE'S EAGLE served as an excellent introduction to the series and is recommended to readers who get enjoyment from historical fiction with a courageous hero who cares about his comrades and does what he believes in no matter how difficult.

Rating:
Summary: Sharpe at Talavera
Review: This is probably one of the best Sharpe novels in the series. It was one of the first that Cornwell wrote and his attention to the details of the Talavera campaign is excellent. Here we have Sharpe and his detached half-company of rifles doing standard duties on the skirmish line. There is a minimum of running around behind the enemy lines defying the odds as we so often get in the later novels. The episode at the bridge is a study of military incompetence. Sir Henry Simmerson, our classic snobby bad Anglo-aristo, becomes one of Sharpe's perenial enemies here. People like this did try to make life difficult for Wellsely in English politics and the novel picks up correctly on that, albeit a bit heavy handed at times.

The high-light of the story is certianly the build-up to the battle of Talavera in 1809. This was one of Wellsely's most difficult and dangerous battles, and his most costly after Assaye in India. The battle scenes are carefully constructed and taken heavily from Jac Weller's well known "Wellington in the Peninsular". Sharpe is cleverly inserted into the action in ways which are believeable and mesh with the history. His double confrontation with Messhrs. Berry and Gibbons illustrates how many old scores were likely settled during the confusion of battle.

Wellsley won a narrow victory at Talavera, winning his title of viscount Wellington, but losing a quarter of his army in the process. Cornwell does a great job describing the fascinating horror of Napoleanic combat. This is really his forte, and the descriptions of French columns slamming into British lines is right out of Jac Weller. This book is certainly vintage Sharpe, and remains one of the best.

It is a pity that the television version of this novel could not convey the scope of the battle. The tongue and cheek nature of the TV productions does a bit of dis-service to Cornwell in that way. Still, one of the best early Sharpe books.