The original run of Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell, featuring the eponymous hero brought to life by Sean Bean on the telly, ran from the battle of Talavera in 1809 to Waterloo in 1815. It wasn’t long before the author started adding additional stories to the narrative, including prequel stories set in India, the battle of Trafalgar and a final meeting with Napoleon himself in 1820.
This novel is set during the invasion of France in 1813, during a particularly rain sodden winter with the British army struggling to cross a series of rivers as the French are slowly driven back. The memorable character of Rear Admiral Sir Joel Chase from Trafalgar re-appears with a mission to construct a pontoon bridge across a tricky stretch of water. Needless to say, Sharpe is tasked with baby sitting his old friend who is looking forward to experiencing a battle on dry land for a change and seems to have a reckless disregard for his own personal safety.
There are also the usual complement of chosen men, poltroonish officers, set piece battles, glamorous women and a couple of appearances from Lord Wellington himself. The story romps along, but there’s not a huge amount of jeopardy in the outcome if you have read the subsequent novels. I look forward to re-reading the whole series again at some point, and I think this one will fit in just fine.
I listened to the audiobook which is entertainingly narrated by Rupert Farley who switches from Sharpe’s gruff Yorkshire accent to various upper class twit like officers without missing a beat.
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