Product Description

Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro, May 1811 In the spring of 1811, while quartered in the crumbling Portuguese fort of San Isidro, Richard Sharpe and his men are attacked by an elite French unit commanded by the formidable Brigadier Loup, and suffer heavy losses. Sharpe has already clashed once with Loup, and the Frenchman has sworn to have his revenge. After the attack, Sharpe is faced with the ruin of his career and reputation, as the army's high command tries to blame him for the disaster. With thousands of French troops massing at a tiny village nearby, Sharpe's only hope is to redeem himself on the battlefield. To save his honour, Sharpe must lead his men to glory in the narrow streets of Fuentes de Onoro. The Complete Sharpe Collection with a new introduction by the author

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11540 in Books
• Published on: 1996-07-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
'What makes these books such a successful formula is the blend of action, well-researched historical setting, colourful characterization and a juicy sub-plot' The Times

About the Author
Bernard Cornwell worked for BBC TV for seven years, mostly as producer on the Nationwide programme, before taking charge of the Current Affairs department in Northern Ireland. In 1978 he became editor of Thames Television's Thames at Six. Married to an American, he now lives in the United States.

Customer Reviews

Evocative
This is one of my favourite Sharpe's. I own all but three of the series (no wait, four, I have to get Havoc) and have read them all. This is, apart from Regiment and Eagle, my favourite book. It combines incredibly powerful and invocative description of the battle for the village, and the brilliant Light Division rescue of the 7th (i think thats right). The characters are all perfect, each embodying a stereotype of the era. This is the book that make you want to jump into the book and experience the battle firsthand... One of the best books i have ever read.

Vivid tale of battle and honour
This is my first Richard Sharpe novel and I had high expectations following the TV series which I really enjoyed. I wasn't disappointed. Cornwell does an excellent job of weaving the story into a real battle and the villaineous Captain Loup jumps from the page. Compulsive reading!

Fuentes D'Onoro - no better account.
I am a Sharpe enthusiast and have read every one of the novels from India to South America. The battle scenes are magnificent, and have evidently been meticulously researched by Mr.Cornwell. I have personally visited many of the battlefields where Sharpe and his colleagues fought, including Fuentes D'Onoro, on the Spanish/Portugese border, where "Battle" is set. Having walked up from the Dos Casas stream through the village to the Church and the ridge beyond, for me there is no more evocative Sharpe story than this one - the description of the bitter struggle up through the narrow streets is unsurpassed, as is the account of the magnificent rescue and withdrawal involving the Light Division, the 7th Division and the Horse Artillery. This is as good as it gets, and if you only ever read one Sharpe novel, this is (for me at least) the one.