Product Description

It is the summer of 1812 and Richard Sharpe, newly recovered from the wound he received in the fighting at Salamanca, is given an easy duty; to guard a Commissary Officer posted to an obscure Spanish fort where there are some captured French muskets to repair. But unknown to the British, the French are planning a lightning raid across the River Tormes, and they reckon the obscure Spanish fort, which guards an ancient bridge across the river, will be lightly guarded. Sharpe is in for a fight.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9786 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

Short, but good.
As with Sharpe's Christmas, Sharpe's skirmish was never meant to be sold.It was intended to be given for free with hardback copies of Sharpe'sFortress. Bernard Cornwell has since rewritten it. Its expensive but allprofits are split between "the sharpe appreciation society"- a historicalorganisation that studies Napoleonic battlefields & "the Bernard & JudyCornwell Foundation"- a childrens charity based in Cape Cod (Cornwell'snew home).
The story itself is typical Sharpe- a tiny number of British troopscleverly decimate huge quantitites of French. It makes constant referenceto other books, most notably Sharpe's Fortress & so fits in nicely withthe series. I wouldn't recommend it to any but the most diehard Sharpefan, but I liked it.
Anyone complaining about "being ripped off" would be advised to checktheir purchases more carefully. Amazon clearly state it is only 64 pageslong & as the profits go to charity Bernard Corwell is not "robbing"anyone.

In defences of a short story,
Sharpe's Skirmish: The story as a hole is a good starter book, and didn't leave me annoyed as the "Filler" stories are mentioned,( Sharpe remebers climbing into a chimney space in Copenhagen, as seen in Sharpe's Prey ) It was a very well thought out story, and not the rush job I expected. It fits well into the chain, and should I recomend be filmed !! Anyway I digress. It is a good book and worthy of the "Sharpe's" prefix.

TO THE PREVIOUS POSTERS COMPLAINING...
STOP COMPLAINING THAT THIS IS TOO SHORT AND WHAT IS BERNARD DOING WITH IT, This is the FIRST sharpe tale, written as a short story and never before published until this book, this is not new a new book, its a new publication of the very first sharpe story.