[cms186]

Yh, so I've been reading through the books recently and I also got bought the DVD's of the Sean Bean TV series and was just wondering if this awesome series of books is read by OTF.

Having watched the DVD's I came to the conclusion that they were both disapointing and rewarding. The series is cast very well, with SB making an awesome Sharpe and the ensemble cast includes many actors who have gone on to bigger and better things ( Liz Hurley, Peter Postlethwaite, Daniel Craig, Alexis Denishof, James Purefoy, Emily Mortimer and Paul Bettany ) but having read the books, the TV series just don't live up to expectations ( It would be interesting to have seen the TV series before having read the Books )

Now the books, on the other hand, are very good, well written, with exciting characters and also suprisingly educational ( not a pre-requisite for a book, but a great bonus ) my favorite books are Sharpes Enemy ( the rockets are awesome! ) and Sharpes Trafalgar. I very much enjoyed the 3 books based in India ( it was great to get the background on his rise through the ranks ) and the 2 subsequent ones, although I didnt enjoy the 2 or 3 most recent offerings as much as I would have liked. It would be interesting to see how many more Sharpe books Mr. Cornwell will write.

Also wondering if any of you have read any other of the Bernard Cornwell books, I read and enjoyed the Warlord Trilogy but havnt got any of the other ones yet.

[Retro]

I got about 150 pages into his Harlequin book and I thought it was the most cliched nonsense I have ever read.

I don't read much fiction - but it was like reading (and writing) by numbers. I don't know what his other books are like but I don't really have any inclination to read any more of them.

Ellis Peters makes a mockery of him when it comes to historical writing.

[Neil Purvis]

Can anyone tell me the order of the books? Got a bunch in the house which I haven’t started because I haven’t a clue what order to read them in.

Asked once before and someone said it was obvious by looking at the period they’re set in but I’m no history geek.

[James07?]

Started reading them at school in about 88 and followed them through to Waterloo and the early Indian novels. Kinda lost interest after that when Cornwell started fitting in books around gaps in the original chronology.

They’re very good and pretty accurate for this sort of thing…but they’re not exactly spectacularly written and they never departed from a pretty standard plot line. I’ve certainly no real desire to read them again.

Bean was Ok if you can accept Sharpe as a Northerner but Harper was ginger and the series take on some huge battles (generally 5 blokes and a horse) disappointed (though it was expected with the budget limitations).

I’d happily recommend the books to someone in their early-teens as a bridge into history / general reading…better than that bloody wizard.

[James07?]

Originally posted by Neil Purvis:
Can anyone tell me the order of the books? Got a bunch in the house which I haven’t started because I haven’t a clue what order to read them in.

The inside title page of the book usually gives the dates of the action...

[James Tringham]

Flashman >>>>>> Sharpe.

That is all.

[James07?]

"Sharpe's Tiger" (1997) — Siege of Seringapatam, 1799
"Sharpe's Triumph" (1998) — Battle of Assaye, September 1803
"Sharpe's Fortress" (1999) — Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803
"Sharpe's Trafalgar" (May 2001) — Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805
"Sharpe's Prey" (2002) — Expedition to Copenhagen, 1807
"Sharpe's Rifles" (1988) — French invasion of Galicia, January 1809
"Sharpe's Havoc" (April 2003) — French Invasion of Portugal, Spring 1809
"Sharpe's Eagle" (1981) — Talavera Campaign, July 1809
"Sharpe's Gold" (1981) — Destruction of Almeida, August 1810
"Sharpe's Escape" (April 2004) — Portugal, September 1810
"Sharpe's Fury" (2006) — The Battle of Barrosa, March 1811
"Sharpe's Battle" (1995) — Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, May 1811
"Sharpe's Company" (1982) — Siege of Badajoz, January to April 1812
"Sharpe's Sword" (1983) — Salamanca Campaign, June and July 1812
"Sharpe's Skirmish" (September 2002) — Defence of the Tormes, August 1812
"Sharpe's Enemy" (1983) — Defence of Portugal, Christmas 1812
"Sharpe's Honour" (1985) — Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813
"Sharpe's Regiment" (1986) — Invasion of France, June to November 1813
"Sharpe's Christmas" (September 2003) — towards the end of the Peninsular War, 1813 includes the story "Sharpe's Ransom" set in peacetime after Waterloo
"Sharpe's Siege" (1987) — Winter Campaign, 1814
"Sharpe's Revenge" (1989) — Battle of Toulouse and the Peace of 1814
"Sharpe's Waterloo" (1990) — Waterloo Campaign, 15 June to 18 June 1815
"Sharpe's Ransom" (September 2003) included with "Sharpe's Christmas"
"Sharpe's Devil" (1992) — Napoleon exiled on Saint Helena and the Chilean War of Independence, 1820-21

[Neil Purvis]

The inside title page of the book usually gives the dates of the action...

Just for that book or the entire series though?

I’ve got a set of 4 or 5 at home but haven’t started them yet as I don’t know if they’re the first books or if there are more which precede them.

[James Tringham]

Originally posted by Retro:
I got about 150 pages into his Harlequin book and I thought it was the most cliched nonsense I have ever read.

I don't read much fiction - but it was like reading (and writing) by numbers. I don't know what his other books are like but I don't really have any inclination to read any more of them.

Ellis Peters makes a mockery of him when it comes to historical writing.

Ellis Peters is pretty good. I've not long read a couple of books I was given by a bloke called CJ Sansom, of a lawyer in the times of Henry VIII. Have you come across those? I don't know enough about the period to know if they're accurate or not, so I wondered if you'd read them.

[James07?]

You could easily start with Sharpe's Eagle if you've nothing before that as that's the 'original' starting point.