Sharpe's Company: Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Badajoz, January to April 1812 (#13)

If you're reading them in chronological order, rather than the order Cornwell wrote them in, this one has a greater intensity than the earlier Spanish books. Some enjoyable elements have returned. Sharpe is truly up against the career wall once more, his provisional appointment to Captain denied. He has a real love interest, his earlier dalliance with Spanish partisan Teresa Moreno taking a more serious turn. Harper's career is in jeopardy as well with the return of Sharpe's nemesis Obadiah Hakeswill, absent since the end of the third book, "Sharpe's Fortress" and the Indian battle of Gawilghur almost a decade before. All this fateful tension takes place against the backdrop of a monumental battle, the British assault on the heavily fortified city of Badajoz, held by the French and essential to any invasion of Spain. The heavily walled city is surrounded by a dozen strongpoints, water on two sides and modern fortifications elsewhere. Losing his company to a well-born stranger with no experience, the now merely Lieutenant Sharpe must plot his future as the British wallow in the winter mud outside Badajoz waiting to breach its walls. Cornwell's best writing in this series has been about 18th century siege warfare - the battering of the walls with artillery, use of the rubble as a ramp up to the broken part of the wall, and the hell the first invaders must go through to sieze the hole, after which they are invariably dead, or heroes. It is this and nothing but this, Sharpe thinks, that will win him back his captaincy. Cornwell's writing of the storming of Badajoz, and the pillaging of it by British troops, has a special and fearful intensity to it, his best siege and fortress storming since the aforementioned Gawilghur in "Fortress". And Hakeswill - merely evil, malign and relentless in the first three books - is here not only that, but mad as well. At times he sounds like Tolkien's Gollum, talking to ... well, you'll see. In the order that Cornwell originally wrote them, this is the first time he does a real siege and the first time he writes Hakeswill. Both come horribly alive. This book is short and bowstring-taut. Not a word is wasted.

Bernard Cornwell's series of Sharpe novels has delighted countless readers over the years. Cornwell is (famously or infamously, depending on your perspective) writing these novels out of historical sequence, so even though while "Sharpe's Company" is in the middle of the Sharpe series chronologically, it is among the earliest books Cornwell wrote about Wellington's favorite rogue. And it is easily among Cornwell's best books ever - thrilling, ghastly, funny, and with perhaps Cornwell's greatest villain, Obadiah Hakeswill. [Full disclosure - I read "Sharpe's Company" after reading the terribly disappointing "Hannibal Rising," and have Cornwell up on a bit of a pedestal right now. A gushing review follows.] Like all soldiers from the stews of London, born without name or wealth, Richard Sharpe started life in the British army as a lowly private. While serving with Lord Wellington (then merely Colonel Wellesley), Sharpe had the misfortune of serving under Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, a grossly fat and evil man who knows that he cannot die - he even survived a hanging! Taking an instant hatred to Sharpe, Hakeswill has Sharpe flogged in events chronicled in Cornwell's "India Trilogy," a sub-set of the Sharpe novels. Sharpe swears revenge and thinks he has killed Hakeswill off . . . only to have the insane Sergeant return in "Sharpe's Company." Hakeswill is the kind of man who will trump up flogging charges on a soldier in order extort sexual favors from the soldier's desperate wife . . . and then kill her and frame her husband. Truly evil, Hakeswill's love for rape is only matched by his hatred of Sharpe. So what happens when Hakeswill comes across Sharpe's lover, the gorgeous partisan Teresa? He must have her, both to possess her beauty and to ruin Sharpe. And also, what is to happen when Sharpe finds himself demoted when a wealthier man buys his Captaincy and Hakeswill is put in charge of the 95th Rifles? A mere Lieutenant, Sharpe still outranks Hakeswill, but just barely. This gives Hakeswill the opportunity to ruin the Rifles, the only other thing Sharpe holds as dear as Teresa. Things are dire enough for Sharpe, what with the return of the mad, gibbering Sergeant. But he must also contend with Wellington's siege of Badajoz, perhaps the most impregnable French-held fort in all of Spain. Even the redoubtable Major Hogan despairs of British boots ever getting inside that mountain of rock and guns. And yet Sharpe must lead men inside, if not only for his honor and to earn his Captain's bars, but also to save Teresa and his new-born daughter, Antonia, who live inside the fortress. Cornwell writes a battle scene as well as anyone, and he has never been in finer form than with his description of the horrific siege. Perhaps shockingly for a proud Brit, Cornwell pulls no punches at the terrible crimes committed by the British soldiers once they crack open those walls - the robberty, rape and murder of the innocents is one of the most

What are some of the reasons why you read books? * Do you like adventure? * Do you like romance? * Do you like action? * Do you like history? If you answered yes to the above then you will enjoy Sharpe's Company. I started reading these books and I find myself having a hard time putting them down. Sharpe's Company by Bernard Cornwell is an exciting rip-roaring adventure addition to the Sharpe series. You can see Bernard Cornwell's extensive research come to life page after page. The setting is 1812 and the British forces are re-grouping in Spain to repulse the dreaded French juggernaut led by Napoleon. Sharpe's challenge is to defeat the French forces at Badajoz, retain his rank and marry the girl of his desires. All of Sharpe's soldiers are in attendance and ready for battle. Sharpe lost his rank due to a clerical error in England and is now a mere lieutenant. He answers to a commanding officer that has never led a battle command. The captain who replaced him is a well meaning light-weight who lets his sergeant give the orders. Additionally, the evil Sergeant Hakeswell is back in Sharpe's life again and up to his old tricks. I don't think I can imagine of a better villain than Hakeswell. He is ugly, twisted and thoroughly evil. There are no redeeming values to his character. He wants to kill Sharpe and ruin his career. Even Sharpe's friends are in danger from this psychopath.Where Cornwell shines is the description of the battle. He paints a picture of the siege at Badajoz so realistic that you visualize the battle and all of its horrors. His details are fascinating. For example, the advantages and disadvantages of a rifle and a musket, the uses of cannon to reduce castle walls to rubble and the siege warfare techniques of 1800s. I wholeheartedly endorse this book.

is great.I own all the Sharpe novels, and this is one of the best. Sharpe's exploits on the Iberian Peninsula rank alongside those of Horatio Hornblower at sea - except that Bernard Cornwell's writing style is probably more accessible for the modern reader.The Sharpe stories follow the exploits of a poor officer in the British army as it battles Napoleon's Marshals in Portugal and Spain. Badajoz was a pivotal battle in the campaign, and the seige was a masterpiece of engineering, and a triumph of courage and spirit.Naturally, Sharpe is in the thick of things, battling not only the French, but his enemies in red jackets: the malicious Hakeswill being chief amongst them. But Sharpe, and his ever-trustworthy partner, the huge Irishman Harper, fight through one of the grimmest descriptions of a battle you're ever likely to read.A great episode in the lives of Richard Sharpe, Patrick Harper - and the man who relies so much on them: Arthur Wellesly, the Duke of Wellington.

I'm a little more than halfway through Bernard Cornwell's 'Sharpe' series and so far 'Sharpe's Company' is my favorite. This novel has Richard Sharpe fighting for his command and his family while waging war against the French held fortress of Badajoz. And as though this task wasn't daunting enough, Sharpe's nemisis Obidiah Hakeswill returns to settle an old score. Consistently entertaining, Cornwall's attention to detail is nothing less than awe-inspiring. I would highly recommend 'Sharpe's Comapany' to anyone interested in military fiction or to lovers of great action and suspence novels.