Reviews

Sharpe's Escape: The Bussaco Campaign, 1810 by Bernard Cornwell

tpollack's review

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced

4.0

abrswf's review against another edition

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5.0

Such a fun read. The focus is Wellington’s triumph with the Portuguese at Bussaco, and the Duke’s impregnable defense at Lisbon. As usual Sharpe is meanwhile confronting formidable bad guys and winning a gorgeous woman. I enjoyed this installment very much. Onward to Sharpe’s Fury!

jtkeenan's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

3.25

crashhard's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

Another excellent edition to the series.   Really enjoying them.  Well written as always.

Here is my rating system.  Of course this is all subjective

5 star exceptional.  Must read book
4 star excellent book.  I enjoyed it
3 star. Average.  Take it or leave it.  Just ok
2 star.  Bad.  I finished it but didn’t enjoy it
1 star.  Did not finish or so bad I wouldn’t recommend it

thedayoflight's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

isoney's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ph1lb's review against another edition

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4.0

Sharon's Escape has kept my interest from beginning to end and has taught me something of the Peninsula War and the Lines of Torres Vedras. I also leant who Picton was (he has a town in New Zealand named after him).
I thought that the English governess from the 1800s would not have slept with Sharpe. A woman in her position had too much to lose.
I used to watch Sharpe's Rifles tv series with Sean Bean who was the ideal actor for the part of Sharpe. When reading the story, Sean Bean always comes to mind.

grahamjohnson's review

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

For thoughts on the series, see "Sharpe's Eagle." 

usbsticky's review against another edition

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5.0

There is a lot of action in this book. There are 3 parts. Spoilers ahead:

1) Battle of Bussaco - Sharpe participates in the battle but his lieutenant, Slingsby is given the acting command by his colonel (Lawford, who has become an antagonist to Sharpe) who needs to please his wife in England. The Light Company performs well but is almost destroyed by Slingsby and Sharpe gives him a tongue whipping. Wellington wins the battle but is forced to withdraw when the French turn his flank.

2) For not apologizing, Sharpe is demoted to quartermaster and sent to Coimbra to prepare billets for the regiment. Here he meets again his protagonists of the book: Portuguese Major Ferreira and his civilian brother Ferragus. They are both turncoats and trying to profit from the war by selling supplies to the French. Sharpe has already once destroyed some of their goods. This time the brothers lock him in a cellar and they only get out after the British have come and left the city.

3) They travel down the Tagus River to reach British lines. The British are now being the Lines of Torres Vedras. Colonel Lawford sends out Slingsby with the light company to piquet an outlying farmhouse. The French surround it. Sharp arrives in time and helps extract the piquet and saves the day.

Antagonists of the book: The two Portuguese brothers. Sharpe eventually kills Ferragus. I can't remember if Ferreira is also killed, maybe in the farmhouse by Harper.
Romantic interest: Miss Fry, the English governess of Ferreira who he saves from rape. Since she's alone in the world, he gives her all the gold that Ferragus has been carrying.

Overall a very good book with good battle of Bussaco scenes, description of Coimbra and the Lines of Torres Vedras. Covers a lot of history with good plot line.

gatorelgato's review

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0