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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Seventh in the Richard Sharpe military fiction series revolving around a lieutenant promoted up from the ranks. The action encompasses a retreat from Soult out of Oporto just before Wellesly arrives.
It's an interesting contrast between the "superior" upperclass blue blood values and those of scum from the gutter. Cornwell is a bit heavy-handed in it but he certainly gets the point across beautifully. I can't read his Sharpe series without wanting to find my own pistol!
Cornwell keeps the tension on as we skulk, scurry, and fight. I can almost smell the gunpowder and I could swear my ears were ringing from the fury of battle. Cornwell describes the life so well that my feet ache, my body freezes, and I wallow in the comfort of a hot cup of tea.
If you've ever been frustrated by an idiot boss or commander, you will adore Lieutenant Sharpe!
Trapped in Oporto by duty and Captain Hogan's command to rescue the runaway Miss Savage, Lieutenant Sharpe again finds himself cut off from the rest of the army as the French pour into Oporto. By lucky chance, or the grace of the gods, he finds rescue and reinforcements in Lieutenant Jorge Vicente of the 18th and together they escape into the vineyards.
Thanks to his civilian interests, Vicente is able to guide Sharpe to Vila Real de Zedes thus escaping the French and finding Miss Savage. The newly-married Miss Savage, er, Mrs. Christopher. Unfortunately for the new Mrs. Christopher, it is war and Col. Christopher must be about his duties. He orders Sharpe and Vicente to remain at Vila Real de Zedes to protect his bride...and his newly-acquired property as he and a French civilian ride off.
A week turns into three and Sharpe can't have the men lounging even if the French seem to be ignoring the property. It must be prescience that has them fortifying a ruined tower on a hill on the property as shortly after another visit by Col. Christopher—and the loss of his telescope to him, a troop of French soldiers attack.
It's the memory of Christopher's reaction to the remark about the Judas tree that has Sharpe on edge and the only thing that warns them. And it's Sharpe's keen observations and quick intellect that get them off the hill and across the river making it possible for their surprise attack.
Lieutenant Richard Sharpe is in the second battalion of the 95th Rifles and Captain Hogan of the Royal Engineers has been delaying paperwork and snitching funds to keep Sharpe and his Rifles protecting him as they map the countryside.
The Riflemen include Dodd, Sergeant Patrick Harper, Williamson, Tarrant, Pendleton, Dan Hagman, Harris, Cresacre, Cooper, Sean Donnelly, and Sims.
Lieutenant Jorge Vicente and Sergeant Macedo with what remains of his 18th regiment, the second of Porto aids Sharpe and his men in escaping the city.
Lt. Colonel James Christopher has been sent out by the Foreign Office to determine if the Portuguese prefer the French or would be willing to fight with the English. Captain Argenton is a French officer with information about a possible mutiny amongst the French army if Marshal Soult intends to crown himself king. Kate Savage holds the country house and its vineyards along with the port shipping business in trust for when she marries. Brigadier General Vuillard is a sadistic bully with no concept of honor although a Bonapartist through and through. Major Henri Dulong is second in command of the 31st Léger, a light infantry unit and famous throughout the army for his bravery and ruthlessness...and, a rare thing in the French army, honor.
Lieutenant Colonel Waters, the senior exploring officer, receives Sharpe's message about the three sunken barges. General Rowland "Daddy" Hill and General Sir Edward Paget (the battle in which he loses his right arm) battle under General Sir Arthur Wellesly to retake Oporto while Lord Pumphrey has arrived to take over from Christopher. And a brief mention of Lt. Col. Shraphnel and his contribution to the war effort.
The cover is an explosive radial gradient of oranges to browns with a French cavalry charge and a gun pointing toward them.
For it's Sharpe's Havoc that rains down upon both the French in Oporto and Col. Christopher at the bridge.
My Take
It's an interesting contrast between the "superior" upperclass blue blood values and those of scum from the gutter. Cornwell is a bit heavy-handed in it but he certainly gets the point across beautifully. I can't read his Sharpe series without wanting to find my own pistol!
Cornwell keeps the tension on as we skulk, scurry, and fight. I can almost smell the gunpowder and I could swear my ears were ringing from the fury of battle. Cornwell describes the life so well that my feet ache, my body freezes, and I wallow in the comfort of a hot cup of tea.
If you've ever been frustrated by an idiot boss or commander, you will adore Lieutenant Sharpe!
The Story
Trapped in Oporto by duty and Captain Hogan's command to rescue the runaway Miss Savage, Lieutenant Sharpe again finds himself cut off from the rest of the army as the French pour into Oporto. By lucky chance, or the grace of the gods, he finds rescue and reinforcements in Lieutenant Jorge Vicente of the 18th and together they escape into the vineyards.
Thanks to his civilian interests, Vicente is able to guide Sharpe to Vila Real de Zedes thus escaping the French and finding Miss Savage. The newly-married Miss Savage, er, Mrs. Christopher. Unfortunately for the new Mrs. Christopher, it is war and Col. Christopher must be about his duties. He orders Sharpe and Vicente to remain at Vila Real de Zedes to protect his bride...and his newly-acquired property as he and a French civilian ride off.
A week turns into three and Sharpe can't have the men lounging even if the French seem to be ignoring the property. It must be prescience that has them fortifying a ruined tower on a hill on the property as shortly after another visit by Col. Christopher—and the loss of his telescope to him, a troop of French soldiers attack.
It's the memory of Christopher's reaction to the remark about the Judas tree that has Sharpe on edge and the only thing that warns them. And it's Sharpe's keen observations and quick intellect that get them off the hill and across the river making it possible for their surprise attack.
The Characters
Lieutenant Richard Sharpe is in the second battalion of the 95th Rifles and Captain Hogan of the Royal Engineers has been delaying paperwork and snitching funds to keep Sharpe and his Rifles protecting him as they map the countryside.
The Riflemen include Dodd, Sergeant Patrick Harper, Williamson, Tarrant, Pendleton, Dan Hagman, Harris, Cresacre, Cooper, Sean Donnelly, and Sims.
Lieutenant Jorge Vicente and Sergeant Macedo with what remains of his 18th regiment, the second of Porto aids Sharpe and his men in escaping the city.
Lt. Colonel James Christopher has been sent out by the Foreign Office to determine if the Portuguese prefer the French or would be willing to fight with the English. Captain Argenton is a French officer with information about a possible mutiny amongst the French army if Marshal Soult intends to crown himself king. Kate Savage holds the country house and its vineyards along with the port shipping business in trust for when she marries. Brigadier General Vuillard is a sadistic bully with no concept of honor although a Bonapartist through and through. Major Henri Dulong is second in command of the 31st Léger, a light infantry unit and famous throughout the army for his bravery and ruthlessness...and, a rare thing in the French army, honor.
Lieutenant Colonel Waters, the senior exploring officer, receives Sharpe's message about the three sunken barges. General Rowland "Daddy" Hill and General Sir Edward Paget (the battle in which he loses his right arm) battle under General Sir Arthur Wellesly to retake Oporto while Lord Pumphrey has arrived to take over from Christopher. And a brief mention of Lt. Col. Shraphnel and his contribution to the war effort.
The Cover
The cover is an explosive radial gradient of oranges to browns with a French cavalry charge and a gun pointing toward them.
For it's Sharpe's Havoc that rains down upon both the French in Oporto and Col. Christopher at the bridge.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Seventh in the Richard Sharpe military fiction series revolving around a lieutenant promoted up from the ranks. The action encompasses a retreat from Soult out of Oporto just before Wellesly arrives.
My Take
It's an interesting contrast between the "superior" upperclass blue blood values and those of scum from the gutter. Cornwell is a bit heavy-handed in it, but he certainly gets the point across beautifully. I can't read his Sharpe series without wanting to find my own pistol!
Cornwell keeps the tension on as we skulk, scurry, and fight. I can almost smell the gunpowder, and I could swear my ears were ringing from the fury of battle. Cornwell describes the life so well that my feet ache, my body freezes, and I wallow in the comfort of a hot cup of tea.
If you've ever been frustrated by an idiot boss or commander, you will adore Lieutenant Sharpe!
The Story
Trapped in Oporto by duty — and Captain Hogan's command to rescue the runaway Miss Savage — Lieutenant Sharpe again finds himself cut off from the rest of the army as the French pour into Oporto. By lucky chance, or the grace of the gods, he finds rescue and reinforcements in Lieutenant Jorge Vicente of the 18th.
Forced to remain at Vila Real de Zedes, Sharpe refuses to let his men relax. It must be the memory of a remark about the Judas tree and prescience that has Sharpe on edge, that set sets the men to fortifying a ruined tower on a hill, and the only thing that warns them.
The Characters
Lieutenant Richard Sharpe is in the second battalion of the 95th Rifles, and Captain Hogan of the Royal Engineers has been delaying paperwork and snitching funds to keep Sharpe and his Rifles protecting him as they map the countryside.
The Riflemen include…
…Dodd, Sergeant Patrick Harper, Williamson, Tarrant, Pendleton, Dan Hagman, Harris, Cresacre, Cooper, Sean Donnelly, and Sims.
Lieutenant Jorge Vicente and Sergeant Macedo with what remains of his 18th regiment, the second of Porto aids Sharpe and his men in escaping the city.
Lieutenant Colonel Waters, the senior exploring officer, receives Sharpe's message about the three sunken barges. General Rowland "Daddy" Hill and General Sir Edward Paget (the battle in which he loses his right arm) battle under General Sir Arthur Wellesly to retake Oporto. There is a brief mention of Lt. Col. Shraphnel and his contribution to the war effort.
British Foreign Office
Lord Pumphrey has arrived to take over from Christopher. Lt. Colonel James Christopher has been sent out by the Foreign Office to determine if the Portuguese prefer the French or would be willing to fight with the English.
Kate Savage holds the country house and its vineyards along with the port shipping business in trust for when she marries.
The French
Captain Argenton is a French officer with information about a possible mutiny amongst the French army, if Marshal Soult intends to crown himself king. Brigadier General Vuillard is a sadistic bully with no concept of honor although a Bonapartist through and through. Major Henri Dulong is second in command of the 31st Léger, a light infantry unit and famous throughout the army for his bravery and ruthlessness…and, a rare thing in the French army, honor.
The Cover and Title
The cover is an explosive radial gradient of oranges to browns with a French cavalry charge and a gun pointing toward them.
For it's Sharpe's Havoc that rains down upon both the French in Oporto and Col. Christopher at the bridge.
My Take
It's an interesting contrast between the "superior" upperclass blue blood values and those of scum from the gutter. Cornwell is a bit heavy-handed in it, but he certainly gets the point across beautifully. I can't read his Sharpe series without wanting to find my own pistol!
Cornwell keeps the tension on as we skulk, scurry, and fight. I can almost smell the gunpowder, and I could swear my ears were ringing from the fury of battle. Cornwell describes the life so well that my feet ache, my body freezes, and I wallow in the comfort of a hot cup of tea.
If you've ever been frustrated by an idiot boss or commander, you will adore Lieutenant Sharpe!
The Story
Trapped in Oporto by duty — and Captain Hogan's command to rescue the runaway Miss Savage — Lieutenant Sharpe again finds himself cut off from the rest of the army as the French pour into Oporto. By lucky chance, or the grace of the gods, he finds rescue and reinforcements in Lieutenant Jorge Vicente of the 18th.
Forced to remain at Vila Real de Zedes, Sharpe refuses to let his men relax. It must be the memory of a remark about the Judas tree and prescience that has Sharpe on edge, that set sets the men to fortifying a ruined tower on a hill, and the only thing that warns them.
The Characters
Lieutenant Richard Sharpe is in the second battalion of the 95th Rifles, and Captain Hogan of the Royal Engineers has been delaying paperwork and snitching funds to keep Sharpe and his Rifles protecting him as they map the countryside.
The Riflemen include…
…Dodd, Sergeant Patrick Harper, Williamson, Tarrant, Pendleton, Dan Hagman, Harris, Cresacre, Cooper, Sean Donnelly, and Sims.
Lieutenant Jorge Vicente and Sergeant Macedo with what remains of his 18th regiment, the second of Porto aids Sharpe and his men in escaping the city.
Lieutenant Colonel Waters, the senior exploring officer, receives Sharpe's message about the three sunken barges. General Rowland "Daddy" Hill and General Sir Edward Paget (the battle in which he loses his right arm) battle under General Sir Arthur Wellesly to retake Oporto. There is a brief mention of Lt. Col. Shraphnel and his contribution to the war effort.
British Foreign Office
Lord Pumphrey has arrived to take over from Christopher. Lt. Colonel James Christopher has been sent out by the Foreign Office to determine if the Portuguese prefer the French or would be willing to fight with the English.
Kate Savage holds the country house and its vineyards along with the port shipping business in trust for when she marries.
The French
Captain Argenton is a French officer with information about a possible mutiny amongst the French army, if Marshal Soult intends to crown himself king. Brigadier General Vuillard is a sadistic bully with no concept of honor although a Bonapartist through and through. Major Henri Dulong is second in command of the 31st Léger, a light infantry unit and famous throughout the army for his bravery and ruthlessness…and, a rare thing in the French army, honor.
The Cover and Title
The cover is an explosive radial gradient of oranges to browns with a French cavalry charge and a gun pointing toward them.
For it's Sharpe's Havoc that rains down upon both the French in Oporto and Col. Christopher at the bridge.
desolation73's review against another edition
4.0
Just another solid effort as you'd expect from a Sharpe novel.
jake_the_pirate's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty standard Sharpe fare. The Christopher character is a bit too similar to the Lavisser character from Sharpe's Prey, and I can easily see how this series could spiral into self-parody as it goes on. Also, the Kate character is bad even for a Sharpe female -- I'm getting tired of Cornwell's one-dimensional, powerless women.
jimmacsyr's review against another edition
4.0
Very fun read (or in my case, listen). Made even better by periodic reference to wikipedia. Listening to a chapter describing a convoluted firing position, and then search on "Rifle Brigade" to find a picture of the Plunkett position used by marksmen. Excellent blend of story and historical facts/trivia. I plan on adding more of Sharpe's exploits (and Cornwell's other series) to my "to-read" list.
ammbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I forgot about this series and was happy to start where I left off. Sharpe's Havoc was just as enjoyable as the 6 previous novels.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Typically entertaining tale featuring the best British rifleman ever, Richard Sharpe. This book is set in 1809 and covers the French foray into Portugal. Listened to the audio read by the always impeccable Patrick Tull.
maria_pulver's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second book in the series and the plot pattern seems repetitive: Sharp finds himself in a tight spot and shows different sides of his character while he's getting out of it. I liked they way Sharp's character evolved since the previous book and the writing time gap seemed to be beneficial. Here Sharp is more solid as a character and he evolves coherently with the internal chronology. The descriptions of the everyday sides of the war life are detailed and interesting even if too vicious sometimes. I'm not an expert to comment on historical accuracy but they ring true enough. All in all, this was a very enjoyable read and I'll be sure to pick more books from the series.
abrswf's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent entry in this series. As usual I found it hard to put down the book, found Sharpe a compelling and plausible central element, and learned more than I'd known before about Wellington’s career fighting Napoleon. This book focuses through Sharpe on Wellington's campaign in Portugal.