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gatorelgato's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
books_with_benghis_kahn's review against another edition
4.0
Another solid Sharpe book sped through in a blink! This was the second one Cornwell published in 1981, and I was worried there would be a big dip in quality going so far back, but I'm happy to report from the front lines that it slots just fine into the middle of a great series.
This battle in Spain that provided the climax wasn't the most exciting of military actions, but Cornwell raised the stakes throughout the book with his fictional bastard of a Colonel Simmerson, who is just a classic Sharpe villain. The moment toward the beginning of the book when Simmerson Blood-boiling stuff!!
It seems like an inevitable aspect of every Sharpe book that there's a beautiful girl who catches Sharpe's interest, and this plotline was reaaaaaaally cringy in this one, handled so much more poorly than in his late 90s-early 2000s Sharpe books that I read before this, and this dates the book pretty badly unfortunately. Luckily it didn't receive too much page time, but I wish it had been cut.
Otherwise it was engaging and fun to listen to (the Farley audiobook version), and I'm deeply impressed by how he wrote all the characters so consistently doing it so far out of chronological order, since this seems like such a natural progression for everyone from the previous books that hadn't even been written yet.
This battle in Spain that provided the climax wasn't the most exciting of military actions, but Cornwell raised the stakes throughout the book with his fictional bastard of a Colonel Simmerson, who is just a classic Sharpe villain. The moment toward the beginning of the book when Simmerson
Spoiler
royally screws up by crossing the river and then blowing up the bridge out of cowardice stranding Sharpe and a bunch of men, and Sharpe heroically saves the day by capturing the French gun, was such a great moment -- only to end in wretched injustice as Simmerson writes home to blame Sharpe and kill his career.It seems like an inevitable aspect of every Sharpe book that there's a beautiful girl who catches Sharpe's interest, and this plotline was reaaaaaaally cringy in this one, handled so much more poorly than in his late 90s-early 2000s Sharpe books that I read before this, and this dates the book pretty badly unfortunately. Luckily it didn't receive too much page time, but I wish it had been cut.
Otherwise it was engaging and fun to listen to (the Farley audiobook version), and I'm deeply impressed by how he wrote all the characters so consistently doing it so far out of chronological order, since this seems like such a natural progression for everyone from the previous books that hadn't even been written yet.
johnny_trashbag's review against another edition
3.0
Good ol'fashioned war Napoleon war book. Not high literature but good fun and good history.
grahamjohnson's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I leave here a review of the whole series:
The Sharpe novels are essentially all the same: Richard Sharpe is smart and talented, but doubted because he isn’t a gentleman. He’s dumb about women and a ruthless bastard. He nearly always manages to succeed through grit and determination.
These books aren’t “good” in the sense of being impressive works of literature. Cornwell's writing is effective, but not particularly artful—workmanlike would be a better term.
However, they are perfect to just plow through. They’re fast-paced, the dialogue is snappy, the characters are memorable, they’re surprisingly well-researched. I don’t know if I’ll ever reread this series, but the more I think about it, the higher opinion of it I have.
I've given each book 2.5/5 because I don’t know that any individual book is really worth distinguishing, but the cumulative effect is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It gives back much more than it requires of you. If you want to just turn your brain off, these are great.
The Sharpe novels are essentially all the same: Richard Sharpe is smart and talented, but doubted because he isn’t a gentleman. He’s dumb about women and a ruthless bastard. He nearly always manages to succeed through grit and determination.
These books aren’t “good” in the sense of being impressive works of literature. Cornwell's writing is effective, but not particularly artful—workmanlike would be a better term.
However, they are perfect to just plow through. They’re fast-paced, the dialogue is snappy, the characters are memorable, they’re surprisingly well-researched. I don’t know if I’ll ever reread this series, but the more I think about it, the higher opinion of it I have.
I've given each book 2.5/5 because I don’t know that any individual book is really worth distinguishing, but the cumulative effect is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It gives back much more than it requires of you. If you want to just turn your brain off, these are great.
sobolevnrm's review against another edition
4.0
This was the best Sharpe book I've read so far. The characters were more interesting, the history was better integrated -- it was very enjoyable!
iainkelly_writing's review against another edition
5.0
Blood, guts and glory. The introduction of a great character in the Napoleonic wars. A blistering start to the series (book one in publication order).
nghia's review against another edition
2.0
Sharpe's Eagle is (currently) #8 in order of chronological ordering, #1 by original publication date, and #3 in the "Peninsular War" part of Sharpe's saga. This was the first time where the out-of-order writing of the books caused me serious fits.
Sharpe's Eagle was the first Sharpe book (though I didn't know that when I read it) and when viewed from that vantage point it is pretty good. It is not without flaws but it -- when considered in a vacuum -- it is a pretty good adventure story. The bad guys are cardboard thin, the love interest is woefully under-developed, and the tidy resolution of three plot threads in the final pages are bit too pat. In other words, it fits right into its genre and delivers exactly what fans expect. Fun, not too mentally taxing, and Sharpe gets to be better than everyone else all the time at everything.
When viewed as part of the entire series of Sharpe books (well, the three I've read) the appraisal changes somewhat. First, it is nice to see Sharpe actually getting a girl for a change, though there are still echoes of Sharpe falling in love at the drop of a hat. But at least he's getting some for a change. And we see Sharpe in the context of a larger army and a larger war. Previously Sharpe had been acting in a very detached manner. That may lead to more interesting "adventures" but gives a strange perspective on a soldier's life in Napoleonic Europe.
So there are some good things about this book being "different" from the previous ones. But there are also differences that are just plain laziness and force me to reduce this to a 2-star rating.
Sharpe's Eagle begins with Sharpe complaining about wanting to rejoin the Regiment back home. Yet the previous book, not ten pages from the end, had Sharpe complaining that he didn't want to be sent back home.
In this book he says that he has never met General Hill. In the previous book he's with General Hill on the seminary roof.
In this book he complains about getting passed over for promotions. In the previous books he didn't seem to give a damn about promotion.
In this book Harper has the long-time hobby of bird watching. This wasn't mentioned in the previous two books.
In this book Sharpe says he splits the battlefield loot with Harper "as was customary between the two". In the previous two books (i.e. their entire time together) they had never done this.
In this book Sharpe is wearing a bag around his neck containing his worldly possessions. This was never mentioned in the previous two books.
I find that kind of slopping continuity insulting to the reader. It breaks my immersions in Sharpe's world and Sharpe's story. Instead of it being a "chronicle of Sharpe" I am constantly reminded by these retcons that all of this is just seat-of-the-pants hackery.
Sharpe's Eagle was the first Sharpe book (though I didn't know that when I read it) and when viewed from that vantage point it is pretty good. It is not without flaws but it -- when considered in a vacuum -- it is a pretty good adventure story. The bad guys are cardboard thin, the love interest is woefully under-developed, and the tidy resolution of three plot threads in the final pages are bit too pat. In other words, it fits right into its genre and delivers exactly what fans expect. Fun, not too mentally taxing, and Sharpe gets to be better than everyone else all the time at everything.
When viewed as part of the entire series of Sharpe books (well, the three I've read) the appraisal changes somewhat. First, it is nice to see Sharpe actually getting a girl for a change, though there are still echoes of Sharpe falling in love at the drop of a hat. But at least he's getting some for a change. And we see Sharpe in the context of a larger army and a larger war. Previously Sharpe had been acting in a very detached manner. That may lead to more interesting "adventures" but gives a strange perspective on a soldier's life in Napoleonic Europe.
So there are some good things about this book being "different" from the previous ones. But there are also differences that are just plain laziness and force me to reduce this to a 2-star rating.
Sharpe's Eagle begins with Sharpe complaining about wanting to rejoin the Regiment back home. Yet the previous book, not ten pages from the end, had Sharpe complaining that he didn't want to be sent back home.
In this book he says that he has never met General Hill. In the previous book he's with General Hill on the seminary roof.
In this book he complains about getting passed over for promotions. In the previous books he didn't seem to give a damn about promotion.
In this book Harper has the long-time hobby of bird watching. This wasn't mentioned in the previous two books.
In this book Sharpe says he splits the battlefield loot with Harper "as was customary between the two". In the previous two books (i.e. their entire time together) they had never done this.
In this book Sharpe is wearing a bag around his neck containing his worldly possessions. This was never mentioned in the previous two books.
I find that kind of slopping continuity insulting to the reader. It breaks my immersions in Sharpe's world and Sharpe's story. Instead of it being a "chronicle of Sharpe" I am constantly reminded by these retcons that all of this is just seat-of-the-pants hackery.
scyian's review against another edition
5.0
A reread, and I bloody love Sharpe. Cornwell, as always, gets the balance of character, plot and historical fiction bang on.