Sharpe Marches Yet Again!

Napoleonic News Desk

by Paul Chamberlain

For the many fans of the adventures of Richard Sharpe, there is another story on its way. April sees the publication of Sharpe's Escape by Bernard Cornwell, the twentieth in the Sharpe series.

Sharpe's Escape takes place in the summer of 1810, once again in the Peninsular War. The French are mounting their third and most dangerous invasion of Portugal. Captain Richard Sharpe, with his company of redcoats and riflemen, meets the invaders on the gaunt ridge of Busaco. Nevertheless, despite a stunning British victory, the French are not stopped and the army has to fall back.

Sharpe has made enemies among the Portuguese and during the retreat through Coimbra, he and Sergeant Harper are lured into a trap designed to kill them. With the help of an Englishwoman, Sharpe survives but is cut off from the army. He has to rejoin his company if the command is not to fall to the ambitious Lieutenant Slingsby. At the Lines of Torres Vedras, the vast defences built to stop the French before Lisbon, Sharpe confronts his enemies in a climactic battle.

April sees the publication of this book by HarperCollins in hard-back price £16.99. Visit their website at www.harpercollins.co.uk .

Napoleonic News Desk

Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire # 76
Back to First Empire List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2004 by First Empire.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com