prequel to excellent Sharpe series
I can tell right away that the writer is excellent and if you like this kind of story you will be in for a treat. this is not in my interest, however, and I can't imagine why I chose to read it. It might be the great reviews and from my little time spent reading I imagine it is well deserved. for me, soldier stories is not in my interest. Hence the one star which, for this book, means I abandoned it.
Early Richard Sharpe, in India
This is the chronological Book 1 of the Richard Sharpe series.
Let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell. And since I have never really been all that interested in Britain's military exploits in India, I thought that Cornwell would be the person who could bring it to life for me.
With all of the hype surrounding this series, I actually thought that this book would be much better. I don't know quite what I was expecting (Sharpe as another Uhtred, perhaps?) but I found this story to be rather tedious and slightly dull. We get to meet Private Richard Sharpe and to witness his exploits in Seringapatam, but there was far less character development than I would have preferred for a character who is supposed to carry an entire series.
As always, Cornwell is meticulous with his research, but I did grow a little weary of the extensive military maneuverings and artillery descriptions. Perhaps I am more partial to the Saxon era of longbows and shield walls, because the seemingly endless descriptions of cannon and muskets did not interest me nearly as much.
It wasn't a bad book...it's just that I was expecting it to be better. But this is the "first" book in what turned out to be a rather long series, so I will give the others a try and see if it improves.
Let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell. And since I have never really been all that interested in Britain's military exploits in India, I thought that Cornwell would be the person who could bring it to life for me.
With all of the hype surrounding this series, I actually thought that this book would be much better. I don't know quite what I was expecting (Sharpe as another Uhtred, perhaps?) but I found this story to be rather tedious and slightly dull. We get to meet Private Richard Sharpe and to witness his exploits in Seringapatam, but there was far less character development than I would have preferred for a character who is supposed to carry an entire series.
As always, Cornwell is meticulous with his research, but I did grow a little weary of the extensive military maneuverings and artillery descriptions. Perhaps I am more partial to the Saxon era of longbows and shield walls, because the seemingly endless descriptions of cannon and muskets did not interest me nearly as much.
It wasn't a bad book...it's just that I was expecting it to be better. But this is the "first" book in what turned out to be a rather long series, so I will give the others a try and see if it improves.
I have been reading this on the bus and find it help pass the time well. The plot complications are skillfully done and I will read another book from the series. I cannot judge the authenticity of the portrayal of India given in the days of the John Company, having only a superficial acquaintance with Hindu customs through the Economist, a few issues of the India Times magazine supplement, an upper division geography class on South Asia, and John Masters, but it reads well.
In an afterword, the author offers a few pages of discussion about the historical facts that he began with when he wove this very nice tale.
Some kind person left two boxes and two bags of blood and thunder books of the type often read by guys at the old soldiers' home. No takers of this Cornwell series after eight weeks so I will take them to the VA Hospital where there are many more readers.
In an afterword, the author offers a few pages of discussion about the historical facts that he began with when he wove this very nice tale.
Some kind person left two boxes and two bags of blood and thunder books of the type often read by guys at the old soldiers' home. No takers of this Cornwell series after eight weeks so I will take them to the VA Hospital where there are many more readers.
Excellent background for the Sean Bean BBC productions of Sharpe's adventure.
I ordered this after seeing the min-series re-run on PBS. It is a good, tight action series that unfortunately followed the plot of the teevee program so closely that I knew what was coming.
Still if you hadn't seen the PBS/BBC production it's a cracking god read!
Still if you hadn't seen the PBS/BBC production it's a cracking god read!
