Sharpe's Eagle (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #2)

Sharpe's Eagle was the first book written in the series and falls as the eighth in the current chronological sequence. Wherever you place Sharpe's Eagle, it's a marvelous story . . . one that you will long remember.

All of the great themes of the series are beautifully developed in this story: foolish dim-witted privilege versus low-birth but professional skill and courage; the lowly, poor Sharpe being fascinated by and fascinating beautiful women desired by richer, more powerful men; quick-witted discipline overcoming strategic errors and mistaken assumptions of the enemy; a beautiful friendship between Richard Sharpe and the Irish Sergeant Patrick Harper; and an uninfluential soldier being indirectly important to Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. Like the other books in the series, Sharpe rises up to accomplish something important.

Lieutenant Richard Sharpe had been left behind with a small band of 30 riflemen when Sir John Moore's retreat to Corunna had collapsed. Sir Arthur Wellesley wanted all the riflemen he could get, so Sharpe had been ordered to stay rather then returning to England to rejoin the second Battalion of the 95th Rifles. It's just as well. Sharpe had been a quartermaster before his superiors had been killed with no chance to get a battle command.

His friend Major Hogan has been ordered to blow up the bridge at Valdelacasa, and Sharpe and his men are to be the escort. Because of protocol, the Spanish want to lead the way. Because of that, Wellesley assigns Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson and his South Essex Regiment militiamen to be the British honor guard.

Sharpe is appalled that Sir Henry likes to flog and has taught his men to do things by the book, rather than emphasizing speed of fire. Soon, Sharpe gets a chance to make his points which makes an enemy of Sir Henry. Tensions escalate as Sir Henry takes an unnecessary risk and crosses the bridge to be blown and tries to get Sharpe to make a suicidal attack on cavalry. Sharpe declines, and Sir Henry makes a muddle. Sir Henry escapes his own mess, and Sharpe has to pull the bacon out of the fire . . . to save his own life as well as those of his men.

In fact, a terrible loss occurs . . . the King's Colours are taken by the French. Sir Henry blames Sharpe and promises to get Sharpe either drummed out of the army . . . or sent to the pestilential West Indies. Sharpe makes a promise to a dying man and knows that he must avenge the loss by gaining a colour standard, a French Eagle, in compensation.

From there, the story focuses on Sharpe re-establishing his honor, saving his career, and charming a pretty lady. In the process, his career takes an unexpected step.

The story has great historical details, from Sharpe's use of maggots to heal a wound to part of the story being based on the actual capture of a French Eagle by Ensign Keogh and Sergeant Masterson of the 87th, an Irish regiment, at the Battle of Barossa on March 5, 1811.

Naturally, not every story in the series is as good as this one. It's important to have some excellent stories to carry the not-so-excellent ones. Bernard Cornwell did his homework very well with this one.

Bravo!

This is probably one of the best Sharpe novels in the series. It was one of the first that Cornwell wrote and his attention to the details of the Talavera campaign is excellent. Here we have Sharpe and his detached half-company of rifles doing standard duties on the skirmish line. There is a minimum of running around behind the enemy lines defying the odds as we so often get in the later novels. The episode at the bridge is a study of military incompetence. Sir Henry Simmerson, our classic snobby bad Anglo-aristo, becomes one of Sharpe's perenial enemies here. People like this did try to make life difficult for Wellsely in English politics and the novel picks up correctly on that, albeit a bit heavy handed at times.
The high-light of the story is certianly the build-up to the battle of Talavera in 1809. This was one of Wellsely's most difficult and dangerous battles, and his most costly after Assaye in India. The battle scenes are carefully constructed and taken heavily from Jac Weller's well known "Wellington in the Peninsular". Sharpe is cleverly inserted into the action in ways which are believeable and mesh with the history. His double confrontation with Messhrs. Berry and Gibbons illustrates how many old scores were likely settled during the confusion of battle.
Wellsley won a narrow victory at Talavera, winning his title of viscount Wellington, but losing a quarter of his army in the process. Cornwell does a great job describing the fascinating horror of Napoleanic combat. This is really his forte, and the descriptions of French columns slamming into British lines is right out of Jac Weller. This book is certainly vintage Sharpe, and remains one of the best.
It is a pity that the television version of this novel could not convey the scope of the battle. The tongue and cheek nature of the TV productions does a bit of dis-service to Cornwell in that way. Still, one of the best early Sharpe books.

This is technically the first in the Bernard Cornwell Sharpe series, and because of that, the first I read based on a timeline I saw on Mr. Cornwell's site. Granted, I started this series because I'd seen the Sharpe movies with Sean Bean, but don't let that detract from a wonderful story. Sharpe's Eagle is a fascinating story of the Napoleonic Wars (The Peninsular Wars) one rarely hears about. The detail of the battle, the battalion inner-workings, firearms of the day, and landscape were enough to keep me interest throughout the story.

As for Richard Sharpe, I found him to be a hard character, willing to do anything to get the job done (soldiering, the only thing he knows) but an honorable man, too. He fights for what he believes in as much as for what his commanding officers tell him to. Brought up from the ranks, a near impossibility in the British army at the time, Sharpe is far from what other officers consider a gentleman, and yet comports himself much more gentlemanly than they. It's part of his charm as well as what often gets him into trouble.

In the Historical Note, Mr. Cornwell mentions what really happened at Talavera, yet despite that, and the liberties he took with history, instead of being indignant, I'm far more curious. I'd usually toss this book against the wall and never read another in the series, yet the writing and story intrigue me to read more.

The supporting characters are equally well drawn, especially SGT. Harper, who follows Sharpe throughout the series. I look forward to reading more of their exploits.

Sharpe's adventures in Iberia continue, leading up to the pivotal battle of Talavera. Now an army under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley advances from Portugal into Spain, facing a huge Napoleonic force but with the possibility of defeating it - if Spanish allies and raw troops just landed from Britain hold up their end of the bargain. A big if. Sharpe chafes as he sees others purchasing high rank, mostly undeserved, while his own accomplishments go unrewarded.

Sharpe salvages some honor from a disastrous preliminary defeat, when a mission to blow a bridge becomes a fiasco, and finds himself promoted. But he's now under the command of Simmerson, a politically connected parade-ground martinet with no idea how to fight a war. He will destroy Sharpe's career unless Sharpe can win a signal victory on the battlefield redeeming the regiment's lost honor. Simmerson's equally useless nephew Gibbons, an arrogant dandy, from whom Sharpe rescues the lovely camp follower Josefina, becomes his enemy as well. Watching Sharpe's back throughout are the two Irishmen, Major Hogan the engineer and the redoubtable Sergeant Patrick Harper.

As enjoyable as the others, this book only lacks Cornwell's usual battlefield clarity. The book includes no map, and Cornwell's verbal layout of Talavera, the Tagus river, two tributaries and some key hills never really came clear to me.

SHARPE'S EAGLE is the first in the famous series of books about Richard Sharpe and his adventures in the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. I was recently introduced to the writings of the talented Bernard Cornwell and his ability to transport the reader to a different era, by reading THE WINTER KING and THE ARCHER'S TALE. In both, Cornwell displays his knowledge of war and weapons, life and death, and human nature in both Arthurian England and during The Hundred Years' War.
Cornwell's writing elicits a wide range of emotional responses, especially with the vivid descriptions of battle preparation, weaponry, and the battles themselves. In SHARPE'S EAGLE, Sharpe must not only fight the French, but he also encounters Lt. Colonel Simmerson, an arrogant and inept coward who purchased his rank and the honor and responsibility that goes with it. The battle-experienced Sharpe, the epitome of bravery and competency, finds himself in a personal struggle with Simmerson, who made an egregious error by losing the regiment's flag and then makes Sharpe the scapegoat. Sharpe devises a plan which, if successful, will return the regiment's honor and will protect him from the political manueverings of Simmerson and his cronies.
SHARPE'S EAGLE served as an excellent introduction to the series and is recommended to readers who get enjoyment from historical fiction with a courageous hero who cares about his comrades and does what he believes in no matter how difficult.

In the second of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels, Richard Sharpe finds himself in Spain, still in the fight against the French and still commanding his cherished green jacketed Riflemen. Sharpe is not a happy man, though. With his home regiment, the 95th Rifles, back in England, Sharpe has no way to either resupply his threadbare men or to gain his next promotion. Further, he has ostensibly been saddled with Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson, an armchair soldier who knows everything about battle -- even though he's never been in one. Sharpe's Riflemen, along with Simmerson's untried battalion, the South Essex, are dispatched on what should be an easy assignment. However, Simmerson exceeds Sharpe's worst expectations by leading the South Essex into a needless battle that turns into bloody rout. But Sharpe manages to salvage the day and a portion of the South Essex's pride. Sharpe receives no gratitude from Simmerson, though, only blame and Simmerson's promise to see him busted back into the enlisted ranks. So, as Sir Arthur Wellsley's army marches to what will be a decisive battle at the town of Talavera, Richard Sharpe's mind is on enemies ahead and beside him, and on an act of crazy-bravery that he must perfom to not only save his career but to keep a promise to a dead friend.

The first Sharpe novel by Bernard Cornwell isn't perfect. The pace drags at times and the gun capture scene in the first part of the book isn't portrayed in a plausible manner. But this is still a very entertaining debut and it's easy to see why readers wanted more Sharpe adventures. Recommended reading.

Sharpe's Eagle is the first of many books by Bernard Cornwell in which his character, Richard Sharpe is a member of the British army in the years around 1800. I didn't read the book in the order they were written, I read them chronologically, but this book is still the best regardless.
This book introduces Cornwell's fantastic writing style, he educates us of the British actions throughout many different campaigns. He is very detailed on a number of subjects, from how the battle was fought to the steps in which a cannon is loaded. After reading these books you feel like you know a great deal about such an important point in our history.
This book introduces us to the upper class in-adequacies surrounding the British army of the time. Rich upper class 'snobs' became commanders by buying their commission, this left a greatly trained army to be run by untrained commanders. In this book an arrogant Sir Henry Simmerson, thinking he knows best, goes on to disgrace his whole unit by losing the Kings colours. It's then down to Sharpe, with the help of his immense bravery and courage to restore his regiment's honour.
It's a great introduction to a truly interesting and gripping series.
5 Stars

"Sharpe's Eagle" may have been the first Richard Sharpe novel that Bernard Cornwell wrote, but the formula of this novel permeates the entire series. For fans of "you are there" historical fiction of a military bent, that is a great thing.

I came late to Cornwell's Sharpe series, after having read many of the author's other works (the Grail Quest novels, the Warlord trilogy, "Stonehenge," and "Redcoat"). So I have been able to start at the "beginning" of the Sharpe saga with "Sharpe's Tiger" and the India trilogy. Accordingly, Sharpe and his fellow Riflemen as well as many of the commanders are familiar characters by now. It's interesting how smoothly "Sharpe's Eagle" fits into the series even though it was the very first novel.

"Eagle" recounts the British army's struggles in Spain against the French and, even more so, their Spanish allies. Look for some notorious Spain-bashing as Cornwell derisively depicts its rag-tag infantry led by lazy peacocks for officers, including a real historical event where thousands of Spanish infantry are spooked by their own musket barrage! Not much subtlety, here.

Fans of Cornwell's novels will also recognize the villain of the piece, fat Colonel Simmerson and his nephew, Lieutenant Gibbons. Sharpe, our admirable hero, has done a rare thing and won his officer's rank solely by merit, largely unheard of in the British army. Instead, most officers bought promotion after a suitable period in a given rank, and Cornwell is of the opinion, his idol General Arthur Wellesley notwithstanding, that this led to dozens of craven British officers, all of whom seem to encounter Sharpe during their career.

Colonel Simmerson leads his battalion, including Sharpe, to the ultimate disgrace - losing their battlefield colors. Foisting the blame onto Sharpe, Simmerson hopes to avoid shame himself as well as to send Sharpe to a death sentence serving in the disease-infested West Indies. But Sharpe has another idea - salvage the battalion's pride by doing the impossible - stealing one of Napoleon's eagle standards from the juggernaut French infantry.

An action-packed novel, "Sharpe's Eagle" also finds time for Sharpe to have a little romance, but this element of the story is entirely secondary to the main focus, which is Cornwell's unrivaled mastery of depicting a battle scene. A mere 270-odd pages, "Sharpe's Eagle" will defy your efforts to put it down.

I highly recommend reading these books in chronological order, and this was the recommendation of the good people over at Bernard Cornwell's website as well. Get reading!

Set around the Talevera campaign of July 1809, this first installment in the Sharpe saga deploys all the elements found throughout Cornwell's entertaining Napoleonic War series: the friendship between Sharpe and the Irish Sgt. Harper, their bravery and cunning, the ignorance and arrogance that pervaded the foppish upper class officer corps, a beautiful woman, and rousing battle scenes. Cornwell uses this first book to firmly establish the absence of meritocracy in the British army of the time, as armchair commander Simmerson needlessly leads the South Essex (including Sharpe and his Riflemen) into a debacle in which they lose the King's Colours, thus disgracing the whole army. Also clearly established is the tension between Cpt. Sharpe, who was promoted from the enlisted ranks for an act of heroism, and the upper class officer corps, who paid for their rank, irrespective of any actual military knowledge or ability. Simmerson and his toadying nephew Lt. Gibbons attempt to place the blame for the rout on Sharpe, and his only hope to save his rank is to perform an outrageous act of courage in battle at Talevera. Meanwhile, there's a beautiful Spanish woman he rescues from Gibbons and a crony, whose honor he must avenge. All is resolved at the Talevera, as Cornwell clearly and crisply recounts the military maneuvering on both a macro and micro level without getting overly technical. Also introduced in the book are Major Hogan, the Irish engineer who develops over the series into Lord Wellington's spy, as well as Lord Wellington himself, who is fond of Sharpe, but not hesitant to use his deadly skills. Above all, Sharpe is presented as a full action hero, strong, smart, roguishly handsome, honorable, deadly and ruthless. A perfect start to an engaging historical adventure series.

This is another entry on the Sharpe series. It is fun, entertaining and very readable. Cornwell's research is as excellent as usual. He takes some licenses for the shake of the story and continuity, but this is OK. Some people are outraged by the portrait of some of the real historical characters, but historical characters are rarely depicted accurately in historical fiction, so I think this can be forgiven. Besides, usually a more serious account of these characters is given at the end of the book on the Historical Note.

Many people insist in compare this series with Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander. I don't think this is fair for any of the series, they are different entities. What they have in common is that once you start you may get hooked and devour one book after another...

And in the literary world today that is a rare and marvelous thing.

To be honest I am a confirmed fan of the works of Bernard Cornwell, including both the Sharpe series about the peninsular war against Napoleon, and the Copperhead series about the American Civil War. Sharpe's Eagle is the first of the Sharpe books written by Cornwell, though chronologically it does not come first. This is where he first introduced the charachter and his fellow riflemen to the world, hard-bitten, tough fighters to a man. We are shown how clever Sharpe is, what a good soldier, how loyal to his men and how contemptuous he is of superior officers who bought their commands and didn't earn them. I thouroughly enjoyed the book, following Sharpe's trials as he tries to keep an impossible promise made to a dying officer. As I said in my summary, I lost sleep over this book, and do not recommend it to anyone who has things to do.

I'm a great fan of Bernard Cornwell. I've read all of the Sharpe books multiple time and many other of his books. I started listening to the audible format while driving and found them enjoyable. I finished the Warlord Chronicles and started on the Sharpe series. I have to say I hate this narrator. I find his voice and tone irritating. Maybe I was expecting Sean Bean and I get some snobby unbearable caricature of an english aristocrat. I see that he has done many other books and all of the Sharpe series so I'll have to move on to other works.

This first of the Sharpe's series is the best of the batch. Most of the books are at least 4 star quality, however this one is SO much better than the batch it is almost a shame to read it at the begining. (Start with the india series, so you can work your way here.)
Lt. Richard Sharpe and his riflemen join an foray into Spain to destroy a bridge, he runs afoul of Sir Henry Simmerson (In the movies he is played to the hilt and makes a supurb foe, See sharp movie # 2, #8 & #9)
The battle for the endangered colors is gripping, Sharpe is rough, blunt and just likable. Harper is great fun and the battle scenes are awesome.
This is the start of something wonderful, however it will never be as wonderful as this on. Thank you B. Cornwell

I came to the Sharpe series by a winding trail. Someone told me that, if I loved the Flashman books, the only other author writing a series of comic historical novels, but who was completely different from Fraser, was Van Reid. I didn't want any copy-cats. Van Reid's Moosepath novels are some of the best books I've read in years, exciting as well as funny and in a surprising and warm communication with Mr. Reid, by way of his website, he suggested I try James L. Nelson. Right again! Top notch nautical adventures! Then on the cover of Mr. Nelson's latest book "Glory in the Name" I see a blurb from Bernard Cornwell. Well, if Mr. Cornwell has such good taste, lets see if his books are tasty! Right again! Sharpe has a little of the anti-hero thing going, and he reminds me of Flashman in his dalliances with women, but what Mr. Cornwell does best is put you right into the middle of a battle and scares the life out of you. It seems pretty stupid to say that you can smell the gunpowder smoke when you read a book, but let's just say, that I could *see* everything as if I were watching a movie. Mr. Cornwell's action is terrific, his dialogue sharp,if you'll excuse the awful pun, and the plot twisty and believable. Thanks Mr. Reid, thanks Mr. Nelson, and thanks Mr. Cornwell for blurbing a favorite author so that I could be led to your great series!

Information taught me that Sharpe's Eagle was Bernard Cornwell's first Sharpe book. It does not escape me that the genre is more favored by male readers than the female ones.
Sharpe's Eagle is a tiny bit different from the rest of B.C.'s series, probably because this was the first in about 30 years of writing, it (still) has a hint of awkwardness. It is clear however that Bernard Cornwell is a great story teller. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to read real historical fiction.

Sharpe's Eagle is an exciting and riveting drama set in the 19th century and follows the story of Richard Sharpe and his doughty band of comrades. I listened to the unabridged audio edition of Sharpes' Eagles, and I really, really liked it. My only issue with Cornwell's writing is that some of his characters are similar to other characters in other series (such as the Starbuck series). Also, I think Cornwell's characters are somewhat shallow. I would like to see him concentrate more on developing characters which are more than just same archetypes. Overall, this was a great book, sure to delight fans of historical action-adventure.

The entire Sharp series is F*U*N*. The books are set during the Napoleonic Wars. Richard Sharpe--think in terms of James Bond with a muzzle loading rifle--is a rare bird indeed. He joined the army as an enlisted man, and through a series of heroic actions manages to become an officer. In the early 19th century, such promotions were exceedingly rare; but Sharpe saved the life of the future Duke of Wellington on the battlefield; this gave his career a jump start. Throughout his time in the military by dint of other feats of heroism, he continued to rise in rank.
Richard Sharpe is unrealistically romantic and dashing, but Bernard Cornwell inserts enough details of the life of the ordinary soldier in the early 19th Century British Army, to make this and other books in the series worthwhile reading.
Contemporary readers may find the fact that leadership positions in the British Army were purchased. Some of the officer class were outstanding--cf Wellington who never lost a battle. Cornwell describes in vivid detail what happens when an aristocratic idiot with no military experience attempts to command a regiment in battle. The inevitable result was a series of very stupid blunders that caused a lot needless suffering and death.
Cornwell's explainations of military tactics are clear and vivid; so are his descriptions of early 19th century miltary medicine (shudder).
Fans of the cartoon strip "Dilbert" will chorus "plus la change..." when they read about organizational and bureaucratic stupidity in the British Army.
I am thouroughly hooked on the series. The film adaptations which have appeared on Masterpiece Theatre and repeated on the History Channel do justice to the books.
I categorize the Sharpe books in the second rank of historical fiction. _The Name of the Rose_ is an example of what I consider first rate historical fiction. I put the Sharpe books in the same class as the many books written by Norah Lofts.
Thanks Mr. Cornwell--I finally understand what happened at Waterloo! Let me reiterate--you'll learn a lot from reading the Sharpe series, and you will have fun reading them.

Napoleonic wars are not my thing but one day I picked up this book and for want of anything to do I read it.

Didn't know some British officers were promoted from the ranks during this period. Always thought they purchased their commissions.

These things got pitched aside with this delightful story.

Richard Sharpe, a man who has literally crawled up from the ranks to a commission, finds himself in a bad place with a bad superior officer and there is only one way for him to extricate himself from it.

This novel is well worth reading.

Sharpe's Eagle is an exciting and riveting drama set in the 19th century and follows the story of Richard Sharpe and his doughty band of comrades. I listened to the unabridged audio edition of Sharpes' Eagles, and I really, really liked it. My only issue with Cornwell's writing is that some of his characters are similar to other characters in other series (such as the Starbuck series). Also, I think Cornwell's characters are somewhat shallow. I would like to see him concentrate more on developing characters which are more than just same archetypes. Overall, this was a great book, sure to delight fans of historical action-adventure.

The entire Sharp series is F*U*N*. The books are set during the Napoleonic Wars. Richard Sharpe--think in terms of James Bond with a muzzle loading rifle--is a rare bird indeed. He joined the army as an enlisted man, and through a series of heroic actions manages to become an officer. In the early 19th century, such promotions were exceedingly rare; but Sharpe saved the life of the future Duke of Wellington on the battlefield; this gave his career a jump start. Throughout his time in the military by dint of other feats of heroism, he continued to rise in rank.
Richard Sharpe is unrealistically romantic and dashing, but Bernard Cornwell inserts enough details of the life of the ordinary soldier in the early 19th Century British Army, to make this and other books in the series worthwhile reading.
Contemporary readers may find the fact that leadership positions in the British Army were purchased. Some of the officer class were outstanding--cf Wellington who never lost a battle. Cornwell describes in vivid detail what happens when an aristocratic idiot with no military experience attempts to command a regiment in battle. The inevitable result was a series of very stupid blunders that caused a lot needless suffering and death.
Cornwell's explainations of military tactics are clear and vivid; so are his descriptions of early 19th century miltary medicine (shudder).
Fans of the cartoon strip "Dilbert" will chorus "plus la change..." when they read about organizational and bureaucratic stupidity in the British Army.
I am thouroughly hooked on the series. The film adaptations which have appeared on Masterpiece Theatre and repeated on the History Channel do justice to the books.
I categorize the Sharpe books in the second rank of historical fiction. _The Name of the Rose_ is an example of what I consider first rate historical fiction. I put the Sharpe books in the same class as the many books written by Norah Lofts.
Thanks Mr. Cornwell--I finally understand what happened at Waterloo! Let me reiterate--you'll learn a lot from reading the Sharpe series, and you will have fun reading them.

Napoleonic wars are not my thing but one day I picked up this book and for want of anything to do I read it.

Didn't know some British officers were promoted from the ranks during this period. Always thought they purchased their commissions.

These things got pitched aside with this delightful story.

Richard Sharpe, a man who has literally crawled up from the ranks to a commission, finds himself in a bad place with a bad superior officer and there is only one way for him to extricate himself from it.

This novel is well worth reading.

First in the series, "Sharpe's Gold" gives the reader a vivid sense of warfare and adventure. These are good books to read if you've enjoyed Hornblower (C S Forester), Aubrey/Maturin (Patrick O'Brian), or Bolitho (Alexander Kent) novels. They are easier to read and less crowded with fact - ornithology, sailsmanship - than O'Brian's books. There is quite a bit of repetition from book to book - Sergeant Harper's amazing seven-barreled rifle is explained often enough to begin to sound preposterous. But it's probably true - the author has researched the subject thoroughly.
If you want more literary merit there's Stendahl ("The Charterhouse of Parma") or Tolstoy ("War and Peace") to cover the same territory in more depth -- and just as vividly.
Surprisingly the actor who plays Sharpe in the TV series looks a lot like John Wayne did in 1933.

I love the Sharpe books. I'm amazed that Cornwell can be so prolific (in addition to the dozens of books in the Sharpe series, he's written novels on the American Civil War and early Britain) and produce books that are always spellbinding and entertaining. The history appears to be very accurate and well researched. He even visits and walks the battlefields before writing. Sharpe's Eagle is a good one. Of course, you have to get into these books with the understanding that they're violent (as war always is) and that Richard Sharpe is a pretty ruthless fellow, at least when it comes to disposing of his enemies on the British side. It is this violent and ruthless nature that makes Sharpe a successful (you might say amazing) soldier.

I have been working through the "Sharpe" novels as I am interested in military history and having been to Portugal I know some of the territory he is writing about. He paints a good picture and the history is part of the novel. I also like his comments at the end about the actual history.

tha battle descriptions were great. C obviously knew what he was doing. good details. the book is ort of happenings form a soldier's life in the napoleonic war. there are good and bad people. one snob officer not knowing anything, a few men becoming sharpe's enemies. intrigues, warfare, plunder etc. all right. good work from C. but there's not much of a plot, more like an outline of warfare and intrigue. my main problem is the way the characteres were described. a snob that never learns. an evil man. a good soldier, poor, unjustly not promoted. and C's sense of injustice got a bit tedious. at times i got annoyed by this. his characters were at times hard to digest. i don't know whether it was because of the stereotypes or not.

Avenging the loss of his Battalion's colours, Richard Sharpe and his trusted friend Sergeant Patrick Harper, set out to capture a French battle standard... an Eagle.
In Sharpe's Eagle, Cornwell again gives us the detail, and the fearsome exhilaration and confusion of personal combat and brings it to life. As with Sharpe's Rifles, I couldn't put this one down. As soon as I read it, I had to go to the library and get the next one.

When I turned to the first page and say Cornwell's introduction that this was his first book...ever(!) I was somewhat concerned. Afterall, first books can be dodgy. But this is a grand story and the attributes of the characters are well defined. It's as if was just part of the smooth transition from one story to another. Never fear, dear readers, this is a rousing tale!

A good read with periods or exciting prose. At times it seemed that the impossible situation could not be resolved, and then the tide of battle shifted to make escape possible. Looking forward to the further adventures of Sharp!

The second in the acclaimed Sharpe series, Sharpe's Eagle finds Captain Sharpe and Sergeant Harper on a mission to turn the Light Company of the South Essex, commanded by a horrid idiot named Simmerson and his second in command Gibbon, into a crack outfit. Filled with searing action, brutal dialogue and pure swashbuckling adventure, Sharpe's Eagle is perhaps one of the best Sharpe books ever.

This is simple: I have yet to read a Sharpe's novel which doesn't utterly engross me. That's about 9 so far, so I figure I have plenty of enjoyment ahead. Granted, you may need to be susceptible to nerve-bitingly heroic tales of Napoleonic era warfare, but I am. So there.

Sharpe's Eagle details how our hero, Richard Sharpe, along with Patrick Harper capture the first French Eagle, a french standard, in the heat of battle to redeam the demoralized South Essex regiment who early in the novel lose one of their colors due to the bumbling of Col. Henry Simmerson. Sharpe utilizes this heroic act to save his career and gain a fame that gains him a place in the heart of even the Prince of Wales. A must read for any Sharpe fan and probably one of Cornwell's best novel's of all time!

This is an exciting that puts in the field with Richard Sharpe. From the scirmish where he retakes the regimental colors to the battle where he tries to capture a French Eagle to regain honor for the regiment and himself. Bernard Cornwell does an excellent job of keeping the story flowing smoothly and the action and excitement coming. I had a hard time putting it down and it wasn't long before I was reading it again. And the best part of it, you don't have to read the previous ones to know how those stories play into this one. Mr Cromwell does an excellent job of explaining all important information. His knowledge of history the soldier's mindset makes this story take on a life of it's own, as if Richard Sharpe could have really existed. A must read for anyone who like or loves history and adventure novels.

I have read many historical novels in my life and this one ranks high on the list. Cornwell does a very adequate job of conveying the feeling to you that the society of Britain is changing due to the coming of mass industrialization and the changes in class based military that eventually put merit before social standing. His use of analysis of the actual battlefield tactics of the Napoleanic era is fascinating and although the work is fiction I believe that a student of European history would find this to be a useful work to "get in the mood" to study more mudane and boring aspects of the time period. I would recommend this as a suitable book for a highschool history class or early college history major.

I enjoyed this edition in the Sharpe series as I have the several I have already read. Typical Sharpe, a pretty young lady he can never have, a very villainous villain, slacker soldiers to be cuffed, and, of course several battles to be won. But, that's what I like about him.

"Sharpe's Eagle" is "The Triumph and the Glory" of the Napoleonic War novels. What Rustad's WWII novel does for the Second World War, Cornwell's skill has done for this earlier era. I'm more familiar with war novels about 20th Century conflict, but greatly admired Cornwell's Civil War books so thought I'd give his Richard Sharpe books a try. I'm glad I did! He brings his gift for drama, flair for characterization, and vouminous knowledge of the military art to the fore with "Sharpe's Eagle."

I HAVE READ ALL OF HIS BOOKS ALL THE SHARPS SERIES AND THE FOUR BOOKS ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR IM waiting for the him to complet the series,all so the other series about the archers find me more thank you DON