Sharpe's Sword Audiobook By Bernard Cornwell cover art

Sharpe's Sword

Book XIV of the Sharpe Series

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Sharpe's Sword

By: Bernard Cornwell
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
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Colonel Leroux is killing Britain's most valuable spies, and it's up to Richard Sharpe to stop him. Thrust into the unfamiliar world of political and military intrigue, Sharpe must tangle with La Marquesa, a beguiling, extraordinarily beautiful woman whose embrace is as calculating as it is passionate. As she leads him through a maze of secrecy, cunning, and deception, Sharpe relentlessly pursues Leroux, determined to exact his revenge with the cold steel of his sword.

Don't forget to check out the rest of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series.©1983 Rifleman Productions (P)1995 Blackstone Audiobooks Historical Fiction Fiction

Critic reviews

"The best of the series so far." (Los Angeles Herald Examiner)
Historical Accuracy • Engaging Battle Scenes • Outstanding Narration • Intriguing Revenge Plot • Compelling Storytelling
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I don't think any reader is perfect. But having a story read to you by someone is pretty perfect. Literally bed-time reading, one of the most self-indulgent activities in which anyone might engage. And I agree with other reviewers that this is just the thing for car trips.

This was one of the more impactful/memorable books, because of the sword, who bought it and worked on it. As always, there are going to be improbabilities, the first being that a natural athlete, like Sharpe, would be such a poor horseman. It's a nice quirk for a character. Nice description of how cavalry can have a real "field day," when there are cascading blunders by infantry. And once one square breaks, for whatever reason, the likelihood that others will also break goes up, dramatically. But Sharpe's participation in the action seemed a bit of a stretch.

But the bad guy MUST be vanquished! Unless his name is "Hakeswill," who is the Rokoff to Sharpe's Tarzan. Ducos is Sharpe's next Hakeswill. These stories are very formulaic, very classic, very pulp, but by a scholarly writer, who does his due diligence, with an apology at the end for any liberties he took with the history, to make a better story.

Very interesting point in history, where a toxic, early form of republicanism, in Napoleonic France, foreshadowed Total War in the next century, with enormous armies of commoners armed with firearms and artillery CRUSHED opponents with sheer numbers and ruthless employment of firearm technology, and a "live-off-the-land" philosophy of war-fighting on foreign soil. Echoes of the Nazis in Eastern Europe, with much the same effect, in his inability to hold easily-taken Spain.

One day, there will be a movie/video series based on these stories, and it won't be the low-budget joke they made with Sean Bean. No shade on Bean, because his performances were fine. They just didn't have the money for more than a couple dozen extras. But cast it like it's described. A 6-footer paired with a 6-4-NFL-D-TACKLE-sized giant sidekick, surrounded by a bunch of mostly 5-and-a-half-footers.

I need to find where in the books they describe Harper's high-pitched voice. That's how the readers always play him, and I somehow imagine more of a Victor Mclaughlin (Giant Irishman who played the sergeant in John Wayne Westerns and in The Quiet Man, with the classic fistfight against The Duke. Must be something I missed in the first book that had Harper in it. I've been binge-listening, and can't remember if they met in India or right after. LOL!

This is good stuff.

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My kingdom for a sword? What would Sharpe do for a Hattori Hanzo katana?

Vintage Sharpe

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This book and performance are special. Everything you expect from previous books is present but with more vulnerability from Sharpe and an unexpected, but surprisingly welcome maturation of his character and relationships. The performance is typically excellent, but is worth mentioning due to the impressive variety of distinct characters.

Favorite of the Sharpe series so far.

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intrigue. battles. great story. Sharpe is brilliant as is Harper and Hogan. a must read.

another awesome story

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Makes me want to visit Spain and see Salamanca. Sharpe continues to demonstrate both his humanity and his prowess.

Appropriate twist ends story

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A sudden break in the enthralling life of Richard Sharpe, our honorable, heroic bad boy we all wish we knew.
In these historically accurate books about the life of a British soldier in the empire-building years, Sharpe has increasingly appeared almost impervious to serious injury. It became somewhat trite that, in spite of minor setbacks,he would defy odds and walk away from every encounter. Until this story.
He is killed in this story.
Dead.
But what of the rest of the books in this evolutionary series? They must be tales of the gap years between earlier books. Or is this book a fevered dream? (Please God, no.) Wait! I have it. Sharpe discovered an enchanted time-travel sword, blessed by Wellington so the wielder can transport themself in time - to wit: slash right to go to the future; slash left to go to the past. What else can the answer be?
Intrigued?
Buy this book. You will not be disappointed. If you are, go back in time and DON’T buy this book. See how easy life can be?

Sharpe in Past Tents or Future Tents Plue? Perfect!

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What did you love best about Sharpe's Sword?

Although the Sharpe books contain similar story lines, it's always worth the read to see how he and Sgt Harper escape from the most recent French threat. This book has a dispicable villain who gives Sharpe the opportunity to savor revenge as a "dish served cold".

What other book might you compare Sharpe's Sword to and why?

I think each Sharpe book is best compared to others in the series, and I like the manner in which the author ties the books together. I suggest that they be read in sequence so that the various recurring characters will fall easily into place in the reader's memory. If the reader enjoys Hornblower/Aubrey, I think this series will also provide enjoyable reading.

Which character – as performed by Frederick Davidson – was your favorite?

Sgt Harper

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I try to make each of the Sharpe books last over a few days of driving to and from various destinations.

Any additional comments?

Although I have read reviews criticizing one or more of the performers in the Sharpe series, I have enjoyed the slightly different perspective that each one brings to the books.

Another good Sharpe adventure.

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in an emotionally charged narrative this Sharpe's series saga is full of intruque and revenge woven around another femme fatal typical of the Sharpe exploits. I found this one in the series to be one of my favorite due to the non-stop action throughout including the apparent death of our main character, Richard Sharpe. It appears from the emotion in the narrator's voice that even he gets caught up in the climatic story telling of this epic adventure. Bernard Cromwell is certainly at his finest writing this episode in a series that is one of the best in historical fiction ever conceived.

riveting tale of intrique and revenge

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Action, intrigue, mystery plus supurb narration compared to Rupert Farley, who ruins the Sharpe stories with his awful character voices and extreme volatility in volume.

One of the best Sharpe adventures

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The characters are wonderful!! The series is a spectacular read and I wish it would never ebd.

Sharpes

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