Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: April 2004
ISBN: 0007120133
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Hardback
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Genre: Historical Military [1810, Portugal]
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Rachel A Hyde
Reviewer Notes: Violence
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Sharpe’s Escape
By Bernard Cornwell


Sharpe is still going strong after nineteen books and one hugely popular TV series; in his twentieth adventure his appeal shows no sign of dimming. They are read even by people who don’t normally devour military novels, and their fresh mixture of derring-do, human interest, romance, and real history ensure their wide audience. So what is this one about? I could say “more of the same” but this wouldn’t seem fair; “the same” is better than novelty if it is well done and shows no sign of losing favor with the reading public. Here Sharpe pits himself against the useless Lieutenant Slingsby, a man with friends in high places and not much military knowledge, and the evil Ferragus, a Portuguese traitor with a fondness for trading with the French. Throw in a pretty young governess, meticulous historical detail, and a terrific showdown at the Lines of Torres Vedras and you have another thrilling tale.

Cornwell excels at battle scenes; you can almost hear the musket fire at times. He also delights in concocting some wonderfully hissable villains, feisty ladies, and the sort of descriptions of the minutiae of army life that transport the reader back in time. There is something almost old-fashioned about all this, harking back to earlier writers whose adventure novels included plenty of romance, a dash of humor and over-the-top heroism as well as the grim reality of war. Think Conan Doyle, Dennis Wheatley and Dumas and then add Cornwell!