Sharpe's Rifles

Cornwell is a solid prose writer, and his research is every bit as meticulous as MacDonald Fraser’s. That this book takes place in the Peninsula Campaign is what caused me to pick it from the shelf and give it a read in the first place. Everything from the strategy and tactics of generals to the gruelling life of the ordinary foot soldier - right down to the loading procedure for the Baker rifle - is intricately interwoven with the plot. A must-read for any amateur student of the Napoleonic Wars.

Richard Sharpe— rifleman, rogue, and child of the London slums, is the only “anti-hero” on my list.  Raised from the ranks to command a platoon of riflemen after saving General Wellington’s life, Lieutenant Sharpe must first beat the disdain out of the “chosen men” of his rifle platoon and then contend with the disapproving gentlemen officers of the English army as Wellington tries to save Portugal from Napoleon’s legions. With a mix of native cunning, raw courage, and his own brand of integrity, Sharpe becomes Wellington’s secret weapon against the overwhelming French onslaught.