Sharpe's Rifles (novel)

Sharpe's Rifles was the first prequel novel in the series written by Bernard Cornwell. It tells the story of Richard Sharpe and the French Invasion of Galicia, January 1809. Written ninth, the book naturally fits before Sharpe's Eagle which was the first to be written, although the later novel Sharpe's Havoc is set between the two.

Plot summary

The story recounts Sharpe's exploits in the retreat to Corunna. Sharpe's battalion, acting as rearguard to the army, are cut down by a squadron of French regular cavalry. From then on the story follows the small band of surviving riflemen (from the 95th Rifles) as they try to foment an uprising in the city of Santiago de Compostela. Sharpe's Spanish ally is Major Don Blas Vivar and they are fighting the Don's brother, the Count of Mouromorto.

Patrick Harper is introduced as well as the core group of the surviving company for the first time. Running along in the background is the other Irishman in the series, Captain Hogan, who appears for the first time at the very end of the novel.

In this book, Sharpe sees Captain Murray's heavy cavalry sword as clumsy and cumbersome, yet in India he wishes he had such a heavy sword to butcher people with. During his time in India he used a claymore which he found less cumbersome than the cavalry sword.

Characters

• Richard Sharpe – Lieutenant in the British army
• Patrick Harper – one of Sharpe's new group of Rifles
• Captain Michael Hogan – an Engineer, also one of Wellesley's exploring officers. In the film of the novel, he is portrayed as Major Hogan.
• Sir John Moore – commander of the British army in Portugal.
• Major Blas Vivar – a Spanish ally
• Count of Mouromorto – A Spanish foe, ally to the French and brother to Blas Vivar
• Captain Murray – Sharpe's commander who dies leaving Sharpe his own sword
• Louisa Parker – Young Englishwoman whom Sharpe takes a fancy to. Ends up marrying Major Blas Vivar.

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

References are made to incidents during the Peninsular War and in the 1809 retreat to Corunna.

The uprising in Santiago de Compostela is incited by the legend of St James the Moorslayer.

Release details

• 1988, UK, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-223233-2, Pub date ? December 1988, hardback (First edition)
• 1989, UK, Chivers Audio Books ISBN 0-7451-5876-5, Pub date ? June 1989, Audio book cassette
• 1994, UK, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-617697-6, Pub date 1 January 1994, paperback

External links

• Section from Bernard Cornwell's website on Sharpe's Rifles
• Independent Review of Sharpe's Rifles