Sharpe's Company by Bernard Cornwell Book Review

The story weaved by Bernard Cornwell about Richard Sharpe and his adventures during and around one of the bloodiest confrontations in the Napoleonic wars was absorbing from start to finish. Due to the peculiar rules relating to promotions and career advancement Captain Sharpe is demoted to Lieutenant at no fault of his own. Sharpe loses his company of riflemen to a new captain and is relegated to duties relating supplies, stores and paperwork ... all areas despised by Sharpe. Even though he is next in line for a captaincy he desperately wants to prove himself and regain his stature. As a result he speaks about his desire to lead a forlorn hope.

The forlorn hope is a band of men that are the first to attack during a siege. Survivors receive promotions, honor and monetary compensation. However, there are usually few men that survive the initial assault. Sharpe wants to do it anyway but has a difficult time convincing any senior officers to let him have his way.

The evil antagonist, Obidiah Hakeswill, resurfaces as a Sergeant in the new draft of the South Essex regiment to torment Sharpe. His eyes are on Teresa, Sharpe's love interest and mother of his child. Obidiah is certainly the most fascinating character in the book as he appears to be going mad yet is able to maintain his position of authority. I was disappointed in the representation of Obidiah in the film version of Sharpe's Company but it would have been quite a challenge to portray the evil and ugliness so wonderfully described by Cornwell's pen.

Obidiah successfully frames Shapes friend, Sergeant Harper, resulting in a demotion to private as well as a flogging in front of the troops. Both Shape and Harper swear vengeance.

Of the original 14 episodes this one is a favorite of Cornwell's according to comments posted on his own website. The film plot sticks with the book and is pretty well done especially considering they were constrained by a limited production budget associated with a TV series.

During the siege the English and their allies lost over 3,000 soldiers in just a few hours of passionate and forceful fighting. When the siege came to an end the attacking force went berserk and it's been estimated that 4,000 Spanish civilians, many of whom were women and children were savagely raped and murdered. This "reality" of war was well documented by Cornwell in the book but glossed over in the film.

References:

http://bernardcornwell.net/