Sharpe's storm Richard Sharpe and the invasion of southern France, 1813

It's the winter of 1813. Major Richard Sharpe is tasked by General Wellington with a job of supreme importance. An old friend of Sharpe, Rear Admiral Joel Chase, has a plan to defeat Napoleon. All Sharpe has to do is keep Chase alive until he can put his plan in motion. But that turns out to be a lot harder than Sharpe expected. This is the twenty-fourth novel in the Sharpe saga, but, in terms of internal chronology, it's book number 19, slotting in between the short story, "Sharpe's Christmas" (1994) and Sharpe's Siege (1987). It is--and this will come as no surprise to regular readers--a rousing adventure, a perfect blend of historical fact and fiction. Because he's solidly anchored in a real world, tied to real historical events, Sharpe doesn't feel like a made-up character. We know him so well by now that we can almost predict what he might say or do. He's an old friend, and it sure is nice to see him again. Highly recommendable to Cornwell's multitude of fans.

The crackling latest historical adventure in Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series (after Sharpe's Command) finds the British soldier in Southern France in 1813, where he's fighting against the armies of Napoleon at the tail end of the Peninsular War between England, Spain, and Portugal. After capturing a village he'd been ordered to avoid, Sharpe is tasked with escorting his old friend, rear admiral Sir Joel Chase, on a mission to storm the fortress of General Soult, marshal of the French Empire. Sir Joel's bravado and thirst for combat keep the pair in constant danger, as does the resentment of Lt. Col. Nathanial Peacock, a coward who thinks command is a measure of social status unfitting for the lowborn Sharpe. Knowing, however, that "his job now was to kill, and he was good at it, he was death in a green jacket," Sharpe presses forward. As usual, Cornwell nimbly melds Sharpe's action-hero theatrics with a vivid historical setting, offering a smart study of the past that's punctuated by thrilling bayonet thrusts and exploding cannon shot. It's a heart-pounding treat for history buffs and military thriller fans alike. (Dec.)

Series hero Richard Sharpe fights in Britain's 1813 invasion of southern France. Major Sharpe is a fictional rifleman who has risen from the ranks and gained the respect of his commanding generals, even when he disobeys them. A brutal and intelligent fighter, he is an expert at "slaughtering Crapauds." Indeed, his clothes and boots come from dead French soldiers. To cross into France from Portugal, British engineers must construct a pontoon bridge across the River Nive without alerting the enemy, and Sharpe is ordered to eliminate the picquets, or sentries, on the other side--and "get to the guns and butcher the bastards." Lord Wellington also brings in the British Navy, building up to the climactic clash that becomes known as the Battle of Saint-Pierre, said to be one of the most brutal of the war. And Sharpe is in the thick of the maelstrom, hacking away with gusto at the blue-coated columns even while one of the two British commanders orders his troops to retreat. That is Sir Nathaniel Peacock, a real historical lieutenant colonel described as a mountebank, a popinjay, and a poltroon. He is the antithesis of men who rise by merit, and his cowardice could lead to defeat by the forces of French Marshal Soult. But there is a lot to be afraid of, with thousands of men meeting their maker in mists of blood and screaming for their mothers. And Major Richard Sharpe? He is in his element, doing "the one thing he knew he was good at." In fact, he dreads the prospect of eventual peace and a return to civilian life with his wife, Jane, having no skills that won't land him in prison or the gallows. But he needn't worry about peace any time soon, because Waterloo awaits. This 24th Sharpe yarn captures a down-and-dirty view of the Napoleonic Wars. Gripping historical adventure, not for the faint of heart. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.