Sharpe's Sword

Book XIV of the Sharpe Series

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Colonel Leroux is killing Britain's most valuable spies, and it's up to Richard Sharpe to stop him. Thrust into the unfamiliar world of political and military intrigue, Sharpe must tangle with La Marquesa, a beguiling, extraordinarily beautiful woman whose embrace is as calculating as it is passionate. As she leads him through a maze of secrecy, cunning, and deception, Sharpe relentlessly pursues Leroux, determined to exact his revenge with the cold steel of his sword.

Don't forget to check out the rest of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series.

©1983 Rifleman Productions (P)1995 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"The best of the series so far." (Los Angeles Herald Examiner)

This is good stuff.

I don't think any reader is perfect. But having a story read to you by someone is pretty perfect. Literally bed-time reading, one of the most self-indulgent activities in which anyone might engage. And I agree with other reviewers that this is just the thing for car trips.

This was one of the more impactful/memorable books, because of the sword, who bought it and worked on it. As always, there are going to be improbabilities, the first being that a natural athlete, like Sharpe, would be such a poor horseman. It's a nice quirk for a character. Nice description of how cavalry can have a real "field day," when there are cascading blunders by infantry. And once one square breaks, for whatever reason, the likelihood that others will also break goes up, dramatically. But Sharpe's participation in the action seemed a bit of a stretch.

But the bad guy MUST be vanquished! Unless his name is "Hakeswill," who is the Rokoff to Sharpe's Tarzan. Ducos is Sharpe's next Hakeswill. These stories are very formulaic, very classic, very pulp, but by a scholarly writer, who does his due diligence, with an apology at the end for any liberties he took with the history, to make a better story.

Very interesting point in history, where a toxic, early form of republicanism, in Napoleonic France, foreshadowed Total War in the next century, with enormous armies of commoners armed with firearms and artillery CRUSHED opponents with sheer numbers and ruthless employment of firearm technology, and a "live-off-the-land" philosophy of war-fighting on foreign soil. Echoes of the Nazis in Eastern Europe, with much the same effect, in his inability to hold easily-taken Spain.

One day, there will be a movie/video series based on these stories, and it won't be the low-budget joke they made with Sean Bean. No shade on Bean, because his performances were fine. They just didn't have the money for more than a couple dozen extras. But cast it like it's described. A 6-footer paired with a 6-4-NFL-D-TACKLE-sized giant sidekick, surrounded by a bunch of mostly 5-and-a-half-footers.

I need to find where in the books they describe Harper's high-pitched voice. That's how the readers always play him, and I somehow imagine more of a Victor Mclaughlin (Giant Irishman who played the sergeant in John Wayne Westerns and in The Quiet Man, with the classic fistfight against The Duke. Must be something I missed in the first book that had Harper in it. I've been binge-listening, and can't remember if they met in India or right after. LOL!

Vintage Sharpe

My kingdom for a sword? What would Sharpe do for a Hattori Hanzo katana?

Favorite of the Sharpe series so far.

This book and performance are special. Everything you expect from previous books is present but with more vulnerability from Sharpe and an unexpected, but surprisingly welcome maturation of his character and relationships. The performance is typically excellent, but is worth mentioning due to the impressive variety of distinct characters.

another awesome story

intrigue. battles. great story. Sharpe is brilliant as is Harper and Hogan. a must read.

Appropriate twist ends story

Makes me want to visit Spain and see Salamanca. Sharpe continues to demonstrate both his humanity and his prowess.

Sharpe in Past Tents or Future Tents Plue? Perfect!

A sudden break in the enthralling life of Richard Sharpe, our honorable, heroic bad boy we all wish we knew.
In these historically accurate books about the life of a British soldier in the empire-building years, Sharpe has increasingly appeared almost impervious to serious injury. It became somewhat trite that, in spite of minor setbacks,he would defy odds and walk away from every encounter. Until this story.
He is killed in this story.
Dead.
But what of the rest of the books in this evolutionary series? They must be tales of the gap years between earlier books. Or is this book a fevered dream? (Please God, no.) Wait! I have it. Sharpe discovered an enchanted time-travel sword, blessed by Wellington so the wielder can transport themself in time - to wit: slash right to go to the future; slash left to go to the past. What else can the answer be?
Intrigued?
Buy this book. You will not be disappointed. If you are, go back in time and DON’T buy this book. See how easy life can be?

Great historical fiction

Frederick Davidson narration is outstanding and Cromwell military research and storytelling is impressive. If you enjoy battle descriptions - go for it.

Captivating

One of the better books in the series and was very enjoyable to Listen to

Another great read in the Sharpe series

Very captivating story, excellent narration. It's very interesting reading about this time period and Cornwell always does the time period great justice.

Excellent

Cornwells’s dramatic and historical skills are demonstrated to high degree…. Again. Another triumph in the Sharpes series.