Sharpe's Eagle (novel)

For the television adaptation, see Sharpe's Eagle (TV programme).
Sharpe's Eagle

First edition
Author Bernard Cornwell
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Richard Sharpe Series
Genre Historical novels
Publisher Collins
Publication date
 9 February 1981
Media type Print (Hardcover and Paperback) and audio-CD
Pages 266 pp (hardcover edition)
304 pp (paperback edition)
ISBN 0-00-221997-2 (hardcover edition)
ISBN 0-00-617313-6 (paperback edition)
OCLC 16564604
Preceded by Sharpe's Havoc
Followed by Sharpe's Gold

Sharpe's Eagle is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1981. The story is set in July 1809 at the Battle of Talavera during the Peninsular War. It was the first Sharpe novel published, but eighth in the series' chronological order.

Plot summary

During the Talavera Campaign, when Sir Arthur Wellesley's army has entered Spain to confront Marshall Victor, Richard Sharpe and his small group of thirty Riflemen are attached to the newly arrived South Essex Regiment. Commanded by the cowardly and bullying Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson, the South Essex is a raw, inexperienced unit that has been drilled mercilessly with frequent use of the lash.

More suited for ceremonial parades than genuine combat against the veteran armies of France, Sharpe takes it upon himself to shape the inexperienced and poorly trained redcoats into full-fledged soldiers. His real problem turns out to be the officers, most of whom appear to be in the lap of Simmerson, including his nephew, the arrogant Lieutenant Christian Gibbons, and his best friend, Lieutenant Berry. The situation is further complicated by the rivalry that emerges between Sharpe and Gibbons for the affections of Josefina Lacosta, a Portuguese noblewoman abandoned by her husband after he fled to Brazil. Only two appear to have any real experience: Captain Lennox, a veteran of the Battle of Assaye, where Sharpe himself won his commission; and Captain Leroy, an American Loyalist who fled with his merchant family to England during the American War of Independence.

Making his way to the town of Talavera, General Wellesley dispatches the South Essex, alongside Sharpe's Riflemen and the engineers of Major Hogan, to blow up the bridge at Valdelcasa, so as to protect the army's flank as they march. Assisted by a Spanish regiment of equal number, the Regimento de la Santa Maria, the seemingly straightforward mission becomes a disaster when both Simmerson and the Spanish cross the bridge to engage four squadrons of French dragoons. A combination of arrogance, poor training, flawed leadership and elementary tactical errors results in the two regiments being routed by the French, with hundreds of men killed and wounded, Lennox brought down by the enemy, and the loss of the King's Colour. As a dying request, Lennox asks Sharpe to take a French Eagle, 'touched by the hand of Napoleon' himself, so as to erase the shame of losing their own standard.

Distinguishing himself during the skirmish after rallying several broken companies of the South Essex against the French and capturing one of their cannon, Sharpe finds himself gazetted Captain. However, he still must do much to confirm this rank in the company of an officer corps still largely drawn from the aristocracy and the ranks of English gentlemen who look down on Sharpe's low birth. Even worse, Sir Henry has made Sharpe the scapegoat of his follies, and intends on ruining Sharpe's career via his political connections at Horse Guards. Only by capturing an Eagle can Sharpe stay in the army, let alone keep his promotion. The Rifleman also makes an enemy of Gibbons and Berry when he takes Josefina under his protection, and the two begin a relationship. Later in the novel, when Josefina is raped by Gibbons and Berry, Sharpe swears vengeance, murdering Berry in a nighttime skirmish against the French.

At the height of the Battle of Talavera, Sharpe must decide whether to fulfill Lennox's request or avoid this insane task. In true heroic form Richard Sharpe rises to the challenge and avenge the loss of the colour with the capture of a French Imperial Eagle during the height of the battle. Leading the Light Company and his Rifles into the fray, Sharpe and Harper manage to break a French regiment and take an Eagle, while Simmerson is replaced on the field by Sharpe's old friend William Lawford as Commander of the South Essex. Slaying Gibbons in the aftermath (who had attempted to murder Sharpe for his prize), Sharpe parts with Josefina as she returns to Lisbon, while he officially takes his place as Captain of the Light Company of the South Essex, the regiment's honour restored.

Characters

Title

The eagle of the title refers to the French Imperial Eagle presented to each regiment by the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte himself and carried at its head into battle. The soldiers of the French Imperial Army pledged to defend the eagle to the death, and to lose it would bring shame to the regiment. In the novel Sharpe vows to capture one to restore the honour of his disgraced regiment and to secure his promotion.

References or allusions

References to actual history, geography and current science

Sharpe’s story is "intimately linked" [1] with the real-life story of Sir Arthur Wellesley, who appears in this book and would be appointed Viscount Wellington of Talavera as a result of the events related. The novel features the real-life Battle of Talavera that occurred during the early stages of the Peninsular War. Although no eagle is reported as having been taken during this battle, the rest is fairly accurate, and it provides an excellent historical insight into the life of soldiers at the time as "much of the detail in the book is taken from contemporary letters and diaries."[2] In reality the British first captured an Eagle during the Battle of Barrosa in 1811,[2] which battle Cornwell would later cover in Sharpe's Fury.

In reality, the 95th Rifles missed the Battle of Talavera; despite marching 65 kilometres (40 mi) in 24 hours they arrived too late.[3]

References in other works

Cornwell wrote a series of books about Sharpe in the war against Napoleon. Sharpe rises in rank over time, and many fictional characters in this novel appear in other novels of the series. Sharpe's life in the army before being on the Iberian Peninsula is told in a series of three novels set in India, matching the period of Arthur Wellesley in the British army in India.

Adaptations

A 1993 TV adaptation of the same name was produced by Central Independent Television for the ITV network in the UK starring Sean Bean as Sharpe, Daragh O'Malley as Harper, Assumpta Serna as Teresa Moreno (alias La'guija or "The Needle"), Brian Cox as Major Hogan, David Troughton as Wellesley, Daniel Craig as Lieutenant Berry, Gavan O'Herlihy as Captain Leroy and Michael Cochrane as Simmerson. There are many differences between the plot of the television adaptation and the novel.[4] Captain Lennox from the novel becomes a Major in the TV adaptation.

Publication history

This is Bernard Cornwell's first novel. Cornwell’s plan was "to write a series of tales about the adventures of a British rifleman in the Napoleonic Wars".[1] He had wanted to start with the Siege of Badajoz but on reflection, he felt that this was too ambitious for his first novel. He decided to start with a couple of easier books as a warm-up. Cornwell wanted to find a task just as impossible as the taking of Badajoz for Sharpe's first adventure. The capture of a Regimental Eagle from a French Regiment provided the challenge the author felt necessary to establish the reputations of both Sharpe and his close friend, Sergeant Patrick Harper.

References

  1. 1 2 Cornwell, Bernard (1994). Sharpe's Eagle. London: HarperCollins Publishers. pp. vi–vii. ISBN 978-0-00-780509-9.
  2. 1 2 Cornwell, Bernard (1994). Sharpe's Eagle. London: HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 327–8. ISBN 978-0-00-780509-9.
  3. ↑ Adkin, Mark (2001). Waterloo Companion. Aurum Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-85410-764-0.
  4. ↑ "Sharpe's Gold". bernardcornwell.net. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2008. It's always said that the second book is the most difficult to write, and I can remember finding it very hard, which is a reason why I've never re-read Sharpe's Gold either. I do remember a splendid scene with Sergeant Patrick Harper and a dungheap and that Sharpe meets the first of his wives while trying to rescue a great pile of Spanish gold. Watching the video is no help in reminding me what's in the plot because the story on the TV programme bears absolutely no resemblance to the story in the book - weird.

External links

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