Sharpe's Rifles

Book VI of the Sharpe Series

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

It's 1809 and the powerful French juggernaut is sweeping across Spain. Lieutenant Sharpe is newly in command of the demoralized, distrustful men of the 95th Rifles. He must lead them to safety - and the only means of escape is a treacherous trek through the enemy-infested mountains of Spain. Blas Vivar and his band of intrepid Spanish soldiers may prove to be their salvation. But Vivar is transporting a mysterious chest that he claims can shift the tides of war, and the French are determined to get it - no matter what the cost.

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

©1988 by Rifleman Productions (P)1995 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Consistently exciting....These are wonderful novels!" (Stephen King)

Great book with Great Characters

This is the Sharpe book that I started with, I chose this by looking at the Wiki list of all the books. Vivas is a character that is introduced in this book who makes another cameo later in the series & I really loved the interaction of Vivas & Sharpe. The main reason why things change is the respect that is given once Vivas realizes that Sharpe raised thru the ranks.

I've read some other reviews that did not like the narrator but I thought Fredrickson did a great job, I believe most people probably didn't like him because he was narrating for a character that is English, but being Asian I thought he did a great job with that & an Irish accent. An Irish person might disagree completely but I thought Harpers high pitched, Irish accent fitting him well, especially when compared to Hogan who is also Irish that has an entirely different voice

I thought this was a great place to start through ignorance because I haven't read any books before this one, so there could be books I'm plainly missing before this book. I've hop scotched thru the different Sharpe Novels & I haven't been disappointed yet....

Thrilling

Bernard Cornwell does it again! Wonderful story full of vivid detail and excitement. Don't hesitate to pick it up!

awesome

good story better than the tv show
good humor, good history I felt that I was there

Love or Hate?

I was so disappointed by the vehemence of the negative comments directed at Frederick Davidson’s performance.
We have listened to Rupert Farley as well, and his was an enjoyable listen. Although we did think Davidson managed the Scottish brogue somewhat better, his women generally share the same voice.
We focus on the story, the character interplays, and the brutally accurate descriptions offered by the historical narrative. I freely admit to enjoying Davidson’s recordings, but would be loathe to allow the narration that much influence, and we’ve persevered in listening to some toe-scrunching performances (notably in the Paksennarion series)…

Solid

A solid reading of a good novel. The inclusion of a love interest is unfortunately formulaic and most of this series would be better with that plot line’s omission. The recording on this one was good, though the Spanish accents a major weak point.

Excellent

Well written and wonderfully engaging! I love this series! I am looking forward to the next.

Great story, not-so-great narration

The story here is great, as always. The only detractions are in the narration; Frederick Davidson can't hold a candle to Rupert Farley, and the production quality is low, with lots of breathing and mouth noises that should have been edited out.

Audible - have these re-recorded w/ Rupert Farley!

not what I expected but still a great story

the book itself is a lot of fun and I knew that going in. the narrator sounded a little to snide to voice sharpe in my opinion and the recording was sounding rough and skipping in parts. not enough to ruin the story but enough to be an annoyance.

Sharpe struggles with leadership.

As a leader in the Army myself, I could relate to a lot of the struggles that Sharpe goes through with his new command of surviving riflemen. A good story, and Davidson again impresses with his multitude of voices and accents for the various characters.

Enjoyable, but not the best in the series

I've been trying to take the Sharpe series in chronological order. I listened to the first two (Sharpe's Tiger and Sharpe's Triumph), read the third (Sharpe's Fortress), and then skipped a couple to listen to Sharpe's Rifles. Of the three audiobooks, I rate the first two as five stars. These were written a decade later than Sharpe's Rifles, and Cornwell seems to have honed his skills during that time. Sharpe's Rifles is still a very enjoyable listen, but if you are sampling the series for the first time, start with Sharpe's Tiger..