Waterloo

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

With the emperor Napoleon at its head, an enormous French army is marching toward Brussels. The British and their allies are also converging on Brussels - in preparation for a grand society ball. And it is up to Richard Sharpe to convince the Prince of Orange, the inexperienced commander of Wellington's Dutch troops, to act before it is too late. But Sharpe's warning cannot stop the tide of battle, and the British suffer heavy losses on the road to Waterloo. Wellington has few reserves of men and ammunition, the Prussian army has not arrived, and the French advance wields tremendous firepower and determination. Victory seems impossible.

In this, the culmination of Richard Sharpe's long and arduous career, Bernard Cornwell brings to life all the horror and all the exhilaration of one of the greatest military triumphs of all time.

Don't miss the rest of Bernard Cornwell's literary masterpieces.

©1987 Rifleman Productions, Ltd (P)1996 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"A marvelous mixture of fact and fiction concerning individual bravery and audacity amidst the everyday drama and turmoil of war." (Los Angeles Herald Examiner)

Spell binding

Masterfully written and beautifully read. You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy this book. But you may become one after reading it.

Solid description of the battle

Overall, Waterloo is a very good retelling of the battle of the same name. The narrative is a bit disjointed, however. First, Cornwell gives a feeling of an inevitable British victory until quite late in the battle, until at least the second major French infantry assault. While the reader likely knows the outcome, much of the drama is removed by this sense of inevitability. Also, the presence of Sharpe and particularly of Harper are contrived - Sharpe is lamely relegated to an observer role and Harper has no reason to be present. Only when Sharpe finally has command of troops does he feel part of the story, yet Harper remains largely superfluous. Cornwell injects some opinion in his retelling, although at least partially informed by history: the Prince of Orange plays an outsized role and is a scapegoat for most allied blunders. I assume Cornwell intended for the struggle between Sharpe and Rossendale to end with a whimper to avoid distracting from the centerpiece of the novel, the battle, but if so, it begs the question of why include this minor drama at all.; from the outset, it's clear Rossendale is no match for Sharpe. If I have any overall criticism of the Sharpe novels, it's that the villains rarely seem to pose any real challenge.to Sharpe.

I've reviewed Davidson as a narrator multiple times. He does a passable job, but I simply do not like the voices he gives most characters - if nothing more he tends toward a higher pitch. Harper is likely the worst: he often sounds like a 6'4" leprechaun.

The critique aside, I do recommend Waterloo. Cornwell weaves a well told tale based in fact; he's done.the research and walked the battlefield. Perhaps he felt constrained in describing the full battle had he made Sharpe a battalion commander from the beginning, and just couldn't stand to leave Harper at home. And, despite writing several other Sharpe titles, Cornwell at least at one time planned Waterloo to be Sharpe's last battle, so tying off the loose end of Jane / Rossendale makes sense.

Great story. Stilted reader.

I have enjoyed every Bernard Cornwell book so far, and this one is no exception. Great characters, and excellent historical detail.

But this reader detracted from the experience. I can see that he’s done many books and received high ratings, but he’s not for me. He has a supercilious tone that attempts to stay above the story, rather than get absorbed in it. Most distracting, however, are the excessive pauses between sentences. Great writing not only conveys ideas but also speaks to the ear with carefully designed pace and rhythm. This reader pauses a beat too long between every sentence, as if each one was written to be paused over and pondered on its own before moving to the next. This is a disservice to carefully written prose and a distraction to the listener.

I will continue to listen to Bernard Cornwell but will seek out works with different readers.

I thought this was a historical romance during war

After all, I got it on sale. But this is the real story of Waterloo, with all it's blood, guts, and absurdity of the royal classes. And I kept going back to find out what happened next. Great book, and the reader was perfect!!

I have always loved Waterloo

The battle of Waterloo was in my opinion fought by two of the best strategists. "Watching" Sharpe and Harper participate is amazing and how they melded into key parts of the battle was great.

The Battle of Waterloo

I’m very glad to have a detailed account of the battle - granted that there are contrary descriptions of what happened.

One of His Best!

Brutal battle of Waterloo!! Description had me on edge of seat! Made me want more on battle!! Great work!!!

Somewhat historically accurate

I initially didn’t like the narrator because his accent was too posh. But since he had to voice numerous characters I appreciated it more. Exciting narration at times. Mostly historically correct although there was literary license since it is a work of fiction. Also the Prince of Orange might not have been such a moron in real life and deeds, there are differing accounts

a suitable end to Sharpe's story

I very much doubt anybody could tell this story like Cornell. Hands down the best historical fiction for warfare there is.

My Favorite - Sharpe Series

What made the experience of listening to Waterloo the most enjoyable?

Access to high quality sound over my iPhone on walks.

What did you like best about this story?

Storyline of Waterloo and historical references.

Have you listened to any of Frederick Davidson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. He consistently reads very will as British which adds to the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

N/A

Any additional comments?

No