This was a very odd recording for the novel. It seemed to me that narrators were switched in the middle of story off and on. I love listening to Fre..Show More »derick Davidson, but in parts of this, his voice either changed or someone else was brought in to do the narration. My recording also repeated several times in the 2nd part of this download.

All in all, the book is great but the quality of the narrated product is far below others I've listened to Audible.

I hope this is not a trend that continues.

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I loved this book. Patrick Tull (who narrates many of the famous Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin series).

WARNING - As others have stated..Show More » this version (on Audible) of the audiobook is lacking a considerable amount of the book. I went through the book 3 times trying to figure out if I missed the part where an important plot member is killed. Alas it's simply missing. Thanks to the other readers who compared this version to Local Library copies and noticed the error.

This needs to be fixed as the book shouldn't be sold as "Unabridged" with missing content.

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If you are a fan of Sharpe and Bernard, this one will not disappoint. Being the transitionatory book between Trafalgar and Rifles it provides a glimpe..Show More »s into Sharpe's more sensitive side as well as his savage, vengeful side. I'll say no more.

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I had never read (or listened to) a novel by Cornwell before purchasing and hearing this one. I was instantly hooked and I'm planning to purchase and..Show More » listen to all of the others offered on Audible. The book was superb, the character development was rich and plausible, and the story telling was excellent. My only disappointment is that not all of the "Sharpe" novels are yet available on Audible (a situation I hope they rectify quickly). I might add that the narration by Frederick Davidson is absolutely fantastic. His ability to mimic almost any voice and accent only adds to the richness of the story. I heartily recommend this book to all.

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I am a huge Sharpe fan and have read or listened to all the books at least twice. I do notice that when Mr. Cornwell goes back to insert a battle into..Show More » the original timeline the story is not as crips as before. Mr. Tull does a very fine job but once you listen to Mr. Davidson read, he is so very hard to beat. The story is good. What I am saying is if you have not heard all the other Sharpe stories, start with them and go back and insert these, as Mr. Cornwell did.

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One of the wonderful features of the Sharp's novel is that any one is a stand alone. Cornwell writes the best historical fiction around. Not only does..Show More » he include lots of backround but he is a master of creating swashbuckling characters and great situations.

The rendition of the book was excellent, the characters were 100% in place and believable.

Rent any of the Sharp's books and you won't be dissapointed!

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Great fun, lots of adventure, some history. I liked all of Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's books so much that I was deeply depressed when I finished the la..Show More »st one available at audible. More Please!

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Before James Bond, there was Richard Sharpe. Fighting the King's enemies. Dashing about getting himself into trouble, then pulling out the miraculous ..Show More »escape. And always getting the beautiful girl into his bed. That is our Richard Sharpe.

Bernard Cornwell knows how to write great stories. Yes, they tend to be formulaic, but I love these stories for their sheer bloody enjoyment. The author does an excellent job of building in the actions, patterns, and personalities of the time (as I understand them to be). He also educates you into the military thoughts and concepts of the British army during the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, Portugal, and France. And if the French leaders were are narcissistic as Cornwell suggests, I wonder how they won any battles at all.

The only complaint I have is Patrick Tull as the narrator. I much prefer these stories read by William Gaminara or Frederick Davidson, Tull is not bad and I got used to his accent as the book progressed, but Gaminara and Davidson are better. Personal preference there.

If you like British military history in general, and the Napoleonic Wars in particular, then you will enjoy the Sharpe novels.



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Fredrick Davidson must really enjoy the Sharpe novels. I have listened to him on several different titles and he is always solid but many times he co..Show More »mes across as a precise but aloof narrator. This is not the case with Sharpe as he really comes alive reading Bernard Cornwell's series. I recognize every character by the voice he gives them, without needing the text to guide me, and his Patrick Harper is perfect. The emotions in the words on the page erupt into reality as Davidson tells the story. Other narrators do a quality job with Cornwell's work but Davidson is the best.

This would not be possible of course if Cornwell didn't write such memorable tales. I have listened to every unabridged work by Cornwell that Audible has offered and eagerly await the ones to come.


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I like military fiction as a wonderful form of escapist entertainment. Great beach books. I read all of the 20+ volumes of Patrick O’Brian’s tales o..Show More »f the Royal Navy of 1800 and they were great – generally 5-star. I decided to embark on the Sharpe series as a break from more serious historical reading (or listening). The writing is not of the quality of O’Brian but the stories are real action dramas based on historical events involving the British army complete with “knights in shining armor” and black hearted villains. I have enjoyed three of the series so far. Shades of Horatio Hornblower.

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Another great story from Bernard Cornwell. Cornwell is the master of battle scenes and he brings the battle field to life in this book. I believe th..Show More »is is the first book that he had Sharpe ride in a Calvary charge; Cornwell made me feel as if I was on a horse in the charge! Frederick Davidson did a great job narrating the story. Sharpe wanted Colonel Leroux sword but I was disappointed that in the end he did not keep it or give it to Theresa. In the epilogue I enjoyed Cornwell's description of what the city and area is like today. I would love to take a trip to Portugal and Spain following battles of the French and British.

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Wonderful story [but make sure you read this series in order] with lots of good characters, action and plot. The reader [F. Davidson] is perfect for t..Show More »he story and takes the listener along with him. Definitely worth it.

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Ths sixth book in the series (not counting the prequil) has all the blood and guts, but adds a little more intrigue to the Sharpe equation. While Shar..Show More »pe has mastered war on the battlefield, he still has a long way to go to be a player in Hogan's intelligence war.

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I have listened to all the available Sharpe's series. It is far and away the best spoken series and this one is no exception. I always found myself ..Show More »wondering what would happen next. I found it hard to get out of the car at times so be careful about listening on your way to work. If you enjoy historical fiction you will love this series. I only hope that the rest of the series will become available on Audible.

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Richard Sharpe is to command a company of "Rifles" (not his own company) behind enemy lines and capture a small unguarded French fort. As the British..Show More » Navy is in command of the sea it is easy for the Navy to land Sharpe, the rifle company and a company of Marines behind enemy lines to do the job. Only the Naval Captain tries to take control and undercut Sharpe then when the French attack the Navy leaves. Sharpe is outmaneuvered by Pierre Ducos the French Spy master and Sharpe finds he faces 2000 French troops commanded by a brutal General. Some small battles take place in the first part of the book and the second half of the book is one big battle. Cornwell is the master of the battle scene, he paints a picture that brings it to life for the reader. Lots of suspense and intrigue, his friend, the Scot engineer and counter spy master Hogan dies of the fever in this story. Unlike other books in the series no such battle took place in the war but similar types of raids were made by the British marines and army into France. If you are a fan of this series or enjoy an excellent historical novel this is the book for you.

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I really enjoy this series and reader. The action is engrossing and the history is not too intrusive.

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.

There's no such thing as a bad Sharpe book. Start with Sharpe's Tiger and you'll be hooked for the entire series! This is the final book and wraps up ..Show More »Sharpe, Harper, and Napoleon's careers.

With an interesting back story that I had no idea about (the possibility of which would certainly have left a huge impact to world history), this is a good listen.

But if you've listened to any Sharpe books, you have no need to read this review. If you've not listened to any Sharpe book, this probably isn't the ideal one to start with, since it's the last in the series - go immediately for any other Sharpe novel as your next listen!

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