h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've rescued another Entry on 'Sharpe - The Novels' from the Flea market F74125?thread=820198.

There's some info missing from that, which is in your Entry, so I suggest with the Entry I rescued, info from here, info I know, or can easily find out, between us all we can make a Sharpe Entry suitable to submit to Peer Review.

I will of course add both your names to the other Entry, plus anyone else who supplies needed information.

Interested?...erm

Emmily

I am more than happy to be involved

I'd like to do a bit more to do with the TV series as well as the books... as thats probably what most people remember.

But yeah go right ahead

Heh, I'd just seen it and sent the author a message saying he can nick some of our stuff. Wrong end of stick methinks. Anyway, if we're gonna rescue that one, I'm up for it.

Oh, and check PR for my brand spanking new entry on the Battle of Waterloo...

That's great, Thanks both of you

I think part of the problem with previous attempts at Sharpe Entry's (including my own) was mixing the novels and the TV series together, what I suggest is; doing the Entry in 2 sections, first part of the Entry on the novels, then the tv series. Any opinions on that.

Emmily

Sounds good to me. I think the problem as well is the summarys of each book/episode. It's gonna take a lot of space, plus trying to condense a fairly intricate plot (like that of Revenge or Honour) into two sentences is fairly difficult.

If we just had (for example) Sharpe's Sword - The Battle of Salamanca 18whatever
Sharpe's Revenge - The Peace of 1814, etc.

Just an idea...

Yeah, that's going to need some thought, as the stories are different from the books and tv series. I'm sure we'll find a way round it.

At the moment I want to add an intro about Bernard, so I'll copy some of yours.

Your names are added to the Entry and I'll change the title to include the TV series..

Might be easier if we start a thread on the Entry to discuss what we're gonna do.

I've read some of the books, but am more familiar with the TV series, and have the full lot on DVD, and also a book 'Sharpe's Story The Making of a Hero' so I'll probably have to ask quite a few questions about the books.

Emmily

We're clued up on the books!

First question about the books

Was Harper a Chosen man in the books? This Entry doesn't list him as one, a bit puzzling to me.

Emmily

Did the chosen men actually exist in the books? As I recall that was an invetion of the TV series... sort of a Napoleonic dirty dozen

The chosen men weren't really a big deal in the books, at least not to the level they were on TV. Chosen Man simply meant that squad command would pass on to that person if the NCO in charge was absent, and as far as can be ascertained Daniel Hagman was the 'Chosen Man' (now Lt Corporal) for Sharpe's squad of the 95th Rifles, although he was simply a private when he became part of the South Essex.

Pat Harper was simply 'Rifleman Harper' in his one paragraph cameo in Sharpe's Prey (Battle/siege of Copenhagen), and he was still 'Rifleman' in Sharpe's Rifles. He was then made Sergeant by the end of Rifles, busted down to private (as he was serving in a redcoat batallion, the South Essex) in Company before being made RSM in Sharpe's Regiment (if memory serves). He is busted to private again in Revenge so that he can become Sharpe's manservant so he can leave the army (feigning death) when Sharpe retired to Dorset (never happened) and is simply Mr. Harper, a civilian, in Sharpe's Waterloo and Devil.

Told you I was clued up on the books!

*hides copy of the Sharpe Companion*

Ok, this is what I've put about the chosen men in the novel section:

"The chosen men were not in Bernard’s early novels. They were introduced to Sharpe to give him a close-knit group of associates when the books were adapted for a television series in the 1980s. Bernard then wrote them into some of his later books, which were not written in chronology order, more of filling in the gaps between the years of previous books."

looking at your Entry you have Harper as a chosen man, my already I'll list him as a chosen man, unless you shout 'No he's not'

Emmily

Yeah, go for it. It's all confusing anyway...

I've solved the problem of the Entry being too long by having 2 Entries, one on the novels, the other on the TV Series, joined by 'top links' if you take a look at A5212874 you'll see what I mean all names are on both Entries, we'll submit them to PR at the same time when they are both ready.

Could I ask you to subscribe to both pages please, then we'll all know about any conversations started on them.

Something we're going to have to be careful of now, is not repeating same info in both Entries. As the chosen men are more TV than novel, I'll be removing their description from novels to TV, and just leave a passing reference to them in the novels. Unless anyone thinks any of the chosen men deserve more than just a passing reference.

Anything else anyone can think of which is in the novels, but more relevent to TV?

Emmily

Just dropping in at Emmily's invitation to say hi

I'm more up on the books than the series () but I don't think I'm such an expert as you lot (at least - I don't have the Sharpe Companion... yet) but I'll have a look. you never know.

I have the companion, it's the most useful tool I could have on a venture like this.

Well, I would get it (it sounds fascinating) but given my current HP fling, and my ongoing LOTR/Tolkien kick, might be a tad more justified in his scowl and epithet of "sad geek" which he throws at me at regular intervals.

erm...we seem to have stopped communicating, have I done something to annoy you Psycorp and Terran? (I know's Sho's busy) If there's a problem, no matter what it is, with the way I'm/we're dealing with the Novels and TV Series Entries please let me know.

Emmily

I've been on Jury service all week, I'm trying to finish my Waterloo entry and I'm going to Norwich at 5am tomorrow for a footy match. Other things on the to-do list, that's all it is!

i just got a bit worried that I was being too bossy or something, glad to hear there's not a problem.

I'll carry on with the Entries, and keep you informed with what I'm doing.

I was reading the info books while on holiday, I noticed some of the info from the Flea Market Entry is almost word for word the same, that may have been coincidence by the other author, but it breaks the house rules on copyright, so I'll have to change it, or we'll be in trouble.

Emmily