Richard Sharpe is the creation of author Bernard Cornwell. In 1980, Cornwell lived in a London basement flat and was due to marry his American girlfriend, and move there to live with her. Unfortunately he could not get a work permit, and so decided to become a writer, as it was a profession that did not require a work permit (or green card as it is known).

Bernard Cornwell wanted to write a land-based version of CS Forester's   Hornblower, a fictional hero in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The aim was to create a character as dramatic as Horatio Hornblower. He named this main character after a well-known 1960s rugby player: Richard Sharp, but simply added an 'e' to the end of his surname. Richard Sharpe was born.

Some of the novels are written about well-known forts and villages and the battles surrounding them from the Peninsular War; others were invented by Cornwell. At the end of almost every book, where appropriate, are a few pages of historical notes about the events and main battle fought within its pages.

Although the novels present a consistent basic story, they can be read in any order. Cornwell has written the series in such a way that the reader can learn enough about Sharpe's history from any of the novels not to be confused; this is cleverly revealed in dribs and drabs - his rise from the ranks, his victorious battles, his friends, his enemies and his women.

Introducing Sharpe

Rifleman Richard Sharpe is an officer in Wellington's army. However, he is not a 'gentleman' in the accepted use of the word; in an army where breeding was more highly valued than the talent to lead men. It was not unusual for Sharpe to be under the command of a superior officer who had never seen a battle, or heard the drums of the approaching French enemy. Unlike the other officers who have money, power and connections in high places to acquire their positions, Sharpe had been raised from the ranks and promoted due to out-standing acts of bravery and heroics.

Richard Sharpe's Early Years

The character Richard Sharpe was born the illegitimate child of a London prostitute in the late 1700's. Abandoned by his mother at the age of four, Sharpe spent the next five years in a Foundling Home; put to work picking ships' tar encrusted ropes apart from dawn to dusk. When he was nine years old the young Richard discovered that the staff at the Foundling home were trying to sell as a climbing boy to a chimney sweep, knowing the life, and probable early death that would lead to, he ran away from the Foundling Home, and joined London's slum world of petty crime; where there was work for a nimble child, illegal work, but work that got him by and kept him alive.

It was in the slums where Richard met Maggie Joyce. Maggie took Richard under her wing; she was like the mother he had never had. When Richard was 16 years old, he caught two men violently attacking Maggie; he stopped them, and in doing so, accidentally killed one of them. Fearing vengeance, he runaway, took the King George’s shilling and enlisted in the army. Many years later, Maggie helps to save Sharpe's life in Sharpe's Regiment.

Sharpe the Soldier

Private Sharpe was just 17 when he first saw action serving under Arthur Wellesley, as part of the 33rd Foot regiments campaign in Flanders. He would go on to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant whilst still with the 33rd Foot in India but it was on the 23 September, 1803 at The Battle of Assaye that Sergeant Sharpe's life as a soldier changed direction. When he saw General Wellesley dismounted from his horse, and at the mercy of Indian troops, he courageously fought them off, until Wellesley was on his feet and fighting beside Sharpe. Earning himself the gratitude of Wellesley, a field commission and his most treasured possession: a telescope with a brass plaque inscribed - In gratitude. AW. September 23 1803 presented from Wellesley.

From the first in the series of novels Sharpe is congratulated for his bravery at Assaye, (as well as other victories) however it would be many novels and nearly 18 years later that Cornwell wrote the full story of how thousands of men died at The Battle of Assaye, but Sir Arthur Wellesley's life was saved by Sharpe in Sharpe's Triumph.

Sharpe the Officer

Richard Sharpe is 6ft tall with dark hair, he has a scar on his right cheek, which gives him a mocking look. On his back he carries the scars of an unjust flogging from his earlier days in the army as a Private. He wears his tattered and patched green jacket; a Rifleman's jacket with pride; regardless of the colours of the uniform of the Regiment he in command of. On his feet he wears knee-high French boots, taken from a dead Frenchman after a battle. He arms himself with a Baker Rifle and an officers sword. Traditionally an officer had a sabre in his scabbard. However, Sharpe, not being a traditional officer carried 35-inch heavy cavalry sword; sometimes referred to as a 'butchers sword' by other officers.

Sharpe had a strong dislike for privilege and wealth, and often found himself under the command of less experienced officers than himself. While commissioned officers could purchase their promotions after a fixed time-period, Sharpe had to earn his, and even then until appropriate personnel at Horse Guards had accepted and confirmed in writing a gazette to a higher officer rank, it could easily be withdrawn or purchased.

Sharpe was seen in many different ways: an upstart from the ranks, a rogue, brave, a bastard son of a peasant whore, victorious, gallant, but most of all he was seen as being lucky; sometimes by his enemies, including French officers as well as his own side. To Sharpe, failure was never an acceptable outcome of any mission he was given charge of.

Some of Sharpe's luck could be accounted for by his wit, cunningness, ruthlessness and trickery as witnessed in Sharpe's Honour. After the incompetence of a Quartermaster, Major Sharpe's infantry battalion lost all their muskets' ammunition. With an attack from the French imminent, at the odds of fifteen hundred; including French infantry, cavalry, and guns (cannon) to four hundred English infantry and Captain Frederickson's company of 60th Riflemen. Sharpe managed to persuade the French General to surrender, with no deaths or injuries to Sharpe's men, and just seven French deaths, and 21 wounded. And that was just in the first chapter.

It was not all glory and victory for Sharpe; he had his low times too. It was during one of these low times in Sharpe's Prey, while drowning his sorrows in a tavern that a general noted Sharpe's natural talents as a soldier and a leader. General Baird told Lieutenant Sharpe:

There are three kinds of soldier, Sharpe, he said. There are the damned useless ones, and God knows there's an endless supply of those. Then there are the good solid lads who get the job done, but would piss in their breeches if you didn't show them how their buttons worked. And then there's you and me. Soldiers' soldiers, that's who we are. He continued. The politicians get the world into tangles, then ask their armies to make things right. We do their dirty work, Sharpe, and we're good at it. Very good. You might not be the best officer in King George's army, but you're a bloody fine soldier. And you like the life, don't tell me you don't.

Sharpe would go on to become one of the best leaders and most respected officers in Wellington's army. He believed that a soldier was only as good as his last battle, and strived to make every battle the best for himself and the men under his command.

Sharpe's rules: The army issued regulations and rules in big thick books; Sharpe imposed three simple, basic rules on the men in his command.

1. To fight well
2. Not to get drunk without permission
3. Not to steal, except from the enemy or when starving

In his 25 years as a professional soldier, Sharpe suffered 11 serious wounds. Despite these, Sharpe always came out on top with 65 confirmed enemy kills and countless injuries with his heavy cavalry sword, a 'brown bess musket' or the state of the art Baker rifle.

Sharpe's War

The novels tell the stories of Sharpe's battles; not only with the enemy, but with the men, officers and allies on his own side.

Sharpe Novel's Timeline

Cornwell did not write the novels in chronological order. As the Sharpe books gained popularity he decided to bring to life the battles which he had referenced to in the earlier books.

India

• Sharpe's Tiger (Published in 1997)

Richard Sharpe and The Siege of Seringapatam (1799)

• Sharpe's Triumph (Published in 1998)

Richard Sharpe and The Battle of Assaye (1803)

• Sharpe's Fortress (Published in 1999)

Richard Sharpe and the siege of Gawilghur(1803)

Between Campaigns

• Sharpe's Trafalgar (Published in 2000)

Richard Sharpe and The Battle of Trafalgar (1805)

• Sharpe's Prey (Published in 2001)

Richard Sharpe and The Expedition to Copenhagen (1807)

The Peninsular War

The Peninsular War lasted from 1808-1814.

• Sharpe's Rifles (Published in 1988)

Richard Sharpe and the French Invasion of Galicia (1809)

• Sharpe's Havoc (Published in 2003)

Richard Sharpe in 1809 in Oporto, Portugal

• Sharpe's Eagle (Published in 1981)

Richard Sharpe and
The Talavera Campaign (1809)

• Sharpe's Gold (Published in 1981)

Richard Sharpe and The Destruction of Almeida (1810)

• Sharpe's Esscape (Published in 2004 )

Richard Sharpe and The Bussaco Campaign (1811)

• Sharpe's Battle (Published in 1995)

Richard Sharpe and the The Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro (1811)

• Sharpe's Company (Published in 1982)

Richard Sharpe and The Siege of Badajoz (1812)

• Sharpe's Sword (Published in 1983)

Richard Sharpe and The Salamanca Campaign (1812)

• Sharpe's Enemy (Published in 1984)

Richard Sharpe and the Defence of Portugal (1812)

• Sharpe's Honour (Published in 1985)

Richard Sharpe and The Vitoria Campaign (1813)

• Sharpe's Regiment (Published in 1986)

Richard Sharpe and the invasion of France (1813)

• Sharpe's Siege (Published in 1987)

Richard Sharpe and the Winter Campaign (1814)

• Sharpe's Revenge (Published in 1989)

Richard Sharpe and the Peace of 1814.

• Sharpe's Waterloo (Published in 1990)

Richard Sharpe and The Waterloo Campaign (1815)

• Sharpe's Devil (Published in 1992)

Richard Sharpe and the Emperor (1820-21)

Special Publications

As well as the novels, Cornwell has written three short stories about Sharpe. In 1994 the Daily Mail requested Cornwell to write a short Christmas themed Sharpe story. They required a story of 12,000 words which could be split into three 4,000 word sections to publish in their newspaper over the 1994 Christmas holiday. Cornwell obliged with Sharpe's Christmas, set in 1813 after Sharpe's Regiment. This was repeated for the Christmas holiday in 1995 with Sharpe's Ransom, set 1816, during the peacetime after Sharpe's Waterloo.

Sharpe's Skirmish - Richard Sharpe and the defence of the Tormes, August 1812 was published in 1998 for WH Smith. Only one thousand copies of this limited edition were produced: it was a promotional initiative, where a free copy was given with every copy of Sharpe's Fortress. There were numerous problems including other booksellers' complaints that they did not have free copies.

In 2002, The Sharpe Appreciation Society published a revised and extended edition of Sharpe's Skirmish. In 2003, they published Sharpe's Christmas, which contains revised and extended versions of the two Daily Mail short stories: Sharpe's Christmas and Sharpe's Ransom.

Bernard Cornwell on Sharpe's Retirement:

Sharpe though is settled in Normandy. I suspect he has had enough excitement for one life, and I like to think he dies of old age in his chosen exile. There were many like him, old soldiers and sailors who carried their memories of Waterloo and Trafalgar, Salamanca and Badajoz into the Victorian age, where, unseen by us, Sharpe must fade away.