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Book Description
Sharpe's Christmas contains two short stories, Sharpe's Christmas and Sharpe's Ransom. Sharpe's Christmas is set in 1813, towards the end of the Peninsular War and falls after Sharpe's Regiment. Sharpe's Ransom comes after Sharpe's Waterloo, is set in peacetime and provides of glimpse of Sharpe's life in Normandy with Lucille.
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The two soldiers crouched at the edge of the field. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The two soldiers crouched at the edge of the field. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
172 of 174 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Both of these stories were originally written for & published by the DailyMail. They were intended to be 12,000 words long (exactly!) & werepublished in the Christmas editions of the paper to pad out the rathersparse holiday editions. Bernard Cornwell writes a very amusing intro tothe book describing this process. He's since rewritten both stories &padded them out with a little more detail. Both stories aim to have someChristmas spirit, but as Mr. Cornwell says "Sharpe isn't well known forwishing peace & goodwill to his fellow man"..quite the opposite infact!
The first story "Sharpes Christmas" is set in the Pyrenees during thewinter of 1813 & fits in just after the events of "Sharpes Regiment".Sharpe is tasked with stopping a French garrison escape from Spain throughthe mountains. The garrison is lead by Colonel Guidon (from SharpesTiger), a man described by Sharpe as "the best officer he ever met". Its astandard "Sharpe easily defeating massed columns of French" story but theconclusion is quite suprising & unusually touching (at least by Sharpestandards!)
The second story "Sharpes Ransom" is set in Normandy after Waterloo.Sharpe is trying to settle down with his new woman, Lucille & son, but thelocal villagers are unhappy about "an englishman" living with them. WhenLucille is kidnapped Sharpe has to win over the locals....fast. Many ofthe events described refer directly to "Sharpe's revenge". If you haven'tread it for a while a refresher is recommended. I enjoyed thepost-Waterloo Sharpe & personally I think there's more opportunity for afull novel here than in the rather contrived "Sharpes Waterloo".
Both stories are short & can be read in an hour or two. This makes itquite an expensive buy, but all profits from the book are split between"the Sharpe Appreciation society" & "the Bernard & Judy CornwellFoundation"- a charity for youngsters based in Cornwells adopted home onCape Cod. If you're not a die-hard Sharpe fan you may not fully appreciateit, but its a nice addition to the collection.
The first story "Sharpes Christmas" is set in the Pyrenees during thewinter of 1813 & fits in just after the events of "Sharpes Regiment".Sharpe is tasked with stopping a French garrison escape from Spain throughthe mountains. The garrison is lead by Colonel Guidon (from SharpesTiger), a man described by Sharpe as "the best officer he ever met". Its astandard "Sharpe easily defeating massed columns of French" story but theconclusion is quite suprising & unusually touching (at least by Sharpestandards!)
The second story "Sharpes Ransom" is set in Normandy after Waterloo.Sharpe is trying to settle down with his new woman, Lucille & son, but thelocal villagers are unhappy about "an englishman" living with them. WhenLucille is kidnapped Sharpe has to win over the locals....fast. Many ofthe events described refer directly to "Sharpe's revenge". If you haven'tread it for a while a refresher is recommended. I enjoyed thepost-Waterloo Sharpe & personally I think there's more opportunity for afull novel here than in the rather contrived "Sharpes Waterloo".
Both stories are short & can be read in an hour or two. This makes itquite an expensive buy, but all profits from the book are split between"the Sharpe Appreciation society" & "the Bernard & Judy CornwellFoundation"- a charity for youngsters based in Cornwells adopted home onCape Cod. If you're not a die-hard Sharpe fan you may not fully appreciateit, but its a nice addition to the collection.
80 of 83 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not a book - it is two short stories
Be warned - two great Sharpe short stories - but that is it - this is a very thin volume - don't expect the usual Sharpe novel. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Mr Rodney J Webb
a very thin volume, but excellent
I didn't realise that this was going to be such a thin book when I ordered it as a Christmas present, but on Christmas Day, it was discovered to have been signed by the author,... Read more
Published 18 months ago by D. Gallimore
Sharpes Christmas reveiw.
I read this book and was pleasantly surprised to both the contents and to how enjoyable it was.
It contains two stories including all the best known characters that we're used... Read more
It contains two stories including all the best known characters that we're used... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mark
Sharpes Christmas
When I received this very small b thin book I was very disappointed as I thought it would have been a more substantial book and not a what I think is a thin pamphlet. Read more
Published 23 months ago by jimbob
very.. very.. short!
good tale. But oh dear me it realy is very short. I wouldn't mind so much if the price wasn't so high! the whole book is just a quater of an inch thick. not great value for money.
Published on 5 May 2010 by M. Madden
Good short story
Almost like a booklet than a book, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down until I finished it
Published on 2 July 2009 by W. Faulkner
Short but sweet
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2008 by chuckles
Sharpe's Christmas
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2008 by Captain Wingspan
Short but enjoyable
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr... Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2007 by SJ SMART
Sarpe's Rip-Off
Too expensive. Did he write this on the toilet? Both stories are very good if sparse and spartan. Too light compared with the usual jam-packed adventures WITH details and... Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2004
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