Sharpe’s Prey

Product Information

He is mentioned in passing in the subsequent novels as having returned to England and resumed his political activities, in particular helping to implement the new income tax, and becomes "Commissioner of the Excise". Firing the shot that wounded the Prince of Orange during the Battle of Waterloo, forcing him to retire from the field (in reality, this shot was most likely fired by a French skirmisher); Rifleman Nicholas Hine is one of the original 50 riflemen cut off from Sir John Moores army during the retreat to Corunna though he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. Rifleman Hine was first mentioned in Sharpe's Havoc where he fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. In Sharpe's Eagle it is revealed that just over 30 rifleman survived the retreat to Corunna and Hine would have been one of them. He would have fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but also was not mentioned in Sharpe's Gold where it states that there are 20 surviving riflemen. [22] Hine also partook in the battle of Bussaco in Sharpe's Escape where it is mentioned that Sharpe only has 18 riflemen left. Hine was mentioned in Sharpe's Battle where he was involved in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro. In Sharpe's Company Sharpe has 11 surviving riflemen and in Sharpe's Enemy he has ten which included Harper. Hine wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Hine did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. He is described as being born in Staffordshire, over six feet tall, and popular with the other men. Despite being a very competent and reliable rifleman, Hine is also known to be over-confident and on occasions arrogant. Given the subject matter there isn’t much in the way of major battle scenes, this has a bit more of a cloak and dagger theme. Of course being Sharpe this actually transforms into a cloak and seven-barrelled gun theme! Quite how you hide one of them under a cloak is of course open to question if you should choose to . . . As a result of this close encounter with death, Hakeswill was convinced that he was unkillable and protected by God and the spirit of his mother. He extended this reverence to mothers in general, "Mothers were sacred... Mothers were Obadiah Hakeswill's guardian angels" ( Sharpe's Tiger) and in Sharpe's Enemy, he protects his hostage Josefina LaCosta when she lies that she came to a church in the town of Adrados to pray for the health of her own mother. Sharpe's Enemy also hints that Hakeswill's mother was actually abusive of him before his hanging, but those memories have been eclipsed by his belief that she sent his uncle to save him.

He enjoys a successful second career in Dublin as a horse dealer (many of which are stolen) and owner of a public house. Lieutenant John Berry only appeared in Sharpe's Eagle both in the novels and television series. In the novel, he is described as "overweight, with fleshy lips" and "petulant", whereas in the TV series he is reasonably fit and, although "not exactly top-drawer" (probably meaning that he's not an upper-echelon aristocrat but actually upper-middle class or even possibly a bastard son) far more worldly than his friend Gibbons, a far better gambler and far less scrupulous in getting what he wants. In the novel, Sharpe deliberately kills him the night before the Battle of Talavera in retaliation for his and Gibbons' rape of Josefina LaCosta, while in the television series he ambushes Sharpe the night before the battle in an attempt to murder him but while taunting Sharpe is himself killed by Harper; in both cases, he is presumed to have been killed by the French. The South Essex is assigned the relatively easy mission of linking up with an allied Spanish regiment and escorting Hogan to a point on the River Tagus to destroy a bridge that the French could use. In a minor skirmish with a French cavalry patrol, however, Simmerson's appalling judgement leads to the loss of a substantial number of men, and the loss of one of his regiment's two colours (presented by the king and representing the regiment's honour). Rifleman Daniel Hagman is the oldest man in Sharpe's company and, over the entire course of the novels, its best marksman. [19] Hagman is one of the Chosen Men and appears in nearly all the original Sharpe novels and television series. Sharpe initially thought of Hagman as being too lazy to be considered for sergeant. [20] Although he doesn't know exactly when he was born, he is described as being between forty and fifty years old, and missing most of his teeth. He has "a face like a grave-digger, hair down to his shoulder blades" ( Sharpe's Skirmish). He had been a poacher in Cheshire, as had been his father. When caught, he was given the choice of prison or the army. He chose the army, leaving his wife, a "God-damned sawney mouthed bitch of a sodding witch" behind ( Sharpe's Rifles). Sharpe wondered how he'd ever been caught since he had an uncanny ability to find his way in the dark and assumed he must have been drunk ( Sharpe's Gold). Hagman was one of the very few who had not got insensibly drunk with the rest of the company in Sharpe's Rifles. Rifleman Finn first appeared in Sharpe's Battle however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Finn fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera although he was not mentioned in Sharpe's Eagle. He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Gold and also partook in Sharpe's Escape during the battle of Bussaco. He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro [14] and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in Sharpe's Sword but he wasn't mentioned. Finn went onto fight alongside Sharpe in Sharpe's Enemy but he wasn't mentioned at all. Finn wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Finn did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. Finn was part of the Irish contingent of Sharpe's Riflemen along with Harper, Slattery and Donnelly.Destroying the Army of Deserters and taking their leader "Marshal Pot-au-Feu" Deron captive (Cornwell notes that the historic Deserters' Army was finally destroyed by the French, though they did hand British deserters over, as shown in the novel); Five years after Waterloo in Sharpe's Devil he had grown very fat. Ironically, as Harper was not wounded throughout the Peninsular War, he is wounded for the first time in Chile while there with Sharpe attempting to locate Blas Vivar, the Spaniard who rescued them in Sharpe's Rifles. Sharpe is born to a whore in the rookeries of London. Orphaned at an early age, he grows up in poverty. He is eventually taken in by prostitute (and later bar owner) Maggie Joyce and becomes a thief. He has to flee the city after killing a man to protect Maggie.

His first name is never revealed in the series and in fact a joke is made of this in his final scene, with Hagman asking him what it is. Gazetted by General Wellesley as a captain after saving the Regimental Colour of the South Essex Battalion at Valdelacasa. Rifleman Jedediah Horrell first appeared in Sharpe's Eagle however he would have accompanied Sharpe in the retreat to Corunna but was he was never mentioned in Sharpe's Rifles. He fought in the First Battle of Oporto and also partook in the Second Battle of Oporto which he survived. Horrell fought with Sharpe in the Battle at Talavera in Sharpe's Eagle. [23] He also participated in the destruction of Almeida but wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Gold and also partook in Sharpe's Escape during the battle of Bussaco. Horrell featured in Sharpe's Battle. [18] He partook in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro [7] in and went to fight with Sharpe in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Siege of Badajoz. He went on to fight in the Battle of Salamanca in Sharpe's Sword but he wasn't mentioned. Horrell went onto fight alongside Sharpe in Sharpe's Enemy but he wasn't mentioned at all. Horrell wasn't mentioned in Sharpe's Honour, Regiment, Christmas, Siege, Revenge, or Waterloo. Either Horrell did not fight at Waterloo or he was killed prior to the battle. He is described as a good man, a sturdy labourer from the Midlands. [24]

Buy Sharpe’s Prey Now

The small band of surviving riflemen (from the 95th Rifles) join with Spanish Major Don Blas Vivar, not realizing at first that he has his own agenda. They try to stir the Spanish in the city of Santiago de Compostela to fight for the cause of Spain against Napoleon.

He enjoys reading books, especially philosophy and is the intellectual member of the company. In the books the educated Rifleman was Isaiah Tongue, killed in Sharpe's Gold. Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. After spending the rest of the day at the British-allied town, Berkeley leads a night assault on the French fort. Simmerson, however, who trades with the French, warns them they are coming. Berkeley, leading from the front, is killed almost immediately with Sharpe at his side.At the end of the novel, when the South Essex is positioned on the British flank during the Battle of Talavera, Simmerson panics and starts to withdraw the regiment, before he is ignominiously relieved from his post by William Lawford. Restored to rank of captain in the South Essex Battalion after successfully leading an unofficial forlorn hope to take the third breach of Badajoz and the death of several captains in the Battalion.