The Sharpe Books

Cornwell is a prolific historical novelist best known for his Sharpe series, which deals with the exploits of a British soldier in Wellington’s army. Mostly set during the Napoleonic Wars in the Peninsula, Sharpe is a former ranker commissioned after saving the Duke’s life. His various exploits have been made into a series of telemovies, themselves often loosely based on the novels. The broad history is correct, although twentieth century attitudes and sensibilities are sometimes allowed to intrude for entertainment’s sake.