Sharpe's Rifles
Book
In the bitter winter of 1809 the French are winning the war
in Spain and Britain's forces are retreating towards Corunna,
with Napoleon's victorious armies in pursuit. Lieutenant Richard
Sharpe and a detachment of Riflemen are cut off from the British
army and surrounded by enemy troops. Their only hope of escape
is to accept the help of an unlikely ally, a Spanish cavalry
officer, Major Blas Vivar.
Unknown to Sharpe, the Spaniard harbours a desperate and quixotic
ambition which will lead to a suicidal assault on the holy
city of Santiago de Compastela and a savage fight against overwhelming
French numbers. Sharpe's determination must be tested to its
limit if victory is to be snatched from disaster.