Sink Me, If The Library ain't open. Book and film reviews and the like.

The Brigadier and Lord Shuteye relax in the comfort of The Library, with a fine brandy and a quality read.

"frightfully thirsty work, this reading game, what?"

Recommended 18th Century Club Reading

Of course for the likes of anyone in the 18th Century Club there can be nothing finer that to settle one’s self down in a comfy leather upholstered chair, order your man to fetch forth the brandy and cigars and dive into a copy of Bernard Cornwells’ Sharpe. This fine compendium of richly embroiled octavo cannot fail but to inspire one. We cannot recommend highly enough this series of handsomely written tomes.

The full list of books to date:

Sharpe’s Tiger – The Siege of Seringapatam  - 1799
Sharpe’s Triumph – The Battel of Assayre, September 1803
Sharpe’s Fortress – The Siege of Gawlighur, December 1803
Sharpe’s Trafalgar – The Battle of Trafalgar, October 1805
Sharpe’s Prey – The Siege of Copenhagen 1807
Sharpe’s Rifles – The invasion of Galicia, January 1809
Sharpe’s Havoc – The Peninsular, Oporto, 1809
Sharpe’s Eagle – The Talavera Campaign, July 1809
Sharpe’s Gold – The Destruction of Almeida, August 1810
Sharpe’s Escape – The Battle of Busaco, 1810
Sharpe’s Battle – The Battle of Fuentes de Onoro, May 1811
Sharpe’s Fury – Based on the real events of the Winter at Barossa, 1811
Sharpe’s Company – The Siege of Bahajoz, January to April 1812
Sharpe’s Sword – The Salamanca Campaign, June to July 1812
Sharpe’s Enemy – The Defence of Portugal, Christmas 1812
Sharpe’s Honour – The Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813
Sharpe’s Regiment – The invasion of France, June to November 1813
Sharpe’s Siege – The Winter Campaign, 1814
Sharpe’s Revenge – The Peace of 1814
Sharpe’s Waterloo – The Waterloo Campaign, 15 June to 18 June 1815
Sharpe’s Devil – The Emperor, 1820-21

Sharpe’s Skirmish – A short story by Bernard Cornwell
Sharpe’s Christmas – Two short stories by Bernard Cornwell

You could do worse than visit Bernard Cornwell’s site for more information.

http://www.bernardcornwell.net/

And while you are at it why not check out this site.

http://www.southessex.co.uk/

Now when you have finished these masterfully written books as you surely must, you could do worse than to tuck into a copy of Gary Kilworths Fancy ‘Jack’ Crossman series. Much in the vain of Sharpe but set against the backdrop of the Crimea.

The Devils Own
The Valley of Death
Soldiers in the Mist
The Winter Soldiers
Attack on the Redan
Brothers of the Blade

http://garry-kilworth.com/historicalwar.php

Now what have we here? Why the eagle eyed Impress spotted this weighty tome and Lord Shuteye sums it up nicely.

“Well I never!  I say sir, they’ve captured you to the very inch.
Let’s have a flick through: “Into the (Primrose) Valley of Death”; “All Quiet Eastern Foreshore”; “To Hull and Back”;” The Mysterious Adventures of the Hunmanby Flyer”; “Chobway or the Highway?”; “The Strange Case of The Murchison Street Mauler”….. bloody hell! What a corking read!!!! Too shocking for the ladies, though!”

Sadly out of print nowadays but you may come across a copy in some far-flung and dusty corner of some forgotten book emporium. Good hunting.

Well no sooner have we brought to your attention the above founder members tome then along came these master-pieces. It would appear that we have all been in print at one time or another.

and this

or indeed this

or

and

even

So dear readers do take our advice and grab a copy of any of the above. You will not be disappointed.