Sharpe's Skirmish

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Sharpe's Skirmish
SharpesSkirmish.jpg
Original 1999 edition
Author Bernard Cornwell
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Series Richard Sharpe stories
Genre Historical short story
Publisher HarperCollins
Publication date
1999 (Original Limited Edition Paperback)
2002 (Revised Extended Paperback edition)
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages63 pp (Revised Extended Paperback edition)
ISBN 978-0-9722220-0-6 (Revised Extended Paperback edition)
OCLC 51160220
Preceded by Sharpe's Sword  
Followed by Sharpe's Enemy  

"Sharpe's Skirmish" is a historical short story by Bernard Cornwell in the Richard Sharpe series.

Contents

"Sharpe's Skirmish" was first written in 1998. British bookseller W. H. Smith [1] devised the idea of giving away a Sharpe short story with every copy of Sharpe's Fortress . This irritated other publishers, and only a few thousand copies were printed. Much later, Cornwell revised the story, which was published by the Sharpe Appreciation Society.

Plot

This short story occurs after Sharpe's Sword in the summer of 1812. Sharpe and his men escort commissary Major Tubbs to an abandoned Spanish fort where a cache of thousands of muskets has been forgotten in the general French retreat in northern Spain. Unbeknownst to the British, French Major Ducos has authorised a surprise raid to threaten the Duke of Wellington's supply lines and hopefully delay the British pursuit long enough for the French to regroup. To accomplish this, the French first need to secure the fort, which guards a bridge across the Tormes River. However, Sharpe stands in the way, and for the first (but by no means last) time thwarts a scheme involving Ducos.

Characters in "Sharpe's Skirmish"

Allusions to actual history, geography and current science

References are made to incidents during the Peninsular War and the Siege of Gawilghur. Lieutenant General Wellington was based on the real historical figure of the same name with limited dramatic licence taken.

Publication history

Related Research Articles

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Sharpe's Prey is the fifth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 2001. The story is set in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars.

<i>Sharpes Rifles</i> 1988 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

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<i>Sharpes Eagle</i> 1981 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe's Eagle is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1981. The story is set in July 1809, in the midst of the Talavera Campaign during the Peninsular War. It was the first Sharpe novel published, but eighth in the series' chronological order.

<i>Sharpes Gold</i> 1981 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe's Gold is the second historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell first published in 1981. The story is set in August 1810 and features the destruction of Almeida during the Peninsular War.

<i>Sharpes Battle</i> 1995 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

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Sharpe's Fury is the eleventh historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2006. The story is set in 1811 during Wellington's campaign in the Iberian peninsula.

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<i>Sharpes Siege</i> 1987 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

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<i>Sharpes Enemy</i> 1984 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe's Enemy: Richard Sharpe and the Defence of Portugal, Christmas 1812 is the fifteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1984. The story is set in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars.

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References

  1. "Roger Clark Art". Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2011.