Sharpe's Havoc

Richard Sharpe in Northern Portugal, 1809

***

This one picks up something like where we left off in "Sharpe's Rifles"; the rag-tag band of 95th Rifles, led by our titular hero, has been beaten up in Northern Portugal by the forces of French Marshal Nicolas Soult. They wind up in and around the city of Oporto just as the chaos of the French attack collapses the Portuguese defenses. Mayhem ensues, and Sharpe et al are cut off from the rest of the Bristish army. They cannot make it across to the south side of the Douro River, and hence are stuck in enemy territory.

Toss in a bit of espionage-flavored intrigue in the form of a certain "Colonel" Christopher (with ties to the British Foreign Office), a semi-love interest named Kate, and an accidental companion in the form of Portuguese Lieutenant Jorge Vicente (novice soldier, and poet, and lawyer), who is also stranded in enemy territory, and you have the makings of a fine story.

In the end, Britain decides to send General Arthur Wellesley to take over the British army in Portugal, rally the troops and push back against the numerically superior Marshal Soult.

It goes, as one would expect from the good General Wellesley, well. Soult's army is ripped to tatters and forced to flee Portugal for the relative safety of Spain, but not without discarding their entire baggage train and field artillery. Ha ha.

A nice read, as per usual.