Sharpe's Company

Richard Sharpe at the Siege of Badajoz, 1812

***

Sharpe gets to partake in two sieges in the Peninsular War. First up is Ciudad Rodrigo, the northern barrier to Spain. Second is the much larger and better defended fortress of Badajoz, one of the bloodiest battles of the Napoleonic Wars. Estimates say the British army suffered 4800 killed in a few short hours of intense fighting. Wellesley wanted to hasten the conclusion of the siege, as he was concerned about the approach of French reinforcements. Many thought the siege cannons needed more time to open the breaches in the walls and further reduce the French defenses.

When General Wellesley beheld the aftermath, with hundreds and hundreds of dead British soldiers piled against the defenses, he wept openly. And cursed the British government for not properly funding and equipping his Peninsular army.

At the conclusion of the siege, which was actually the third British siege of the Badajoz fortress, Wellesley commanded the Portugal-Spain frontier, and had secured his path into the heart of French held Spain. Now we're getting somewhere!

In this book we see the return of a horrible human piece of trash: Sergeant Obadiah bloody Hakeswill. Hakeswill joins Sharpe's company and sows his discord, as befitting his status as a world-class malcontent. Sharpe wants to kill him. Harper wants to kill him. Sharpe's new/old ladyfriend Teresa wants to kill him.The rest of the regiment wants to kill him. After much conniving, the disgusting brute manages to get away. We haven't seen this guy since way back in Sharpe's Tiger (the first book in the Richard Sharpe adventure story). My gut (and some research on Wikipedia) says we haven't seen the last of ol' Obadiah Hakeswill just yet.

The Letter of Marque

Aubrey & Maturin and the now Private Man of War, Surprise c. 1812

***

Since last we met up with our heroic pair, Lucky Jack Aubrey has been struck from the Royal Navy lists and the recently very rich Stephen Maturin has purchased their old ship, Surprise. He has also obtained from his connections in the intelligence services a Letter of Marque, making the Surprise into an official privateer. What is more, Stephen has obtained another special letter, preventing the officers and crew from being impressed into service aboard any other Royal Navy ships. 

On a first cruise, training the new privateers in the ways of the Surprise, Luck Jack earns his name again by capturing a string of enemy vessels as easy as kiss my hand, honey. May I give you joy of the day.

Of course, Stephen and his connections are also a great source for secret missions, off the books. In this case Whitehall wants the new privateer to do something about a French frigate, Diane, moored at St. Martin's. What follows is a wonderfully exciting cutting-out mission; and guess what? Aubrey is even more successful, arriving back in jolly old England with a new string of prizes and a treasure trove of intelligence-related papers. The scuttlebutt around the capstan is that Aubrey may just be reinstated in the lists; the public loves him (and hated the trumped up scandal of late attached to his name). The coup de grace? Following the death of General Aubrey, Jack's father, our hero is approached by a powerful old cousin and asked to become a member of Parliament in his father's stead. Whoah! Basically a done deal with the whole reinstatement (even with preserving his seniority on the Post Captain list). The situation will take some time to work its way through the system (hopefully we're back in the Royal Navy by next book).

Maturin has a touching reunion with his estranged wife, Diana Villiers. Things seem good on that front again, perhaps better than ever. Just lay off the tincture of laudanum, Stephen. AND Padeen.