Sharp

I just found out about Sharpe's Rifles and all 16 episodes series. I got my hands on them and I am planing to watch them as I await Napoleon Total War.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe%...V_programme%29

Amazing series I must say. I would prefer if it was as gritty as Rome though, as realistic as Cand of Brothers. And less biased towards the British.

That would be an awesome series, should recomend that to the BBC or soemthing...

Given that ITV released a new Sharpe film only last year, that would be tricky.

Not actually Sharp, like Rome apart from in the Napoleonic times, told from both sides...

Really enjoyed this series, also if you have not seen the Hornblower series its pretty awesome as well.

Originally Posted by Reiksmarshal

Really enjoyed this series, also if you have not seen the Hornblower series its pretty awesome as well.

It is indeed. Frogs and Lobsters is an amazing episode that gets me into the mood to play Empire every time :-D

Got the boxed series in the run up to ETW.

One thing you`ll notice about Sharpe is that they couldn`t manage the great numbers of men, obviously due to budget and men do leap about when hit by musket shot(unrealistic). but the rest of it is pretty reaistic and has a down-to-earth dirty quality. i particularly like Sharpe because he doesn`t cow-tow to anyone and is willing to be crucified sometimes for what he believes is right- and sometimes does get it in the neck too!

You`ll notice that while sieges are small scale they did it realistically using cannons on the walls then men try to breach - not a grappling hook in sight.

A pity CA didn`t watch Sharpe before making Empires.

Originally Posted by Valbruch

It is indeed. Frogs and Lobsters is an amazing episode that gets me into the mood to play Empire every time :-D

YES. That was undoubtedly my favourite of the Hornblower productions

Ioan Gruffaud (sp?) apparently wants to make a film.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Fingers crossed, eh?

I read somewhere that they were getting Sean Bean to fill a voicing role for Empire.. o_O Didn't look like that happened. But yeah, they should be there in the game

Originally Posted by Reiksmarshal

Really enjoyed this series, also if you have not seen the Hornblower series its pretty awesome as well.

Yeah i got Hornblower too. Just started Sharpe yestrday. Seems pretty good but Hornblower maybe had a larger budget. But very much alike.

Originally Posted by DoomBunny666

Not actually Sharp, like Rome apart from in the Napoleonic times, told from both sides...

Just imagine a more gritty drama following a regiment in the French or British ranks like in BOB. More realistic, showing what really happens when a man is shot with a musket and stabbed with a bayonet, one thing sharpe series failed to do.

Originally Posted by EireEmerald

Just imagine a more gritty drama following a regiment in the French or British ranks like in BOB. More realistic, showing what really happens when a man is shot with a musket and stabbed with a bayonet, one thing sharpe series failed to do.

sharp was quite low budget originally, so the early TV episodes were like, Sharpe would stab someone, then theyd scream and fall over, just like that.


But the Indian episodes had full blood and all. Although the latest one was simply terrible.

THe BBC should re-do the episodes, witha higher budget and the same cast, of course.

The books are way better. They have all the numbers, gore and character you ever need. Sharpe in the movies is too nice compared to the way he is in the books. In the books he's aggressive to just about everyone he doesn't like and in some cases he just plains murders them like Lt Berry and co in Sharpes Eagle. Berry doesn't die so honourably in the book as he does in the movie.

Sharpes enemies in the books are way more evil then they are in the movies some of the things they get up to is shocking. Genocide, rape, torture and even prostitution of minors in one case. Creme of the crop is Obadiah Hakeswill though, the movies doesn't show just how evil he truly is. They show some of his actions quite well and the actor does a truly amazing job of portraying him but you never see what he's thinking, it's his thoughts which are most disturbing. In the first three Novels Sharpes an enlisted man and Hakeswill makes his life hell. Each time Sharpe disposes of Hakeswill he comes back more evil than before and the fact he comes back again for their final showdown later in the series is amazing. The conflicts between Sharpe and Hakeswill is some of the best writing I've seen in any novel.

Sean Bean truly nailed Sharpe though, I doubt anyone could have gotten it better. Even though Sharpe is from London originally and has black hair it's the spirit which counts and Sean Bean has got it down pat.

As Fenderstat has already said the books are way better, and more accurate in content.

The Sharpe books are written by Bernard Cornwell.
The Hornblower books are written by C.S. Forester
and another series I enjoyed were the Bolitho books written by Alexander Kent

Enjoyable and mood enhancing to read.

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Excellent series. Always liked Harper, and of course Sharpe. Hard not to, nice selection of women he gets to bed.

All of Bernard Cornwell's books have a character just like his Sharpe character, so if you like Sharpe but would like to see him in a different time period Bernards got you covered (Except I think Sharpe is from one of the later time periods). I like Uhtred Uthredson myself.

If we're talking about Rome, that's already been broadcast on the BBC.

I do like Hornblower better.

But to compare the books... hmmm... I'd still go with Hornblower because it's a classic series. I'd compare the Sharpe books to maybe something like Dewey Lambdins nautical series; Alan Lewrie (if I recall) being the protagonist. Then again that's still a nautical/land fiction comparison. And I'd still go with the nautical unless it's just the passage of time that makes me think that his characters come alive to a greater degree. In any case it's all good. Love historical (war) fiction.

I've read a bit of civil war historical fiction (Killer Angels, etc.) but they didn't really get wrapped up in the characters if I recall right.

Originally Posted by Socrates1

I do like Hornblower better.

But to compare the books... hmmm... I'd still go with Hornblower because it's a classic series. I'd compare the Sharpe books to maybe something like Dewey Lambdins nautical series; Alan Lewrie (if I recall) being the protagonist. Then again that's still a nautical/land fiction comparison. And I'd still go with the nautical unless it's just the passage of time that makes me think that his characters come alive to a greater degree. In any case it's all good. Love historical (war) fiction.

I've read a bit of civil war historical fiction (Killer Angels, etc.) but they didn't really get wrapped up in the characters if I recall right.

do hornblower got big battles? like battle of trafalgar or any other?