The Glorious Acceptance of Nicolas Chauvin (2018)
Movie
During an acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award, Nicolas Chauvin, soldier-worker, a...
Cori June (3033 KP) rated His Majesty's Dragon in Books
Oct 25, 2019
Having his world pulled out from under him, Lawrence goes from being a captain of the British Navy to becoming a captain in the Serial Corps. Where he has to unlearn somethings and play catch-up with others in attempt to rejoin the Napoleonic Wars.
I highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers and alt history fans and more
Vanity Fair
4.8
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Book
Becky Sharp is a poor orphan when she first makes friends with the lovely Amelia Sedley at Miss...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Sharpe's Waterloo (1997) in Movies
Jan 8, 2023 (Updated Jan 8, 2023)
As befits such an epic battle, this is an epic retelling of the events of the same (although, as always, liberties are taken and the lack of budget sometimes shows!)
Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower #10)
7.0
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Book
1815, the Napoleonic Wars are over. Yet peace continues to elude Horatio Hornblower overseas; As an...
'Master and Commander'
6.0
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Book
This, the first in the splendid series of Jack Aubrey novels, establishes the friendship between...
Maritime Adventure
David McK (3425 KP) rated Sharpe's Rifles in TV
Jul 11, 2021
I say what-was-then, because - since the culmination of the various TV movies, and even right up to date (the most recent to be released in a few months time, in late 2021), Cornwell has released plenty more such novels, quite a few of which are set even before the start of the Napoleonic Wars, never mind those set 'in-between' the core set of novels; said set of which provided the basis for the TV adaptations.
And that is what these are: an adaptation, rather than a straight re-telling. Sharpe, for instance, is supposed to be a dark haired Londoner rather than fair-haired Cockney (although Sean Bean's portrayal would win over Cornwell, who would later 'retrofit' his character to be closer to Sean Bean). That is probably for the better: literature and film, after all, are two distinct mediums: what works in one may not work in another.
To this day, though, I would still love to see a proper big-screen adaptation, with the budget to match, of one of these stories ...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1) in Books
Aug 27, 2021
As such, this is actually set prior to the Napoleonic Wars, with Sharpe - as the novel starts - a young private in the regiments of Arthur Wellesley's battalion of the 33rd regiment of foot, who are on campaign in India against the Tippoo Sultan of Mysore.
For plot reasons, Sharpe - in the company of William Lawford (who was a character mentioned in the 'original series' as having taught Sharpe how to read, thus making the jump to Sergeant easier) - have to go undercover in Seringapatam, just as that city is about to be besieged by the Allied forces.
It helps that, by doing so - or so Sharpe thinks - he'll be able to escape from the tyrannical Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill: one of those creations that you just love to hate!
David McK (3425 KP) rated Brothers in Arms in Books
Jan 30, 2019
However, an unlike a Sharpe novel, this one never really gripped me: I never really seemed to connect with the title character at all. While it is written as one, this book could also easily be split into three main sections: the first part concentrating on the battle of Oudenarde, the middle part with Steel going undercover in Paris, and the final part with the siege of Lille: it's just a pity that none of these really grips and so, while I may read some more in the series, I won't be going out of my way to look for them.