Sharpe's Christmas: Two Short Stories (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series) Paperback – January 1, 2003

The book itself fulfilled all expectations. Its third-party seller (TheBookPurveyors) seems to be more than reliable, as the item arrived several days earlier than estimated.

Sharpe's Christmas is two short stories that are a great addition to the Richard Sharpe series. They are quick reads. They were written for publication in Christmastime editions of the British newspaper the Daily Guardian. One story is "Sharpe's Christmas" set near the end of Peninsular War and the other is "Sharpe's Ransom" set after his retirement to Normandy. We get to see a little action in each, but we also get to see a slightly softer side of Sharpe.In Christmas, Sharpe is dispatched to stop the retreat from Spain of French troops on Christmas eve. He meets an old enemy who he both likes and respects. The feeling is mutual. They reach an accommodation that allows both to leave the field with honor and success.In Ransom, also set at Christmas, Sharpe’s home is invaded and his family is placed in danger. To overcome the invaders, he must gain the friendship of the nearby French villagers who don’t trust him because he served with the enemy. All ends well.The proceeds of this book benefit the Sharpe Appreciation Society and the Bernard and Judy Cornwell Foundation. The former promotes understanding of the soldiers who fought in the Peninsular War and France in the early 19th century and the latter supports scholarships for young people in Cape Cod. If you are a Sharpe fan, consider purchasing for the $8 paperback from Amazon.

Years ago I read and enjoyed Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series. I recently cataloged my book collection. As I was going through the books that I have in the Sharpe series I realized that I was missing a few. Sharpe's Christmas was one of the books I was missing. Luckily, I found it available on Amazon and was able to add it to my collection.A Sharpe collection would not be complete without these two short stories.

Unlike other publishers, this one numbers white pages, the copyright page, etc. There are 87 pages of actual text. Like Sharpe's Skirmish, this volume contains stories that were rewritten and republished as a fundraising effort. The price is somewhat high, but consider it a contribution to a worthwhile cause. They were originally published as Christmas stories in the "Daily Mail." The stories are very good, the first taking place on Christmas 1813 on the border between France and Spain. The second takes place in Normandy on a Christmas Eve following Waterloo.While the first story deals with military action against the French, and Sharp meets an old acquaintance from India, the second deals with the conditions in France following the war, when unemployed soldiers became marauders. Sharp deals with an old enemy that he previously allowed to live, and finally settles in, at least for a time, on a farm in Normandy.In a way, the second story deals with the question of disbanding armies after a war that lasted over 20 years. What do men do when they no longer have military employment?

i'm like an addict for cornwell's sharpe series. like 'sharpe's skirmish' before it, this is previously released material now presented in book form. here we get two (very) short stories, both taking place at christmas. in the first ('sharpe's christmas'), major sharpe is given the task of blocking the retreat of a french garrison, as another french brigade approaches from the rear. blood and mayhem ensue, but so does some rare french/english amity.the second story, 'sharpe's ransom', takes place shortly after waterloo and sharpe has retired on half-pay to the french farmlands of normandy with lucille. some french hussars take lucille and their boy, patrick, hostage. how sharpe rescues them and at the same time wins over the reticent village fills the rest of the story.once again, reading these stories was like visiting with an old friend. there's nothing really new here, but it warms the heart.

Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell are always excellent

Richard Sharpe stories in book or short story form are always a joy. Bernard Cornwell is always a great read (or listen to) in at form.

I have loved Bernard Cornwell's writing and characters for a very long time. To find Sharpe in a Christmas story at first seemed a bit odd. He is not a warm, fuzzy character, nor is the era he lived one of peace and joy....but, trusting Mr. Cornwell's creativity, I had to buy one for myself and another for a gift. I was not disappointed and I may have gotten a new fan of the Sharpe series in the bargain. These two short stories were written for a British newspaper, and have now been put into print so the rest of us can also enjoy Sharpe's more non-traditional romps through our imaginations. Have fun. I suggest some hot buttered Rum as you read.

Interesting additions to the Sharpe story, this book has 2 stories both writen for christmas editions of newspapers.. The first reintroduces the Fench colenel from India when Sharpe was a private sent to spy inside a besiged city. The 2nd story is after the wars when Sharpe is happy in France mending the Chateu, some former French soldiers come looking for Sharpe's gold which was taken from Napoleons treasure, they force Sharpe to get the gold to save his family. Both are great stories and fit in well, read the books and not the tv series for these to work best.

I originally purchased this when it was first released and paid about £4.50 for it, £8+ is to much for a 100 page fill in story.

Two excellent stories that give some of the periods between the chronological novels a different appeal and more details of the characters .

It is two stories written for a newspaper not to his usual standard of excitement and historical facts.

My fault for not reading the description, I expected a novel. What I got was a pamphlet!