THE Sharpe COMPANION: A Historical and Military Guide to Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe Novels 1777-1808 - Volume 1 - The Early Years.**

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.[Complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.] FINE/FINE.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp,clean, glossy laminated,wrap-around colour pictorial+photographic illustrated dw/dj with grey.black and brown lettering; with negligible shelf-wear and minimal creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top+ fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners - appears unread apart from my own collation.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,xii-xviiipp+2-300pp [paginated] includes maps,sketches and diagrams list/table, author's introduction,7 chapters,18th+19thC b/w illus reproductions and modern b/w photographs in 1 block,between pp142/3,profuse b/w maps.sketches and diagrams interspersed throughout the text and the book,a timeline, abbreviations used in Text & Glossary list/table,plus [unpaginated] half-title page,publisher/author advert for other work/titles,title page, contents list/table,list of plates,a table of symbols used on maps and a bibliography as last page The character of Richard Sharpe first saw print in 1981 and since then he has soldiered through seventeen novels (then 1998) and the whole Peninsular War to the Battle of Waterloo.Latterly,his early days in India have also been chronicled in the latest books in Bernard Cornwell's bestselling series.A number of acclaimed television films,starring Sean Bean,have brought Sharpe and his doughty band of Riflemen to an even wider audience. Mark Adkin is a highly respected military historian and former soldier,as well as being a long-standing admirer of the Sharpe novels. In The Sharpe Companion he has produced the definitive guide to the historical and military background of the characters and events in the series.It can be used to accompany the novels or simply read on its own for the wealth of fascinating detail and anecdote that it provides. Beautifully illustrated,complete with pictures of famous battle scenes and characters and maps of the many battles and skirmishes Sharpe was involved in.The Sharpe Companion is,and also provides an indispensable guide to the life and times of Richard Sharpe,a must for every student of military history and fan of Sharpe.It provides chapters devoted to each book and a glossary of characters,both real and fictional,complete with illustrations and a section of photographs taken by Bernard Cornwell while researching the Indian campaigns,plus maps of every battle and skirmish Sharpe fought in.Throughout,the fascinating historical and military background is brought to life with contemporary anecdotes and eye- witness accounts of battle. Since the original 'Companion' (see my book ID rja24347,a s/back 1st edn) was published in 2000,Sharpe has marched on.His exploits are now too many to fit into a single volume,so this first volume of the revised and expanded 'Companion' focuses on Sharpe' life up to the age of thirty: his boyhood in London,his experiences as a recruit,and his rise through the ranks during the Indian campaigns,the special mission that took him to Denmark, and his part in the Battle of Trafalgar.A must for every student of military history and an essential addition to every Sharpe fan's library. Please contact rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk ,because of the weight of this item,for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page!