Book Description
It's 1809, and Napoleon's army is sweeping across Spain. Lieutenant Richard Sharpe is newly in command of the demoralized, distrustful men of the 95th Rifles. He must lead them to safety-and the only way of escape is a treacherous trek through the enemy-infested mountains of Spain.
Customer Reviews:
Sharpe's Rifles.......2007-05-13
I love the Sharpe series, as well as almost all the books by Cornwell. The problem with this audio version is getting past the narrator's poor attempt to sound like characters he is portraying.
He would have been better off with a straight read than making Sgt. Harper sound like a scrawny weasel of an Irishman (definitely not my idea of him), or Blas Vivar who sounds like a throat cancer victim. I won't even expand on what he does to the heroine.
All in all though, it is a great way to pass the time if your driving or have time to wait for your girlfriend (my girl is always late). Don't let this put you off too much though, it is still a great story, and of coarse it's still Sharpe, Harper and the Rifles marching to Paris and killing sinister Frogs on the way. Ah, if life were only so simple!
God save Ireland!
Sharpe's First Command.......2007-01-12
This is the first of the Sharpe novels set in the Peninsular War (1808 - 1813), which forms the main scene of his fictional exploits. It tells of how Sharpe, landing in command of a small, isolated, and defeated force of riflemen after all the other officers were killed in battle, leads his mutinous force to safety, and on the way to a battle fought to fulfill an ancient prophecy.
It is written to the standard Sharpe formula. There are several battles, well described, a girl who Sharpe falls for but doesn't win, colorful and occasionally comical characters introduced for Sharpe to play off against, and a treacherous villain. The formula is predictable, and ought to be more boring than it is, but Cornwall executes it skillfully. His one weakness is in creating female characters, and the one in this story is rather more high spirited and adventurous than seems realistic for a woman of this period. The Spanish Don who recruits Sharpe as an ally to carry out his rather desperate plan is a more successful invention.
There are presently 5 other Sharpe novels written after this but earlier in chronological sequence, and the continuity is by no means seamless. For instance, Sharpe here gives an account of his past battles, but somehow forgets that he was at Trafalgar, as well as his role in Denmark only a few months earlier. In general, the Sharpe of this book is too green, too immature, and too short of self confidence to match the younger Sharpe portrayed in the more recent books.
Cornwall does have some tendency to simply wish away problems he doesn't want to work out solutions to. After the major battle in the book, Sharpe's men are far from British lines, in an area filled with French forces who now know their location. But Cornwall's story is almost over and he doesn't really want to deal with that, so he simply assumes that Sharpe is able to get through Spain without encountering the enemy and fast forwards to his return to British lines.
Regular readers of the series will find what they expect and enjoy. For those new to the sequence, this was written to be a starting point and would probably work better read that way than as a sequel to "Sharpe's Prey".
Antidote to Road Rage.......2007-01-09
Bernard Cornwell is an unabashed formula writer, but nobody does that formula better. If you have a long drive ahead of you, or a long commute, nothing helps the miles pass than the exciting (and violent!) adventures of Richard Sharpe. You'll be so engrossed in the story, that red lights and traffic jams will make you happy, because it will give you time to listen to more of the exciting story.
Frederick Davidson is not my favorite narrator for the 'Sharpe' series, but that's just a personal preference, he's definitely one of the top vocal talents in the world of audio books.
Lite Historical Fiction.......2006-10-01
Compared to pulp fiction this is decent historical fiction. I am more impressed with the Flashman series for the depth and detail of history portrayed in a grand adventure. In Sharpe, while the motif was historical, I was disappointed that the main event of the novel is completely fictitous. There was no Galacian battle at Santiago after Sir John Moore's defeat. While you got to know the fictitous characters in great detail, there was no such description of the historical figures such as in the Flashman series where the author does exquisite research in conveying the personalities of John Brown, Kit Carson, Lord Cardigan, Bismarck, Lady Sale, Fighting Bob, etc. in addition to the compelling dissection of major historical battles in Afghanistan, Little Bighorn, India. Please read a Flashman novel then decide whether this book truly deserves five stars. I don't know whether I will read another Sharpe novel. I may try one more, but if the history part doesn't get much better, I certainly won't finish the series.
FORMULAIC STYLE, BUT STILL A GOOD READ .......2006-08-31
As a fan of most Napoleonic War Stories and un abashed student of the British Army it would not take too much to keep me happy here. I will probably read more Sharpe Novels in the future ( I picked up 1 - 9 in a garage sale), but I would have to say that Cornwell can churn out the stories, but Cornwell is certainly not a good writer. The style is formulaic and flat for the most part. I'm not looking for Conrad or Steinbeck, but I would think that there could be a bit more depth to the characters at times. Superficial depth seems to be the one abiding trait of his characters:
- The Irish are unruly, drunk and hate the English, but when push comees to shove they fight like demons for the King.
- Sharpe is an unlikely candidate for officer status as a Lieutenant, the son of a whore, a normal foot soldier who rose in the ranks to seargent and then, through an act of some caprice, finds himself and Lieutenant (and I do hope all those American fans are pronouncing it "left-tenant" in their heads).
- The antagonists are evil and untrustable. They scheme and connive.
- The Spanish are reluctant allies, but hey, when push comes to shove, they love the English.
- he doesn't get the girl in the end. I can tell that this will continue in the future.
------
I did enjoy the story, but there were few surprises (I honestly thougth I got more suspense in Biggles Novels than in this one).
Cornwell is good in his historical descriptions of the British Army. His technical knowledge is good, but his descriptions are very sparse and limited to baubles on the French Uniforms and a dscription of the Baker rifle (all good).
All in all a good novel for the plane. You can put it down and pick it up at any place and even if you lose the thread of the story you can always pick it up.
Average customer rating:
|
Sharpe's Rifles (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #6)
Bernard Cornwell
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: MP3 CD
 General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Historical
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
War
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| MP3 CD
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Mystery & Thrillers
| MP3 CD
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Sharpe's Battle (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #12)
ASIN: 0786196017 |
Average customer rating:
|
Rifle in America
Philip Burdette Sharpe
Manufacturer: Wolfe Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Firearms & Weapons
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Military Science
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0935632492 |
Average customer rating:
|
Trailsman 119: Renegade Rifles (Trailsman)
Jon Sharpe
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Westerns
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0451170938 |
Book Description
Bernie Rhodenbarr has gone legit -- almost -- as the new owner of a used bookstore in New York's Greenwich Village. Of course, dusty old tomes don't always turn a profit, so to make ends meet, Bernie's forced, on occasion, to indulge in his previous occupation: burglary. Besides which, he likes it.
Now a collector is offering Bernie an opportunity to combine his twin passions by stealing a very rare and very bad book-length poem from a rich man's library.
The heist goes off without a hitch. The delivery of the ill-gotten volume, however, is a different story. Drugged by the client's female go-between, Bernie wakes up in her apartment to find the book gone, the lady dead, a smoking gun in his hand, and the cops at the door. And suddenly he's got to extricate himself from a rather sticky real-life murder mystery and find a killer -- before he's booked for Murder One.
Download Description
"
Bookseller and thief Bernie Rhodenbarr can't resist the lure of a long lost Kipling poem, even if it is locked inside a millionaire's high security library. So Bernie goes browsing and sure enough he liberates the object in question . . . but also finds a dead redhead and is caught with the proverbial smoking gun by those boys in blue, who are ready to book Bernie for Murder One!
Bernie Rhodenbarr has gone legit -- almost -- as the new owner of a used bookstore in New York's Greenwich Village. Of course, dusty old tomes don't always turn a profit, so to make ends meet, Bernie's forced, on occasion, to indulge in his previous occupation: burglary. Besides which, he likes it.
Now a collector is offering Bernie an opportunity to combine his twin passions by stealing a very rare and very bad book-length poem from a rich man's library.
The heist goes off without a hitch. The delivery of the ill-gotten volume, however, is a different story. Drugged by the client's female go-between, Bernie wakes up in her apartment to find the book gone, the lady dead, a smoking gun in his hand, and the cops at the door. And suddenly he's got to extricate himself from a rather sticky real-life murder mystery and find a killer -- before he's booked for Murder One.
"
Customer Reviews:
You don't spit on your luck.......2005-10-24
The man bought a copy of William Cowper's poems from the bargain table. Bernie Rhodenbarr realized the customer was a thief. Bernie told him to get out of the business, to quit lifting things. Bernie was working his way through Kipling.
The name of his store is Barnegat Books. The patron saint of booksellers is Saint John of God. Bernie goes to Murder Ink. Afterwards he goes to Forest Hills Gardens in Queens, a place he describes as an enclave within an enclave. Jesse Arkwright lives in Forest Hills Gardens. His house is an enormous beamed Tudor.
Bernie takes the reader into his confidence, explaining that he is a born thief and he loves it. Burglary produces an adrenaline rush and too, there is delight in the invasion of privacy aspect of the crime. He takes one book from the premises for someone named Rudyard Whelkin, a presumably rare book by Kipling he bestowed on his friend Rider Haggard.
Next Bernie is robbed by a Sikh gentleman. Finally Madeleine Porlock is murdered, leaving Bernie to figure out the connection of the various characters to each other and to the book. Since he awakes to discover he is in the presence of Porlock's body and a gun, he lets himself into a friend's apartment to hide from the police and everyone else. Notably the friend, Carolyn Kaiser, believed that Bernie not longer practiced the craft of burglary and was amazed to see him in her apartment.
Although I prefer the other Lawrence Block central character, Matt Scudder, alcoholic, reformed or otherwise, I do think the handling of the plot in this book is very good.
For me, the start of a great new seriesq.......2005-10-08
I've read all of Kinky Friedman and loved each, some better than others, but all were good.
I have only one "Cat Who ..." book left, but each of those has been a gem.
Marjorie Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers are no longer producing masterpieces, due to untimely demises.
So, I have to seek new series(es?) to explore. My son, whose recommendations have never failed me, suggested Block. I bought this one. I read this one. It was a delight!
The character of Bernie Rhodenbarr is complex and interesting, ranking up there with The Kinkster, Albert Campion, Jim Qwilleran, and Peter Whimsey.
The plot twists in this novel indicate that the Nero Wolfe award (won by this book) is not granted lightly.
I have purchased others. I will read the next one, knowing that one book does not a successful series make. But I am hopeful - and optimistic.
Good fun, but not his best Burglar IMHO.......2004-11-20
While Lawrence Block's Burglar series is a bit formulaic (some of the scenes are virtual repeats, at times), his characters are simply a riot. The plot is probably not the best part of these books--the characters and dialog are. So, if you are looking for a hard boiled or serious mystery, read Block's Scudder series or an Agatha Christie. While there is fun in this book (I would prefer to give it 3.5 stars) and a great quote for my collection: "I swear, if jumping weren't allowed she'd never get to a conclusion" on page 180), this is not, IMHO, his best Burglar/Rhodenbarr book. Try "The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams" or the new "The Burglar on the Prowl," for instance. Still, I'd recommend reading them all as light entertainment, similar to Block's Tanner series. I must admit, I like the Scudder ones better.
Good serise.......2004-05-19
I have to honest to my fellow readers here what makes this series and this book so great is not the fact that the plot is good. The plot in and or itself is fairly mediocre and variations of it have been rehashed in mystery novels before. What makes the book so good is the wonderfully crafted characters(Bernie, Caroline, Ray Kershmen) and the fact that Lawrence Block is such a prolific writer. I mean I just love this guy he can make mundane activities like running from the police, hiding at a friends house and picking a lock into tremdosly funny activities. It is for that reason that I read this series and while I will continue to read it, all the way up to volume 20 hopefully.
Bernie, the Bookman, Buys In.......2003-05-09
Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!
So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling is the third book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza comes next in the series.
The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling introduces two major changes into the series, both of them favorable. Bernie is now the proprietor of Barnegat Books in Greenwich Village, which features used hard cover books, some of which are collectibles. After one of his big heists, he has enough to buy the store, which he used to patronize. The former owner heads off to Florida, leaving Bernie with something to do with his spare time. In this book, Bernie mainly spends his time in the store reading. He's not quite sure whether he makes any money or not, but he likes being around the books . . . and he hopes to meet interesting women. With this change, the series shifts to having a bookish angle that I find delightful.
The second major change is that Bernie now has a friend, Carolyn Kaiser, who provides an offbeat offset to Bernie's burglaries. She runs The Poodle Factory, where she grooms dogs for a living (while preferring cats in her private life). She and Bernie share lunches, dinners, drinks and good times together. But it's not boy and girl. Carolyn's romantic interests don't run toward men. As a result, you get a sort of Nick and Nora Charles element without the sexual element affecting the couple. It works really well. Mr. Block successfully experimented with having a female sidekick for Bernie in The Burglar in the Closet, but the romantic development showed that it would be hard to sustain in subsequent books so he wisely ended that relationship. This one, on the other hand, can be easily sustained based on mutual interests and friendship.
As the book opens, Bernie's trying to convince everyone that he's gone straight, including his crooked cop friend, Ray Kirschmann, who wants to hire Bernie to lift a mink coat for his wife. Then Bernie gets an invitation to lunch at an exclusive club and learns about a rare and obscure work of Rudyard Kipling's with an anti-Semitic slant that someone wants stolen. Bernie can't resist, and the fun begins! Although the burglary is difficult enough, the aftermath soon has Bernie on the run. Carolyn's pressed into helping him, and the misunderstandings and confusion quickly mount. The puzzle's a deliciously complex one, and you'll enjoy seeing unraveled by Bernie (with a little help from his burglar's tools). You'll find the puzzle to be a nice step up from the ones in the first two books in the series. This is definitely a five-star effort and promises many good things to come.
This book's theme comes down to things not always being as they seem. I came away starting to question a lot more of my assumptions about whether appearances are honest representations of reality.
Look hard for the Potemkin village, wherever you are or whatever you are doing!
Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage
Average customer rating:
- A Worthy Addition to the "Burglar" Collection
|
The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery)
Lawrence Block
Manufacturer: Recorded Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Block, Lawrence | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Block, Lawrence | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0788708104 |
Product Description
Bernie is back to doing what he likes best, and it helps keep the bookstore in the black.
Customer Reviews:
A Worthy Addition to the "Burglar" Collection.......2007-03-15
I just listened to this tale on a long trip by car and it made the trip go very, very quickly. In this one, Bernie is earnestly trying to go and stay straight, but, like Al Pacino says in "Godfather III," every time he tries to get out, they keep pulling him back in again.
His soulmate friend loves the thrill of stealing (as does Bernie himself). His crooked cop friend has a wife with an appetite for farm-raised mink. And his bookstore customers want to hire him to steal on consignment.
It's a lively, funny book, and you'll love the way it's read on tape.
Product Description
4 Mass Market Paperback Titles in Bernie Rhodenbarr Series - The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza - Burglar in the Closet - Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian - Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling
Product Description
6 Hours 8 Minutes, unabridged on 5 compact disks. Best-selling author Lawrence Block will keep you hooting with laughter as you follow the hilarious hijinks of his incorrigible character, Bernie Rhodenbarr: notorious burglar and part-time sleuth. Trying to go legit, Bernie has taken over a secondhand bookstore in Greenwich Village, but he still cant resist stealing things when the rewards are right. Ever since he bought Barnegat Books, Bernie has been having trouble making ends meet. When a mysterious client asks him to steal a rare edition of Kiplings poetry, he seizes the opportunity to practice his criminal talents and pay his creditors. Pilfering the book is boringly easy. But delivering it is difficultwith the police and a host of shady assailants hot on his heels. A Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster, Lawrence Block packs his entertaining whodunits with plenty of action and unexpected plot twists. Richard Ferrones gravelly voice and expert pacing will keep you glued to the tape deck as Bernie lands in one dangerous scrape after another. Recent Items
Customer Reviews:
Wow!.......2000-08-09
Simply astounding! I love all the ElfQuest books, and the "Blood of Ten Chiefs" series is one of my most favorite of the books. These books are not just a history of our beloved ElfQuest characters, they are their own, beautiful, amazing, and mysterious beings. They are just as enchanting as all the origional Wolfriders we came to know and love in "Fire and Flight"!
So if you pick up this book, you'll find it very hard to put it down ;)
Book Description
Gain confidence and enjoy breastfeeding
Get physically and mentally ready to breastfeed your baby
This easy-to-follow guide, written by two maternal/ child health experts, provides practical, reassuring advice on everything from making preparations at home and starting to breastfeed at the hospital to breastfeeding while working and weaning.
The Dummies Way
- Explanations in plain English
- "Get in, get out" information
- Icons and other navigational aids
- Tear-out cheat sheet
- Top ten lists
- A dash of humor and fun
Discover how to:
- Tell if your baby is getting enough milk
- Care for your breasts and nipples
- Solve breastfeeding problems
- Nurse two children at a time
- Breastfeed outside the home
Customer Reviews:
Shallow and Incomplete.......2005-09-07
I disagree with the reviewers that say the coverage is encyclopedic. On the contrary, every time I try to look up something in the book, I come away disappointed. Flat nipples, plugged milk ducts, mastitis, blisters on nipples -- either I can find nothing on the subject or at most a paragraph that isn't helpful. I generally like Dummies books, but this is the worst one I've ever seen.
Great for new moms.......2004-08-19
A very informative and comprehensive read, especially for new moms. I specifically like the encyclopedic nature of the book...easy to look up various topics of interest and/or concern. But I also liked the personal feel the authors gave to it...short anecdotes, personal opinions, etc. The book is encoraging without being pushy. It helped this new mom figure out nursing very quickly.
Everything You Need to Know..........2004-06-12
This book is packed full of everything you need to know about breastfeeding. Even better, the information is easy to find, which as any new mom will tell you, is essential those first hectic weeks and throughout a baby's infancy. Before giving the book to a friend who's expecting, I wanted to make sure it would stand up to any question she would have and any situation she might encounter. So I thought back to my own experiences, first with my daughter, then with my twin boys. Every doubt I had, every challenge I faced, I found easily in the index, the nicely outlined contents, or by flipping through the pages. The fact that this book is written by practicing RNs who have been in maternity for a number of years should be a great comfort to any breastfeeding mom. I especially like the sidebars in the grey boxes, many of them with personal tidbits from the co-authors' own breastfeeding experiences. Reading them, I found myself remembering the joys and challenges of nursing my babies. I wish this book had been available to me. I will happily pass it along to my friend and recommend it to other moms.
Breastfeeding for Dummies.......2004-04-12
Excellent book. Would recommend for any women not decided on breastfeeding. This book simplifies and natural process that should be considered by every pregnancy women. Breastfeeding for the long or short term is eloquently described in this book
Books:
- Silent Prey
- Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet
- Sotheby's: Bidding for Class
- South of the Border, West of the Sun: A Novel
- Spencerville
- The Black Angel: A Thriller (Charlie Parker Mysteries)
- The Boys and the Bees
- The Candlestone (Dragons in Our Midst, Vol. 2) (Dragons in Our Midst)
- The Dew Breaker
- The Drowning Tree: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Sir Walter Raleigh: Being a True and Vivid Account of the Life and Times of the Explorer, Soldier, S
- Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life
- A House for Mr.Biswas
- An Empire on Display: English, Indian, and Australian Exhibitions from the Crystal Palace to the Gre
- Australia: The New Frontier
- Hansen Solubility Parameters
- Five Tragic Hours: The Battle of Franklin
- Designer's Guide to Color: 4
- Ariel Sharon: Prime Minister of Israel Handbook
- Life Sentence: Memoirs of a Ukrainian Political Prisoner
Sharpe's Eagle (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #8)
Sharpe's Prey: Richard Sharpe & the Expedition to Copenhagen, 1807
Sharpe's Gold (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #9)
Sharpe's Havoc : Richard Sharpe and the Campaign in Northern Portugal, Spring 1809
Sharpe's Trafalgar: Richard Sharpe & the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805 (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #4)
