Across The Pond

Quote from arthurarnell

Hi Jim

There are a number of books written about the 95th regiment,and as Robbie has so perfectly covered they were called the Royal Greenjackets and still wear the uniform.

In 1810 they were a part of the Light Brigade and later the Light Division under Brigader, later Major general Robert Crawford a fiery Scot with a hasty temper.

As well as the 95th Rifles Crawford was given control of the 43rd and 52 infantry Regiments a regiment of Portugese Cacadores, a regiment of the Kings German Legion and a coupleof Squadrons of the 14th and 16th Dragoons

Among the Books written are recollectons of a Rifleman by Captain Kincaid, Costello wrote a book as did Rifleman Harris.

A famous member of the division was Captain Harry Smith during the British attack on Badajoz the city was looted by the British and when wandering down the streets he came across a young Spanish Woman who had had her earrings ripped from her ears but other than that was ok. Smith fell in love with her and almost immediately they were married with the Duke of Wellington giving the bride away.

Later a General Sir Harry Smith he became the Governor of South Africa and the Town of Ladysmith was named in his wife's honour.

Regards

Arthur

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Thanks very much for the info, Arthur.

I've very much enjoyed most of the Richard Sharpe saga except for the first ("Rifles") and last night I watched one that I didn't think was all that great "Sharpe's Enemy". I told Rob though that in every episode I've watched, it seems that some of Sharpe's worst enemies are in his own army and are usually the high-born officers who looked down upon him because he came up through the ranks. I think the class divisions that have always plagued England are regrettable, though I'm sure those divisions are much less now than they were in Wellington's time.

One of my favorite characters in the series is the Sergeant Major Patrick Harper.

When I first began watching them, these old Texas country boy's ears had a few problems understanding the English dialect but the more I've watched, the easier it has become. Of course, I imagine my cousins across the pond would have a hard time understanding us Texans too. Or any Southerner, for that matter. Thank goodness our written language is more or less the same.
Cheers,
Jim

The quality of writing and thus the stories themselves in the Sharpe series is very inconsistent. Some are excellent and some are much less than excellent. I watched one of the latter this morning, "Sharpe's Honour", in which his execution was faked in order to
placate Spanish interests to prevent an alliance between Ferdinand and Napoleon.

Another thing that doesn't ring true at all are the many wounds Sharpe has suffered and his continued survival. Anyone who's studied history at all knows that medical knowledge and hygiene were atrocious in the early 1800s. Even minor wounds often resulted in death from infection, yet Sharpe has been shot and cut numerous times in those episodes I've watched. Some of the episodes remind me of B Grade Westerns, in that the protagonists never seem to suffer ill effects from gunshot wounds that in real people would kill or incapacitate for long periods.

Quote from may2

If you want Sharpe info this should give it to you http://www.southessex.co.uk/

Thanks much for the link, May. Looks like a lot of interesting reading.

I'm thinking of changing my signature to "O'er the hills and far away". :teeth_smile:

Read a bit in the link May provided. Got a kick out of Cornwell's statement that he set out to write books about a "land-based Horatio Hornblower". Forester's books have always been among my favorites and were a major reason I became such an Anglophile.

Have come to the conclusion it's time to take a break from Sharpe's adventures as I'm getting bored with them. The plots have become far too melodramatic and staged - it's unrealistic to assume that every time Wellington found himself in a tight spot, he called upon Sharpe and the "chosen men" to get him out of it. As I said earlier, they're starting to remind me of those old "B" Westerns. Sharpe and his men are naturally the guys in the white hats.

And why is it that in every episode, some good-looking woman offers herself to our hero?
I thought it was kinda poetic justice that in "Sharpe's Enemy", his wife Teresa is murdered by Hakeswill almost immediately after Sharpe surrenders himself to a loose woman he and his men are trying to rescue.

Speaking of Obadiah Hakeswill, he definitely makes an outstanding candidate for the memorable villain list. That guy was a snake if there ever was one. Was glad to see him end up in front of a firing squad.

Quote from Robbie

Hi Jim

Did you ever resume your enjoyment of "Sharpe"?

Oh, I bought and watched all the episodes, Rob, but there were just 3 or 4 I really liked. As I said earlier, after awhile they began to remind me of those old "B" Westerns.

I really like Bean as an actor and he played Sharpe's part well but I think the screenwriting left a lot to be desired.
Jim