This is probably one of my favourite of the Sharpe books. Sharpe’s Regiment takes him back to Colchester in Essex.
Richard Sharpe returns to England to save the regiment. Major Sharpe’s men are in mortal danger – not from the French, but from the bureaucrats of Whitehall. Unless reinforcements can be brought from England, the regiment will be disbanded. Determined not to see his regiment die, Sharpe returns to England and uncovers a nest of high-ranking traitors, any of whom could utterly destroy his career with a word. Sharpe is forced into the most desperate gamble of his life – and not even the influence of the Prince Regent may be enough to save him.
I also think the episode of the TV series is a good adaption of the book. Obviously the book goes into a lot more depth and detail, but I do think the programme captures the heart and essence of the novel.
What I like about the story is how it tells the background to the Napoleonic Wars, what was happening on the home front, the scheming and the politics of the era, as well as how the British army of that time recruited and trained their soldiers.
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