Sharpe's Sword

From Library Journal This fifth novel in the saga of British rifleman Richard Sharpe (e.g., Sharpe's Regiment, Audio Reviews, LJ 9/15/96) is set in Wellington's Salamanca Campaign of 1811-12 during the Peninsular War. After meeting a fiendish enemy who becomes his personal nemesis, Sharpe repeatedly comes perilously close to death, while playing a pivotal role in the campaign. Meanwhile, he has a torrid affair with a beautiful Spanish aristocrat who may not be what she seems. Sharpe regulars will find all this familiar and predictable, but Cornwell sustains such convincing dramatic tension that there is never a dull moment. The book is guaranteed to rivet all but the squeamish. William Gaminara's reading is less mannered than his previous efforts. Still, American listeners might prefer Frederick Davidson's readings of Blackstone Audio's versions of Cornwell's Sharpe novels.?R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, Cal. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review 'The best thing to happen to military heroes since Hornblower' Daily Express