Introduction Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a 2003 American epic period war-drama film co-written, produced and directed by Peter Weir, set in the Napoleonic Wars. The film’s plot and characters are adapted from three novels in author Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin series, which includes 20 completed novels of Jack Aubrey’s naval… Read More
Introduction H.M.S. Defiant (released as Damn the Defiant! in the US) is a British naval war CinemaScope and Technicolor film from 1962 starring Alec Guinness and Dirk Bogarde. It tells the story of a mutiny aboard the fictitious ship of the title at around the time of the Spithead mutiny. It was directed by Lewis… Read More
Introduction Hollywood star Sean Bean investigates the story of one of history’s bloodiest battles. You can find Part 01 here. Outline Sean’s journey of discovery is inspired by his own experiences of playing Napoleonic soldier Richard Sharpe in TV films based on Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling novels. In the programmes he draws on the eye-witness accounts… Read More
Introduction Hollywood star Sean Bean investigates the story of one of history’s bloodiest battles. You can find Part 02 here. Outline Sean’s journey of discovery is inspired by his own experiences of playing Napoleonic soldier Richard Sharpe in TV films based on Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling novels. In the programmes he draws on the eye-witness accounts… Read More
Introduction Sharpe’s Peril is a British TV film from 2008, usually shown in two parts, which is part of an ITV series based on Bernard Cornwell’s historical fiction novels about the English soldier Richard Sharpe during the Napoleonic Wars. Contrary to most parts of the TV series, Sharpe’s Peril is not based on one of… Read More
Introduction Sharpe’s Challenge is a British TV film from 2006, usually shown in two parts, which is part of an ITV series based on Bernard Cornwell’s historical fiction novels about the English soldier Richard Sharpe during the Napoleonic Wars. Contrary to most parts of the TV series, Sharpe’s Challenge, as well as the follow-up Sharpe’s… Read More
Introduction The Legend is a kind of summary of the entire Sharpe series. Essentially, it is clips from the series strung together to summarise the life of Sharpe, with a narrator who fought with Sharpe acting as the link. Sharpe’s rise from the ranks to become an officer is chronicled. Outline Rifleman Cooper (Michael Mears)… Read More
Introduction Sharpe’s Waterloo is a British television drama, the 14th part of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. The adaptation is based on the novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell. Outline In 1815, war breaks out once more as Napoleon returns to… Read More
Introduction Sharpe’s Justice is a British television drama, the 13th of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Unlike most of the other installments of the series, this episode was not based on a novel by Bernard Cornwell. A key scene in the story is… Read More
Introduction Sharpe’s Revenge is a British television drama, the 12th of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. The adaptation is based on the novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell. Outline Sharpe participates in the Battle of Toulouse, at the end of the Peninsular… Read More
