Sharpe's Battle, book quotes
A lot of quotes, this time:
Sharpe’s Battle is something special, because “Sharpe’s Battle is for Sean Bean” .
Says so in the scriptures. It does!
So, when Sharpe is speechifying about how to kill officers, feel free to hear Sean Beans voice. (And do watch that movie again...)
Sharpe on killing officers: (a Real highlight)
“You start by looking for the enemy officers. They’re easy to recognize because they’re the overpaid, overdressed bastards with swords and you aim for them first. Kill them any way you can. Shoot them, club them, bayonet them, strangle them if you must, but kill the bastards and after that you kill the sergeants and then you can begin murdering the rest of the poor leaderless bastards. Isn’t that right, Sergeant Harper?”
“That’s the way of it, sure enough,” Harper called back.
“And how many officers have you killed in battle, Sergeant?” Sharpe asked, without looking at the rifle Sergeant.
“More than I can number, sir.”
“And were they all Frog officers, Sergeant Harper?” Sharpe asked, and Harper, surprised by the question, did not answer, so Sharpe provided the answer himself.
“Of course they were not. We’ve killed officers in blue coats, officers in white coats and even officers in red coats, because I don’t care what army an officer fights for, or what colour coat he wears or what king he serves, a bad officer is better off dead and a good soldier had better learn how to kill him. Ain’t that right, Sergeant Harper?”
“Right as rain, sir.”
Some bits about Wellington:
The General was a handsome man, forty-two years old, but as fit as any in this army. And, Hogan thought, wiser than most. The British army, Hogan knew, had an uncanny knack of finding the least qualified man and promoting him to high command, but somehow the system had gone wrong and Sir Arthur Wellesley, now the viscount of Wellington, had been given command of His majesty’s army in Portugal, thus providing that army with the best possible leadership.
“I’ve not fought the British in battle, Major, but I hear they’re stubborn bastards in defence.” Loup tapped the map. “I know that country well. It’s full of hill ranges and river valleys. Give Wellington a hill and you could die of old age before you could shift the bugger loose. That’s what I hear, anyway.”
Hogan to Sharpe:
“They’ll just blame you for not being a gentleman.”
“ But I’m not, am I?”
“ As it happens, you are, it’s one of your faults, but let’s not worry about that now.”
Sharpe’s credo:
We believe in the Baker rifle, the Tower musket and twenty-three inches of bayonet.
Sharpe manages to get into Wellingtons bad books:
Wellington:
“It’s my experience, Hogan, that when you promote a man from the ranks he usually takes to drink, but not in Mister Sharpe’s case. No, I promote Sergeant Sharpe and he takes to conducting private wars behind my back!”
Hogan is sympathetic:
Hogan closed his eyes and rested his head on his forearm.
“Dear God, in your infinite mercy please save this poor bugger’s soul because Wellington sure as hell will not.”
Sharpe knows it, too:
Sharpe led Harper on a wide detour behind the group of staff officers.
“Nosey’s there,” he explained to Harper, “and I don’t need him glaring at me.”
“In his bad books, are we?”
And the rest of the Light Division, as well:
“You shot a pair of Frogs, ain’t that right?”
(Sharpe) “Yes, sir.”
“No wonder you’re in disgrace,” Craufurd said, then gave a bark of laughter.
Wellington in ice-general mode:
“One moment!” The General’s voice was frigid. “Captain Sharpe?”
Sharpe turned back. “My Lord?”
“The reason, Captain Sharpe why we do not execute enemy prisoners, no matter how vile their behaviour, is that the enemy will reciprocate the favour on our men, no matter how small their provocation.”
The General looked at Sharpe with an eye as cold as a winter stream.
“Do I make myself clear, Captain Sharpe?”
“Yes, sir. My lord.”
Wellington gave a very small nod. “Go.”
But all’s well that ends well:
Sharpe had smiled. He had known he was exonerated from the moment that Wellington (...) had reprimanded him for shooting the French prisoners, but the exited news was a welcome confirmation of that release.
Sharpe’s Battle is something special, because “Sharpe’s Battle is for Sean Bean” .
Says so in the scriptures. It does!
So, when Sharpe is speechifying about how to kill officers, feel free to hear Sean Beans voice. (And do watch that movie again...)
Sharpe on killing officers: (a Real highlight)
“You start by looking for the enemy officers. They’re easy to recognize because they’re the overpaid, overdressed bastards with swords and you aim for them first. Kill them any way you can. Shoot them, club them, bayonet them, strangle them if you must, but kill the bastards and after that you kill the sergeants and then you can begin murdering the rest of the poor leaderless bastards. Isn’t that right, Sergeant Harper?”
“That’s the way of it, sure enough,” Harper called back.
“And how many officers have you killed in battle, Sergeant?” Sharpe asked, without looking at the rifle Sergeant.
“More than I can number, sir.”
“And were they all Frog officers, Sergeant Harper?” Sharpe asked, and Harper, surprised by the question, did not answer, so Sharpe provided the answer himself.
“Of course they were not. We’ve killed officers in blue coats, officers in white coats and even officers in red coats, because I don’t care what army an officer fights for, or what colour coat he wears or what king he serves, a bad officer is better off dead and a good soldier had better learn how to kill him. Ain’t that right, Sergeant Harper?”
“Right as rain, sir.”
Some bits about Wellington:
The General was a handsome man, forty-two years old, but as fit as any in this army. And, Hogan thought, wiser than most. The British army, Hogan knew, had an uncanny knack of finding the least qualified man and promoting him to high command, but somehow the system had gone wrong and Sir Arthur Wellesley, now the viscount of Wellington, had been given command of His majesty’s army in Portugal, thus providing that army with the best possible leadership.
“I’ve not fought the British in battle, Major, but I hear they’re stubborn bastards in defence.” Loup tapped the map. “I know that country well. It’s full of hill ranges and river valleys. Give Wellington a hill and you could die of old age before you could shift the bugger loose. That’s what I hear, anyway.”
Hogan to Sharpe:
“They’ll just blame you for not being a gentleman.”
“ But I’m not, am I?”
“ As it happens, you are, it’s one of your faults, but let’s not worry about that now.”
Sharpe’s credo:
We believe in the Baker rifle, the Tower musket and twenty-three inches of bayonet.
Sharpe manages to get into Wellingtons bad books:
Wellington:
“It’s my experience, Hogan, that when you promote a man from the ranks he usually takes to drink, but not in Mister Sharpe’s case. No, I promote Sergeant Sharpe and he takes to conducting private wars behind my back!”
Hogan is sympathetic:
Hogan closed his eyes and rested his head on his forearm.
“Dear God, in your infinite mercy please save this poor bugger’s soul because Wellington sure as hell will not.”
Sharpe knows it, too:
Sharpe led Harper on a wide detour behind the group of staff officers.
“Nosey’s there,” he explained to Harper, “and I don’t need him glaring at me.”
“In his bad books, are we?”
And the rest of the Light Division, as well:
“You shot a pair of Frogs, ain’t that right?”
(Sharpe) “Yes, sir.”
“No wonder you’re in disgrace,” Craufurd said, then gave a bark of laughter.
Wellington in ice-general mode:
“One moment!” The General’s voice was frigid. “Captain Sharpe?”
Sharpe turned back. “My Lord?”
“The reason, Captain Sharpe why we do not execute enemy prisoners, no matter how vile their behaviour, is that the enemy will reciprocate the favour on our men, no matter how small their provocation.”
The General looked at Sharpe with an eye as cold as a winter stream.
“Do I make myself clear, Captain Sharpe?”
“Yes, sir. My lord.”
Wellington gave a very small nod. “Go.”
But all’s well that ends well:
Sharpe had smiled. He had known he was exonerated from the moment that Wellington (...) had reprimanded him for shooting the French prisoners, but the exited news was a welcome confirmation of that release.