The Sharpe Books in Chronological Order

First published in 1981, Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction books about the adventures of British soldier Richard Sharpe during the Napoleonic Wars have been enjoyed by millions, mixing—as they do—a combination of action, combat, and historical research.

However, readers can have difficulty putting the many volumes into chronological order, especially as the author has written many prequels and sequels. The following is the correct historical order, although they all stand alone. As you'll see by scanning below, the Sharpe series now begins with adventures in India, before moving on to the Napoleonic setting that made Cornwell's name; there's also a post-Napoleonic book at the end.

Keep an eye out for new releases as well. An upcoming installment, "Sharpe's Storm," is set to be released in October 2024, taking place between "Sharpe's Christmas" and "Sharpe's Siege."

Sharpe in Chronological Order

1. Sharpe's Tiger: Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Seringapatam, 1799
2. Sharpe's Triumph: Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye, September 1803
3. Sharpe's Fortress: Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803
4. Sharpe's Trafalgar: Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Trafalgar, October 1805
5. Sharpe's Prey: Richard Sharpe and the Expedition to Copenhagen 1807
6. Sharpe's Rifles: Richard Sharpe and the French Invasion of Galicia, January 1809
7. Sharpe's Havoc: Richard Sharpe and the Campaign in Northern Portugal, Spring 1809
8. Sharpe's Eagle: Richard Sharpe and the Talavera Campaign July 1809
9. Sharpe's Gold: Richard Sharpe and the Destruction of Almeida
10. Sharpe's Escape: Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Busaco, 1810
11. Sharpe's Fury: Richard Sharpe & the Battle of Barrosa
12. Sharpe's Battle: Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, May 1811
13. Sharpe's Company: The Siege of Badajoz
14. Sharpe's Command: Richard Sharpe and the Bridge at Almaraz, May 1812
15. Sharpe's Sword: Richard Sharpe and the Salamanca Campaign June and July 1812
16. Sharpe's Skirmish (short story): Richard Sharpe and the Defense of the Tormes, August 1812
17. Sharpe's Enemy: Richard Sharpe and the Defense of Portugal, Christmas 1812
18. Sharpe's Honour: Richard Sharpe and the Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813
19. Sharpe's Regiment: Richard Sharpe and the Invasion of France, June to November 1813
20. Sharpe's Christmas (short story)
    
21. Sharpe's Siege: Richard Sharpe and the Winter Campaign, 1814
22. Sharpe's Revenge: Richard Sharpe and the Peace of 1814
23. Sharpe's Waterloo: Richard Sharpe and the Waterloo Campaign 15 June to 18 June 1815
24. Sharpe's Assassin: Richard Sharpe and the Occupation of Paris, 1815
25. Sharpe's Ransom (short story, appears in Sharpe's Christmas)
26. Sharpe's Devil: Richard Sharpe and the Emperor, 1820-21

Where to Start Reading the Sharpe Novels

With all these books, you might be wondering: Where is it recommended to start reading? If you intend to read the whole series, then starting with "Sharpe's Tiger" is a good idea because you can then go through in order as Sharpe grows. But if you want to see if you like the books, or if you want to jump into the Napoleonic Wars, then you can try "Sharpe's Eagle," a quintessentially Cornwell story that is also the first Sharpe book to have been published.

TV Adaptations

Many of the main Sharpe books were filmed for television in the 1990s. Although signs of a modest budget are present, these visual adaptions are worth watching if you're a fan of the book. There's also a box set that comes highly recommended by fans.