Sharpe's Rifles

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**Generalstoner**

So I just recently had some major knee surgey and will be laid up for some time. My great wife, knowing I love military history and movies brought me a treat, the 4 volumes of the Sharpe's Rifles series.

Hehe... to my shame I never knew they existed but they are pretty damn good, so far I am 3 episodes in and I have to say Sean Bean plays a great part. I highly reccommend these movies to anyone looking for some good napoleonic action and battles!

**jp400**

Will have to look into this. Thanks for the heads up.

Good luck on the recovery.

**mattyrm**

I loaned my sharp DVDs to several of my American comrades in Afghanistan, and not one didnt enjoy them. Oldies but goodies for sure, Sharpie is a bad mother fether!

**MeanGreenStompa**

Love that series, always wanted to count the number of times the word 'bastard' is uttered by Bean.

oh and my favourite was...

"Can't be killed mother!"

**Albatross**

Awesome.

'One does not simply walk into Fran- er, Mordor.'

**squilverine**

"by god sir I'll teach you to touch a gentleman"

Me and the old housemate used to play a Sharpe drinking game. Anytime the phrases or words "bastard" "a man from the ranks" "old boy" or "rifles" were used a shot was downed. By the end of most evenings we were charging around the house attacking the other house mate with kitchen implements for being a "bloody frog" (she didn't appreciate Sharpe) all this was rounded off by a few quick overs of naked cricket in the back garden, not really Sharpe related but I thought I'd share anyway

**RandyMcStab**

I love the Sharpe...

If you like I strongly recommend reading the books. They aren't high art or anything but there IS a lot of bayonetting....
The written sharpe is used to be a camera really onto the fascinating battles of the time, Bernard Cornwell really reaseaches well. I especially liked the early stuff in India when he's just a Redcoat sergeant...

**Generalstoner**

I think I will have to start picking up the books at some time or another as I hear the storyline is somewhat different in them.

**malfred**

Cornwell has a good book about Agincourt.

And I really like his Winter King series, a pseudo-realist reimagining of King Arthur.

**Albatross**

In terms of historical fiction, I'm really into Simon Scarrow at the moment. He has some great Roman stuff, plus his 'Generals' series is really good. It follows the lives of Arthur Wellesley and Naboleone Buona Parte, from childhood up to when they become two of the most powerful people on the planet.

**Henners91**

I have them on DVD, I'm not a fan really... it's just cheap fiction

And the heavy metal riffs hardly help...

Generally an episode goes like this:

"Sharpe! You are to go on a SPECIAL MISSION to escort these supplies, they've been mysteriously disappearing! You are to work with Colonel Aristotwat the Fourth".

*slurred northern affirmative*

"SHARPE! YOU AREN'T WORTHY OF BEING AN OFFICER LIKE ME! GREAT SCOTT, JOLLY GOOD, TOODLE PIP! I'm off to go do something incompetent!"

*Sharpe saves the day*

"Well done Sharpe! You've performed amazingly!"

"If I might, sir, I figured out why the supplies are missing... THE COLONEL IS A SPY!!!11ONEONE"

"Bah! And I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for this upstart of a Northerner!"

"Well done Sharpe! Have a Knighthood!"

"I would sir, but I'm off to shag that Spanish tart."

**CURNOW**

Iv stiil got my flintlock sharp figures somwhere im gona dig them out and put them with my guard..
as for the books ive got them all includeing the fan club specials like sharps christmass .
the tv shows were ok but abit "ultamate force" lol
if you want a great nepolionic film then i suggest "the duelists" by ridley scott.
we had aload of redcoat reenacters down the road from me at the weekend they fuggin hate sharp ! lol
was almost as fun as winding up the 101st reenactors by digging a whole 101st costume out of the shed and pointing out the errors in theres lol

**notprop**

I have the boxset and still watch it whenever it is on the History Channel!

Brilliant stuff even the newer ones in India. Just switch off your brain and enjoy the ride!

"No good will come with raising from the ranks!"

I say Poppycock Sir!

**MeanGreenStompa**

CURNOW wrote:
the tv shows were ok but abit "ultamate force" lol

Ultimate Force is frelling awesome!

Ross 'it's not lost on any of us what these boys are fighting for' Kemp for Prime Minister!!

**SilverMK2**

Sharpe kicks bottom. French bottom at that, so it is even better.

It is great that the series is a set of mini-movies, rather than TV length episodes.

Been thinking of getting the DVD set for a while now.

**Albatross**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
CURNOW wrote:
the tv shows were ok but abit "ultamate force" lol

Ultimate Force is frelling awesome!

Ross 'it's not lost on any of us what these boys are fighting for' Kemp for Prime Minister!!

Wait, what does Grant Mitchell have against melta spam?

**RandyMcStab**

Did someone say Ross Kemp?

He feels the current density of Melta weaponry devalues the power of high armour vehicles in the metagame, especially with armies like the IG able to do so without any drawback (ie IG Vets still being cheap/scoring) and it's not lost on anyone that a simple fix would be to move Vets back into Elite...

/threadjack

**Chibi Bodge-Battle**

Dammit Henners
you've given the plot away man!

Tie him to the wheel and 50 lashings with the licorice bootlaces. If he don't scream like a girl, 50 overs of nakee cricket in the noonday sun of the Kyber Pass!

**MeanGreenStompa**

I always like it when Mick Hucknall leaps up and cries:

"Look Major! Voltaire!"

**squilverine**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:I always like it when Mick Hucknall leaps up and cries:

"Look Major! Voltaire!"

God damnit I never realised before now how much Harris does look like flame headed celebrity swordsman 1999 Mick Hucknall. You sir have ruined Sharpe for me, everytime I watch it I will now be forced to hum my way through Simply Reds back catalogue of wanky drivel.

Also have just remembered the scene from the Waterloo film where Sharpe is giving the Prince of Orange a dressing down only for a cannon to go off convieniently when he screams the word Bastard at him. Hilarious.

**RandyMcStab**

"Form square, form square!"

"no form line!!"

**Captain Roderick**

Sharpe drinking game, as played by me n mine in first year (best played with female fans to increase the drinking):

1. Every time someone uses a class-related or racist insult, take a drink.
2. Every time someone uses an expletive beginning with B, take a drink.
3. Every time a tiny band of extras cheers, join in.
4. Calls toasts to particularly cinematic moments, e.g. thirty dudes as a battalion, dialogue exchanged between two main characters standing very close to each other but never making eye contact, Simmerson is in any way on the screen, etc. This is where the girls come in useful, calling 'Ding Dong!' whenever Sharpe takes his shirt off or gets sweaty.

Optional bonus if you have a Sharpe Special - pint of best rum, half and half...

**notprop**

Great game but sounds like a waste of rum to me!

Timbleful to the wound (or in collegues eye!) the remainder down the hatch!

**RandyMcStab**

I suppose the half and half wouldn't be a waste if you had been recently lashed.........

But that might be taking a drinking too far.....

However if that's your normal weekend.....

**MeanGreenStompa**

Best brown paper and vinegar you bastards...

Hagman, what Mad Larkin wishes he was...

**CURNOW**

And liz hurley gets her puppies out in one of them..

and remember no mater how big the real battle was be it badahoz /salamancia /talavera /waterloo . you will only ever see a handfull of 95th and a score of bored looking redcoats in 32nd foot colours.
and frenchy will only consist of a couple of dragoons and the grande armie is 10 blokes in the same blue coats. but for waterloo they splashed out a perchased some bear skins .. if you realy want a good nepolionic read then try malinson for the cavelry{the hervey novels} and forester {hornblower} or my choice o'brian{ aubrey and maturin}
MEENGREENSTOMPA would perticaly like materin as hes a natralist and a good portion of the books are given over to his dicriptions af verious flora and fauna.

**squilverine**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:Best brown paper and vinegar you bastards...

Hagman, what Mad Larkin wishes he was...

It's Best brown paper and PARAFFIN OIL! Heretic

**MeanGreenStompa**

Does that also work on wine spillage?

**Captain Roderick**

It works on EVERYTHING.

Hagman's answer to climate change is a: shoot it from a long way away, then b: cover it in best brown paper and paraffin oil.

**RandyMcStab**

Quick inform the scientific community, global warming is solved!

A pre-surgery Liz Hurley whats more.....