Redcoat

Rating:
Summary: Conrwell Not Up To Par With 'Readcoat'
Review: Two of the great trademarks of Bernard Cornwell's 'Sharpe' series are immaculate historical reconstruction and action-pakced plots. With 'Redcoat,' Cornwell re-creates an era as only he can, but the story is far to slow and ultimately uninteresting. Two of modern literature's greatest villians, Obidiah Hakeswill and Pierre Ducos from the 'Sharpe' novels, inspire such hatred and loathing that they make the story's protagonist all the more heroic. In 'Redcoat,' however, the reader is one hundred and fifty pages into it before he knows who the antagonist is. The characters are for the most part unsympathetic and the plot really bogs down at times. That being said it should be noted that where this novel does it's author justice is in the vivid recreation of the American Revolution. The battles, generals, and soldiers on both sides of the conflict are treated with respect. The events of this book seem as real as though they happened yesterday. For those new to Bernard Cornwell I would recommend reading his 'Richard Sharpe' series first as 'Redcoat' is, unfortunatley, one of his weaker novels.