5 comments about The Farnam Method of Defensive Shotgun and Rifle Shooting.

1. This book is a very good exploration of the basics of chosing and using rifles and shotguns for defense. The coverage of suggested equipment is obviously from the perspective of one who knows first hand what works and what does not in real world defensive scenarios.

   Farnam keeps the material simple enough for the novice, yet insightful enough for even those well read in "tactical" writings.

   This book is not so much a "how to" of defensive shooting tactics, but more of a discussion of the equipment, accessories, ammunition and handling associated with defensive long arms.

   I recommend this book to anyone who keeps -- or is considering obtaining -- a rifle or shotgun for personal protection or home defense.




2. If you are looking for a great intro to tactical rifle and shotgun shooting then this book is for you. With the exception of some overly complicated sling carry styles and reloading procedures I believe this is the best shotgun material out there.



3. Farnam's texts on defensive rifle and shotgun shooting are among the best available resources on the subject. The subject matter is covered in comprehensive fashion, with a fine attention to detail of the truly important aspects of defensive long gun handling and operation. While no substitute for taking one of Farnam's classes, this book can provide a sound foundation for the beginner and give even those with advanced defensive training several things to think about.

   The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that the book is slightly (but only slightly) dated in some regards and could use a revised edition, or an updated introduction or appendix to reflect on developments in firearms, ammunition, accessories, etc. since the original writing. Still, the book as-is is well worth the purchase price -- and then some.




4. Yes I learned the differance between a carbine and a rifle and much more. Learn as much as you can from the masters of shooting. Nobody knows it all.



5. I'm about half way through the book and just the topic on administrative procedures and conditions of readiness are excellent. I've never seen these in any other books. I can't wait to get to the rifle section which has information on the AR. This book is a must have!

5 comments about Complete M1 Garand.

1. From the introductory pages, through to the list of resources, "The Classic M1 Garand" held my complete interest. Beginning with Jim Thompson's moving dedication to his friend, this book is written straight from the heart.
   As a newcomer to the world of classic rifles and firearms,a female neophyte, I was happily surprised that the information within was compiled in an efficient way. The descriptions of various types of guns and their proper care and preservation, is explained in finite detail. Mr. Thompson leaves no stone unturned covering the past 60or so years in the life of this beautiful treasure. The accompanying photographs of the author field testing his rifles, and photos of various guns and accessories are well described and captioned.
   War (and Peace) stories are spun through tbe context of the book.I love Jim Thompson's personalized style of writing, I seemed to flow with him from one chapter to the next eager to learn more. Definately an excellent choice for the gun collector and the merely curious as well. I highly recommend it. Thank You.



2. "Garanditus" is a dreadful malady, contracted by the unsuspecting interested in either shooting or World War II collecting. The consequences are terrible: drained financial resources, incessant internet searches for M1s, parts, and attendant paraphernalia. You find yourself attending meetings, standing, and reciting the familiar phrase, "Hello, my name is B--- and I am a Garandoholic."
   
   Along the way, to really appreciate this hobby (whether shooting or collecting), it is required that you build up a library and along side of Duff, Canfield, and the others are the books by Jim Thompson. None of the books written by *any* authors, by themselves, will provide a complete and total compendium of knowledge about Mr. J. C. Garand's wonderful rifle. All of them do provide essential information, making the practitioner more appreciative of the M1.
   
   Some of the other reviewers have objected to Mr. Thompson's rants about gang bangers, the criminal element, gun confiscation, Arizona local government, etc. are a bit tiresome. I do not share that view. On the contrary, I found Mr. Duff's books to be chocked full of facts and history, but a bit dry and too much a relation of the history of the Springfield armory. Consequently, Mr. Thompson's opinions provided interesting counterpoint. I value *both* the books that I have by Duff and Thompson as valuable components in a necessary reference library.
   
   To be sure, Mr. Thompson does provide a great deal of his personal knowledge to his works and does so in a very literate manner. I mean, a gun book whose author uses the words "calumny" and "denouement"?
   
   The only reason I gave it a 4 is because I wish it were longer.



3. JUST THE THING FOR OLD GUYS TO USE WHEN TAKING APART A GARAND & PUTTING
   SAME BACK TOGETHER.



4. If you collect or are interested in the Garand rifle, this is written for you. Easy to follow and packed with facts and pictures. I refer to my copy regularly. I would buy it again.



5. Very good book for Garand collectors.
   
   Good illustrations and pictorials as well as useful information.

5 comments about Ultimate Ruger 10/22 Manual And User's Guide.

1. totally not the information I was seeking. I wanted an easy reference for building a target weapon. this is more into heavy gunsmithing and silencers?



2. For the $15 and change from Amazon to your mail box, it is a reasonable value. For anyone that has not been in the middle of the Ruger 10/22 action, it is good. If it had two more pictures that I found on the internet, it would border on very good.
   
   The author's (M. White) opinions on bullet stability vs velocity are inconsistent with results I have obtained at the shooting range. He also seems bent on flaunting his class what ever it is FFL and that he can have/manufacture silencers. Unnecessary.



3. Actually, more than a bit. I was looking for an authoritative reference manual, but I got a summary of tweaks and idealogy about silencers as a great idea for pest control.
   
   Reading this book was clearly influenced by my having read "The Gun Digest Book of .22 Rimfire" by James E. House. There is simply no comparison between the two books. Admittedly, the House book is more general in that it covers a wide range of rimfire firearms and does not go into great "tweak" detail. That focus was left to House's new book "Customized the Ruger 10/22" which I should be receiving from Amazon on August 25, 2006.
   
   If House's book on customizing the 10/22 is anywhere near as complete and smartly written as his ".22 Rimfire" book turned out to be, then buying the "Ultimate Ruger 10/22 Manual and User's Guide" will be less valuable than it turned out to be.



4. Don't waste you money on this one - not worth it.



5. lots of info and mods for the 10/22. Great manual if you are mechcanically inclined hands on type of shooter.

5 comments about Mauser: Military Rifles of the World.

1. Ball's MAUSER MILITARY RIFLES OF WORLD uses an organizational format similar to W.H.B. Smith's classic SMALL ARMS OF THE WORLD. Both books group rifles by the nations which used them.
   
   I find that format convenient for research and it also reminds me how many countries used Mausers. I have the 1996 edition and found the illustrations, which include a lot of color photographs, to be a major selling point for the book. It lacks the depth of Ludwig Olson's comprehensive MAUSER BOLT RIFLES, but is much more profusely illustrated.
   
   I have a number of Mauser rifles in my collection and I found them all in Ball's book. While he doesn't go into them as deeply as Olson does, the information was accurate and easy to read. This may not be the case with later editions, but Krause Publications did a nice job with the 1996 edition. It's a great-looking book and I enjoy the photographs. I didn't see errors in captioning either, but I don't pretend to be an authority on Mausers.
   
   I like them. I collect them. I shoot them, but I might have missed some errors in captioning or text. It looked accurate to me insofar as I could tell.
   
   This book makes a great companion to Olson's book and I gave it five stars.



2. This is the most comprehensive work on Mauser style rifles I have seen.
   It covers rifles made from all over the world. If you are into Mauser Rifle history, this is the book for you.



3. I had hesitation to buy this book reading other reviews; but I am positively surprised when I received the book 4 days ago, and just be really happy with it. It is NOT a book to cover the technical details of mauser rifle design; that one should refer to the book by Olson. Robert Ball did a wonderful job to cover so many mauser rifle versions and its derivatives across the world, and cross-referenced as much as he could. Of course, if any one focuse on the mauser rifles in a particular country, he would probably find this book lacking the depth. With so many countries/models, it is no surprise that the situation can be very confusing; and Ball did a damn good job sorting through; and every single page is for color pictures!



4. This, the Fourth Edition, is the best yet. All-colour, with additional features such as tables of production runs by manufacturers within countries enhances the value of this book to the student of system Mauser.
   
   The photographs are in the main of high quality and the crests and markings have been enhanced by skilful techniques which show off the (sometimes) faint markings.
   
   A worthy reference to supplement the works by Olson and Smith.
   
   C Forsyth



5. I enjoy the information this book gives. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is I wish some of the info was a little more detailed. All in all a great reference book.

5 comments about Dead On: The Long-Range Marksman's Guide to Extreme Accuracy.

1. I have to agree with Mr. Sonnenberg's review of this book. I think it's geared mainly for the beginner shooter. I also think it's over-priced since half the book consists of ballistic tables that I will never use. A serious shooter other than a beginner should already have their own ballistic charts for their rifles.



2. Jim has (almost) hit the nail on the head - for the "not so experienced" long range shooter there are however one or two pearls contained in the text. Would I buy this again? maybe, but not at this price.



3. Almost half of this book is balistics tables, probably for cartridge and bullet combinations you are not shooting.
   
   The rest of the book is mostly geared to the beginning shooter, but the information is not very good. For instance, the authors suggest using scope bases with the built in windage adjustments. The authors must have about zero experience with these bases, which are known for unintentionally allowing your zero to shift. I don't know of any military or lawenforcment tactical shooter, or any civilian long range shooter using the scope bases and rings suggested in the book. The best shooters are using solid steel bases secured to the rifle with over sized screws.
   
   Also, there is no up to date information on long range rifles, gunsmithing, or modern cartridge and bullet design.
   
   A waste of time and money.



4. Picked it and looked at it at a gun show : If you are a total gun moron you might learn something . Bites the big one .



5. If you've ever run out of elevation adjustment on your scope at 600 yards, this book is for you. Noblitt and Gabrilska have put together a cogent (pithy) text on taking your heavy-barreled bolt gun, chambered in a suitable long-range cartridge with appropriate optics and getting on paper at 600, 800, or 1000 yards.
   
   The solutions are surprising. Not glass-bedding, not cryo-treatment, not moly coated bullets, not (name the fad), but rather some simple and elegant recommendations to create a long-range system--an adequate rifle, the right cartridge, the right scope, the right bases and rings, the right zero or zeros. It's amazing what you can do even with a 1MOA rig, if all these factors are working together. I've discovered some of these techniques after much money and time at the high-power range and in open country. If I'd only known about this book 10 years ago.
   
   The data tables in the back are worth every penny. They are generally reliable. Of course, you'll need to create/tailor your own tables using your field trajectory data, but that's the joy of shooting and discovering how your rifle and cartridge perform under different environmental conditions.
   
   One of my favorite little books.

3 comments about The AK-47 and AK74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations.

1. HELPS IDENTIFY AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE AK47. WORTH OWNING AND AM VERY SATISFIED AND PLEASED TO OWN!



2. Excellent book covering all varieties and accessories as well as history, not the usual "gun book", would fit well as an addendum to Janes.



3. This book has a decent, short history of the rifle and a somewhat thorough instructional section for breaking it down, cleaning and maintenance.
   
   Unfortunately, the main reason I bought it is because I am in the market to buy an AK-47 and wanted some guidance on comparing all of the various versions from the different countries. For that purpose the book is not very useful at all, because all it provides are some historical information and technical specifications for certain guns manufactured in each country (except the receivers!) without any comment at all regarding relative quality or why one might pick one over the other.
   
   In addition, the book includes a lengthy section on the AK-74, which is fine if that is what you are interested in, but I would have rather had more substantive information on the different versions of the AK-47.

5 comments about Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles.

1. The reason I gave this book a 4 star rating is because the way Bill Holmes wrote this is like he expects you to know what all the words mean. What I mean is that all the "hard" words dealing with gunsmithing (i.e. chuck, broach, etc.) are not told what they mean and he doesn't have a glossary. This is a good book for advanced riflesmiths but not beginners.



2. This book is a very interesting read and there is no doubt that Bill Holmes knows what he is doing when it comes to building a rifle. However, the drawings are not accurate and there is simply to much information left out of the plans for an individual that has never built a rifle before to read this book and build a bolt action rifle. The information that I found most useful in this book is the information about materials selection, heat treating, and the machining processes used to build a one off rifle.



3. I am getting into Benchrest Shooting and gunsmithing match quality rifles. I was hoping that this book would give me some good info and teach me some new techniques. Unfortunately the book is pretty dated and is more suited to hunting rifles and actions. The illustrations are sometimes blurry and all are in black & white. There is some good information but there are a lot better books out there in my opinion. For benchrest precision, I just got a book from John Hinnant titled "Complete illustrated guide to precision rifle barrel fitting", it is a lot better. YMMV



4. Bill Holmes is a true gunmaker. He may not make all the screws and pins or rifle his barrels, but everything else is of his design and fabrication. Other than the work of Frank DeHass and one or two others, there has been little published work on how to produce a firearm from raw material that is competitive in function, appearance and performance to ones commercially produced. His experience in gun work spans over fifty years. In that time he has designed, modified, and produced most every type of firearm from 22 rim-fire to 50 BMG. Mr. Holmes readily admits that there may other methods and designs that can produce the same results. His goal was to develop methods that work as simply as possible within the means of his shop and with his tools. Bill Holmes has accomplished a goal that many hobbyist and professionals can only dream of. Adequate machine drawings of each part are included with photographs of tools and machine setups. The drawings are hand sketched and some of the photographs are out of focus. Mr. Holmes' book will not tell how to do everything. If you do not know how to drill and tap a hole, properly use a spoke shave, mix bluing salts, or what head space means, you will have to learn those and many other things from other sources. This is no fault to Mr. Holmes. There is no use in repeating what is listed in many other fine gunsmithing books. This review is structured with the table of contents by describing the scope of each chapter and the addition of my comments.
   
   Introduction - Mr. Holmes defines what gunmaking is and how one may become a gunmaker.
   
   Tools and Equipment - A good lathe and mill are mandatory. If you cannot acquire good machine tools and learn how to use them, then you should just forget about trying to fabricate a quality firearm.
   
   Materials - Description of high-alloy steel, chamber reamers and stock wood with sources for purchasing.
   
   Design - Bolt-action design featuring a one-piece receiver with three forward locking lugs, one-piece bolt with three locking lugs, model 70-type three position safety, model 70-type trigger, and a Sako-type extractor. The advantage of three locking lugs is that they are easier to cut with a shop-made broach. The proper scope base will have to be determined by the maker.
   
   Receiver Manufacture - Describes the design and machining process of producing the receiver. Also included are instructions on making the broach used to form the receiver locking lugs.
   
   Bolt Manufacture - Describes the design and machining process, fitting the extractor, and welding the bolt handle.
   
   Trigger Assemblies - Describes the design and machining process of a model 70-type trigger. Also included, are instructions for fitting such a trigger to the 98 Mauser, P14/17 Enfield, and US Springfield. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
   
   Safeties - Describes the design and machining process of a three-position model 70-type safety, bolt sleeve, firing pin, and cocking piece.
   
   Bolt Stop and Ejector - Describes the design and machining process of the bolt stop and ejector.
   
   Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates - Describes the design and fabrication process of a one-piece steel trigger guard with hinged floorplate. A custom Savage 110 or Remington Model Seven would not be complete without an elegantly shaped steel trigger guard. Since none are available for purchase, you will have to make them.
   
   Modification of Existing Actions - Brief descriptions of what can be done to sporterize the Mauser 98, P-14/17 Enfield, and US Springfield.
   
   Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping - Very little is described about threading, chambering, and fitting a rifle barrel. Most of the chapter is devoted to the process of forming fluted and octagon barrels. A drawing of a barrel support tool used in machining is included.
   
   Iron Sights and Quarter Ribs - A very good description on tooling and process for producing band sight bases, and quarter ribs.
   
   Muzzle Brakes - Describes the design and machining process of making muzzle brakes. I have no doubt that Mr. Holmes muzzle brakes work well, but they add nothing to the appearance of the completed rifle.
   
   Stocks - Describes producing a one-piece wood stock from the blank by hand. Semi-inleted and shaped stocks are not readily available for such a unique rifle action. This is something that more hobby gunsmiths should consider learning. With practice, it is not really that hard to do. Brief description of quality stock wood and stock finishing.
   
   Checkering - A very good chapter with patterns on hand checkering. This is another skill that more hobby gunsmiths should consider learning. It's too bad Mr. Holmes did not include plans for making a checkering cradle.
   
   Buttplates - Describes producing and forming a curved steel butt plate and grip cap. Make or buy? You can decide, but it is still a good process to know.
   
   Heat Treatment - Describes the heat treatment of high-alloy steel. Mr. Holmes recommends that the receiver and bolt be sent to experts. The other parts can be heat treated in shop.
   
   Finishing and Coloring - Instructions are given only for metal preparation. The preparation requires most of the work and skill in producing a fine metal finish. No bluing process is explained.
   
   Adjusting and Test-Firing - Describes proper checking and testing of the trigger-safety system, feeding, extraction, and ejection before live firing. The rest is safety precautions.
   
   Conclusion - I recommend that A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles be added to any gun worker's book collection who wishes to become more than a parts-changer. Is making your own rifle worth the time, trouble, and expense when there are many surplus actions that will give the same results with less trouble? The reader will have to decide for himself. Competing against products of the major gun manufactures is not the goal of most gunsmiths. The goal of most high-level gunsmiths is to produce a small number of products with features of refinement and elegance that their customers want and major gun manufactures are unable or unwilling to produce. Another goal is the sense of pride and accomplishment of showing off a fine rifle that I made myself. A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles can be a useful guide and inspiration for one wishing to reach that level of skill, expertise, and pride.



5. I like the books by Bill Holmes, as well as many books from Paladin Press, but the drawings in this title are terrible. Having a mechanical engineering, machining background, and a decent amount of common sense, I can mostly make sense of them, but I can see where many people would have trouble. And this is a real shame, as this book, though not for the beginner to begin with, could be a real gem but loses some credibility with the very unprofessional drawings that don't actually reflect Bill Holmes' ability. Many if not all Paladin Press books appeal to the DIY person and perhaps by letting the authors create their own drawings they maintain this image and keep costs down as well. I personally would rather pay a few extra dollars for a book and have it contain quality drawings. Still, the text is worth the price of the book, and many of the other photographs and illustrations found in the book are just fine. For these reasons it definitely deserves four stars and I recommend it though to people with some experience.

5 comments about Art of the Rifle: Special Color Edtion.

1. This book was compact and well documented with wonderful quotes, stories and pictures. I felt privileged to have been allowed to share the deep thoughts and very personal reflections of a man who has had a vast impact in the very challenging world of modern pistolcraft and riflery. You will find yourself very quickly turning the last page of the book, looking forward to yet another page of Col Cooper's wisdom and wit. I currently have next on my booklist, "To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth" by Col. Cooper. His books on modern pistolcraft and riflery are truly the Standard by which all others in this genre are judged.



2. Col.Cooper has put down to the ages what even the most casual shooter should know.The man has compressed a lifetime of rifle handling,marksmanship,common sense,and pure grade A instruction into a very easy to read and understand book.Here starts the very begining of a first class outdoorsmans library. Jeff Cooper has been there and done that and knows what he is talking about when it comes to proper positions and techniques.I am not to sure that there is another book of this caliber to be had anywhere.



3. I bought this book for my boyfriend's Valentine's Day present. He is an avid reader, gun collector, and especially enjoys reading books written by Jeff Cooper. He enjoyed reading about Cooper's perspective on the rifle and how you should handle it.



4. Wonderful stuff by the one of the great teachers of modern personal weaponry, the late Jeff Cooper. 100 pages of no-baloney poop on modern technique in riflery. Many pithy quotes on the subject.
   "The posession of a good rifle, as well as the skill to use it well, truely makes a man the monarch of all he surveys. It realizes the dream of the Jovian thunderbolt, and as such is the embodiment of personal power."
   
   Cooper is a gentleman of the old school. Warrior, historian, engineer and philosopher; he was a true national treasure in his day.



5. Col. Cooper keeps it short, simple, and direct. As with his other books, no words are wasted or minced. This is a must have for anyone serious about rifle shooting at any level.

5 comments about Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook: What Every Shooter Needs to Know.

1. The Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook: What Every Shooter Needs to Know keeps with its title. Well, somewhat. The book is a very detailed SOURCEBOOK. Do not buy this book to find out what you can do to accessorize your rifle. This book goes into detail about the origins of the AR-15/M16 beginning with the early years and including some photos and text on early models and models that did not make it. The book talks about some of the larger companies that make the AR-15/M16, and has pictures of most of the variants by company. It is a worthwhile read if you desire to learn about the history of the rifle, but is by no means what every reader needs to know.



2. The Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook: What Every Shooter Needs to Know keeps with its title. Well, somewhat. The book is a very detailed SOURCEBOOK. Do not buy this book to find out what you can do to accessorize your rifle. This book goes into detail about the origins of the AR-15/M16 beginning with the early years and including some photos and text on early models and models that did not make it. The book talks about some of the larger companies that make the AR-15/M16, and has pictures of most of the variants by company. It is a worthwhile read if you desire to learn about the history of the rifle, but is by no means what every reader needs to know.



3. I enjoyed and found the information useful. If your new to the AR15, this is
   a great way to get up to speed on the subject. The author knows his subject
   and communicates it well. There's a lot more that could have been covered
   but for that, one is well advised to visit www.ar15.com
   You'll find answers there to questions you probably haven't even thought of.



4. I was new to the AR-15 pattern rifle. This book was informative and still a great read. Provides a full history of the design with info about competing rifles. It could use some updating to cover newer accessories.



5. Nice history and overview of the rifles development, but weak on assembly instruction, maintenance, cleaning etc. A nice historical reference book really.

5 comments about Sharpe's Rifles (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #6).

1. I love the Sharpe series, as well as almost all the books by Cornwell. The problem with this audio version is getting past the narrator's poor attempt to sound like characters he is portraying.
   He would have been better off with a straight read than making Sgt. Harper sound like a scrawny weasel of an Irishman (definitely not my idea of him), or Blas Vivar who sounds like a throat cancer victim. I won't even expand on what he does to the heroine.
   All in all though, it is a great way to pass the time if your driving or have time to wait for your girlfriend (my girl is always late). Don't let this put you off too much though, it is still a great story, and of coarse it's still Sharpe, Harper and the Rifles marching to Paris and killing sinister Frogs on the way. Ah, if life were only so simple!
   God save Ireland!



2. SHARPES RIFLES
   Sixth of Cornwell's peninsular war novels, containing the fictional personage carrying the series of selected battles under Wellington during the Napolianic war with Great Britain. Along wiih the other 10 novels in this series, the period recreation and battle accuracy are outstanding. As adventure, it contains sex and violence in sufficient detail to appeal to a large audience.



3. This enjoyable sixth series entry appears to have been written before the previous five. (And after eight later ones.) It's fun watching Cornwell make it all fit, no mean feat. The writing crackles with newness, not having yet settled into a lower-key long-distance pace.
   
   We meet Sharpe - original readers really were meeting him for the first time - in Spain's northwest Galicia region in 1809. His unit gets cut off while retreating from the French. Sharpe, as quartermaster the lowliest form of officer life, finds himself in command. He must win over men who expect officers to be gentlemen, not from the ranks like themselves and certainly not raggedly poor like Sharpe.
   
   With escape to the nearby coast impossible, he must face down a mutiny to lead them toward Lisbon, where a British garrison remains. His biggest problem: the huge Irishman Patrick Harper, who wants no part of the English or Sharpe. They meet up with Spanish cavalry led by Major Vivar, a local aristocrat to whom peasants are loyal. This unlikely ally carries with him a mysterious chest the French desperately want to capture. He also teaches Sharpe about command. Sharpe's men learn he already knows how to fight.
   
   Cornwell must have had plans for the earlier books. He touches lightly on earlier events, but mentions enough - the battles of Assaye and Seringapatam, the storming of Gawilghur, the fateful encounters with the Tippoo Sultan and General Arthur Wellesley - later written about. He avoids missteps which would then have had to be changed. He writes Sharpe strongly in the present tense, sort of like Hammett's Continental Op, avoiding the not-yet-written past, but also establishing Sharpe's lonely, poor and defiant persona. And this, finally, is where Sharpe gains command.



4. Although I don't usually like military history, I did enjoy this book. That could have been because I completely love the "Sharpe" DVD series - though the book was nothing like the movie, so maybe not. The style drew me in - dry enough to fit the genre, but not so dry that I did not care about the characters or the events. Those coming to this book expecting it to be what the movie was will be disappointed; those who come to it expecting a good story will not be disappointed in the least.



5. This was my first Bernard Cornwell novel, and I liked it so much I read it in one sitting, even though the napoleanic wars aren't my area of interest (though this series could change that). Cornwell actually has a subtle but unique style of prose, unlike so many contemporary writers who only hammer out the basic gutterals, yet his writing is not exposition or description-heavy, but moves along at a swift pace. The character of Lois, who in the hands of most writers would have come out as just the obligatory love-interest, is brought to life as a 3-dimensional character here even though her over-all role is relatively small. There is a sense of adventure to the proceedings and the events unfold realistically. I have already bought 7 more of his novels (Arthur trilogy, civil war quartet) and look forward to reading more about Sharpe. I see why he has such a large following.