With a plot up to its neck in blood and guts, this is adventure naked and unashamed.Mail on Sunday (London)

Sharpes mission had seemed simple: capture a small unguarded French coastal fort, cripple Napoleons supply lines, and retreat across the sea. But behind the lines, Sharpes old enemy, Pierre Ducos, awaits Sharpes arrival with a battalion of French soldiers and a vicious commanding general who keeps the scalps of his dead enemies as trophies.

Outmaneuvered by Ducos treachery and abandoned by his own navy, Sharpe has only two choices: to escape with the aid of the charming, unscrupulous American mercenary, Cornelius Killick, or die.

Bernard Cornwell was born in London. He worked for the BBC and Thames Television before coming to the United States to write full time. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod.

Frederick Davidson is a recipient of the Golden Voices Award and numerous Earphones Awards. After performing for years in many BBC radio plays, he came to America in 1976. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks.