The Smallest Minority

Ahhh sorry mate, it's Hagman. Chosen man Daniel Hagman.

The rest is spot on, 'cept the song itself isn't actually by John Tams. It was in an 18th centruy british play called "the recruiting officer", but had slightly different lyrics referring to Queen Anne, instead of King George.

Tams only arranged it and sang it for the Sharpes series.

It's available as a "music of sharpe" album.

Oh and yes, it IS a great tune, and a first class earworm. I'll be singing it to myself for the next few days.

'Course I love the sharpes series, book and film.

If you want an easily read and accurate account of the Rifle regiments in the peninsula (Spain) campaign, The book by Mark Urban called Rifles - six years with Wellingtons legendary Sharpshooters is the one to go for.

One rifle Regiment evolved into the Royal Green jackets (RGJ) which existed until 2007 when it was absorbed into The Rifles (an amalgamation of several regiments).

Incidentally, the Sharps books are much better than the Series, they explain a lot more and have a more developed storyline.

Kevin
  Give me a call. I have a book you might like to read. 520 xxx xxxx


(Edited to redact the phone number - Ed.)

I generally enjoyed the series. You're right about the glimpse into the effect of class on the armed forces during that period.

One thing that came to bug me was the hero pose they always had at the end.

Chris:

Thanks for the correction on Hagman, but as I said in the piece, John Tams gets credit for the stanzas he added that went with the series episodes.

Mike Miller:

Thanks very much, but at the moment my "to read" pile is dangerously tall.  But by all means, email me and tell me about it - gunrights@comcast.net

Just think about someone like Biden being able to buy rank, all the way up to General...

Makes you wonder how Britain survived at times, let alone built an empire.

The book series is awesome: It really brought home the realities of the Napoleonic Wars. The ending of "Sharpe's Waterloo" was particularly horrid and altogether real.

That 'cello almost makes me weep, so beautiful.

There's actually a CD of music from that series, electric mail me your address and I'll send it along-

stagh ounds atbel lsout hdotn et

Thanks for this...I had never heard of "Sharpe's Rifles" or John Tams but will be looking for the books!  John Tams is really something; he reminds me of Bobby Horton who did the music for the Civil War series on PBS.  If I can find the first DVD in the Sharpe's Rifles series I will likely give it a try, too.

Stan,

Best of luck finding them locally. You can get them used on amazon, or part of a very big and expensive set (which I want, but dont yet have). Netflix does have them, as do many local libraries.

The series is good, but the books are better.  Several of the Sharpe's series have to take large liberties because they just couldn't stage a company level Napoleonic battle.  Which is sad because the Sharpe's books are largely about putting Sharpe into large Napoleonic battles.

An update...I actually found what appears to be the ENTIRE series of the "Sharpe's" books in my local library.  "Sharpe's Rifles" is on my reading table as I write this!