Sharpe Chefs
Ok I have been asked to and am quite happily plug a worthwhile intiative called Sharpes Chefs. there main website can be found at www.thesharpechefs.com
In short they are two charity cookery books, containing recipes from the cast of the Sharpe TV Series, Bernard Cornwell and other people assciated with Sharpe.
The money raised from there sales goes to help two charities the National Osteoporosis Society for book 1 and CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA for book 2.
The books are available at
New game of thrones website launched
Because of my growing interest in Sean Beans latest project Game of thrones based on George RR Martins fantasy novels and to keep this website site mainly Sharpe focused. I have decided to launch a new website dedicated to the series.
The site has up and running for a few days now, and I hope to make two of three posts as week on the site, both giving the background to the books and the characters, and also keeping people informed of the progress of the pilot and what I expect to be a new quality HBO TV series.
Judah James Hunter born today
OK world take notice I have a son. As of 12:38 tonight the 28th October 2009 the world has to cope with one Judah James Spencer Hunter. My son weighing in at 7lbs 15 oz’s.
This news may not rock your world but it has rocked mine 
.
Mother and baby are doing well.
Sean Bean Filming Game of Thrones at Doune Castle
Ok I know we are getting a little bit Game of Thrones obsessed on a Sharpe Website, but its what Sean Bean is up to at the moment.
Anyway filming started at Doune Castle near Stirling today and will continue up until the 30th of October according to restrictions historical Scotland have put on the public’s general access to the Castle.
Doune Castle was most famously used for filming by the Monty Python team for the ‘Monty Python and the quest for the Holy Grail’ in 1975, with the majority of the Castle Scenes for that film were filmed in the castle, including the famous ‘French taunting scene’ which was filmed on the back curtain wall.
I got to visit the castle 2 or 3 years ago, and have to admit enjoyed connecting to the the python connection very much. However I hope that the scenes to Sharpe actors new project catch a somewhat different feel.
The Castle is small 14th century keep, not a grand royal palace which was built by Robert Stewart the First Duke of Albany, who is some relation to Robert the Bruce if I remember correctly. Its feel should fit very nicely with a down and dirty wilderness castle much more than a grand royal palace, and I think that speaks well for the coming series.
If anyone has the feel for going to visit the castle id also recommend taking time out to see the Inchmahome Priory, which is a truly idyllic ruined priory, situated on an island in the middle of a Scottish Loch which is located a few miles down the road.
Game of Thrones to start shooting this week
Game of Thrones Sean Bean’s latest project and HBO pilot begins shooting this week in Northern Ireland. We have already given some news but the full and final cast list should be decided by now and to the bets of our knowledge here it is
- Harry Lloyd Viserys Targaryen
- Mark Addy Robert Baratheon
- Alfie Allen Theon Greyjoy
- Sean Bean Eddard Stark
- Esmé Bianco Ros
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Jaime Lannister
- Peter Dinklage Tyrion Lannister
- Ron Donachie Rodrik Cassel
- Jennifer Ehle Catelyn Stark
- Jack Gleeson Joffrey Baratheon
- Iain Glen Ser Jorah Mormont
- Kit Harington Jon Snow
- Lena Headey Cersei Lannister
- Richard Madden Robb Stark
- Joseph Mawle Benjen Stark
- Rory McCann Sandor Clegane
- Tamzin Merchant .Daenerys Targaryen
- Richard Ridings Gared
- Sophie Turner Sansa Stark
- Bronson Webb Will
- Maisie Williams Arya Stark
- Jason Mormoa Khal Drogo
Jason Mormoa is late announcement to the cast, If you havent read any of our earlier articles a HBO TV series “Game of Thrones” is based on author George R.R. Martin’s bestselling “A Song Of Ice And Fire” novels.
Richard Sharpe 2nd most romantic character of all time.
Mills and Boon readers have voted Bernard Cornwells Richard Sharpe the 2nd most romantic character of all time. He comes in after Bronte’s Mr Rochester and before Austin’s Mr Darcy.
I’m not actually that sure how much this has to do with the Sharpe of the books or how many Mills and Boon readers fancy the bit of rough that is Sean Bean. However it is nice to see the romantic nature of our hero noted.
The full list is
- Mr Rochester
- Richard Sharpe
- Mr Darcy
- Heathcliff
- Rhett Butler
- Mark Darcy
- Captain Corell
- Henry DeTamble
- Gabriel Oak
- Rupert Campbell Black
As you can see Mr Sharpe is amongst distinguished company.
The Times catches up with Our Agincourt Film news
Not that I actually thought we were the cutting edge in Bernard Cornwell news, but it has taken the times 5 weeks to catch up with us about the Agincourt film.
They realsed a good article with more detials here a couple of days ago, then again they have full time journalists and everything
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6873531.ece
Which of Bernard Cornwells Sharpe Books should I read first?
This is a question that I have seen asked on numerous forums and to my mind the answer can have numerous approaches. As the Sharpe Novels were not written in chronological order
The most obvious approach would be to read them in chronological order based upon the story, so starting with Sharpe’s Tiger and progressing through the other India books, Shapes Trafalgar and Shapes Prey and then into the peninsular war books.
However this is based upon the assumption that Bernard Cornwell wrote Sharpe’s Tiger is a good introductory book for the Series. That it was written to be read at the beginning the reading process and catch the readers attention.
However this is not my opinion on the book, if it was the goal it was not achieved. In my opinion Sharpe’s Tiger is written very much as prequel, a book explaining the back story on a character we are already expected to know.
A second approach would be to read the books in any order as they all stand alone as books, and this would allow you to cherry pick the books that receive good reviews and enjoy your time reading without taking things to seriously.
Thus approach has a numerous advantages but one major disadvantage which is progression, all the books were written as parts of a series, the meta narrative (Big Story) continues from book to book and story progresses from book to book. To read books in completely haphazard way will mean missing out on the meta narrative and also to leave yourself open to read many spoilers as you read chronologically later books before earlier ones.
The final approach would be to read the books in an order similar to the order in which they were written. Which would be my recommendation. I say similar as I see three stages in the writing of the Sharpe Books , the intial trilogy, the full series filmed for TV, and then the writing of the prequels and fillers.
Sharpe Rifles was not the first book written though many do assume it is due to it being the first in the Sharpe TV series. Three books were initially written as a trilogy, they were Sharpe’s Eagle , Sharpe’s Gold and Sharpe’s Company.
I would recommend reading these three books first then going to Sharpe’s Tiger and reading through the whole series in chronological order, and re reading these three books as you go (because they are very good).
The Burning Lands the new Bernard Cornwell Book is released
It will be the fifth novel in the Saxon Chronicles saga, The book tells the story of the final assaults on King Alfred’s Wessex in the 9th Century a.d. and uses the main character, Uhtred Ragnarson, sometimes known as Uhtred Uhtredson who, born in Northumberland is captured and raised by the Danes.
The Danes have invaded Great Britain and all but one of the English kingdoms has been defeated, that of King Alfred. No news as yet of nay new release of a new Richard Sharpe Book.
Sean Bean Heads For The Throne
Sean Bean who plays Richard Sharpe in the TVs eries, and who also played Boromir in Lord of the Rings has been reported to have been cast in the lead role in the HBO planned series ‘A games of Thrones’ based on George RR Martin popular ‘Song of Fire and Ice’ series of fantasy books.
No date has been set for the pilot as yet, and there is no promise that HBO will commit to a full series either, but with an impressive cast list headed up by Bean, this project is definitely being taken seriously.
He has been cast in role of Eddard Stark a Lord who is pressure to act as advisor to the ruthless royal family. Other cast members confirmed for the Pilot include Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson, Harry Lloyd, and Peter Dinklage
The show is been adapted and produced by David Benioff and Dan Weiss. David has suggested a ‘crappy’ tagline for the project could be, “The Sopranos in Middle-earth”, which can only set the imagination racing. With plot elements that will contain spot of conspiracy, incest, child murder, corruption, conspiracy, a rival claimant to the throne across the sea, the still-festering legacy of a civil war 20 years before, a growing threat in the North and did I mention conspiracy? We should see a show which is far darker than Sean Beans Previous fantasy adoptions.
Production will begin in Northern Ireland in October 2009, at Paint Hall Studios in Belfast and has the support of the northern Irish government. It is also likely that the BBC will have a financial involvement in the same way they did in HBO’s Rome series.
Sean Bean sprung to fame as Major Richard Sharpe, the ITV series of Sharpe TV films in the early 90’s, Was made world famous as Boromir in the Lord of the Rings films, but has also stared in numerous other Hollywood films such as Ronin, Patriot Games and Troy.
