Sharpe Books in Order: Chronological & Publication Order

By Anna Marie CarrollHistorical Fiction

Richard Sharpe is one of Bernard Cornwell’s most famous characters, and the Sharpe books in order can be a little confusing at first. Cornwell did not write the books in the same order that Sharpe lives through them, which is why you’ll often see readers debate chronological order versus publication order.

The good news is that both orders work. The better choice depends on whether you want to follow Sharpe’s life from the beginning, or experience the series the way readers first discovered it.

If you want Cornwell’s full bibliography, including The Last Kingdom, the Starbuck Chronicles, the Warlord Chronicles, standalones, and nonfiction, use my Bernard Cornwell books in order guide.

Jump to:

Sharpe Chronological Order

This is the order I’d use for most readers. It follows Richard Sharpe’s life from his early military career in India through the Napoleonic Wars and beyond. It’s also the order Bernard Cornwell gives on his official Sharpe timeline.

I’ve included the short stories where they fit in the timeline. If you only want the novels, you can skip the entries marked as short stories and come back to them later.

  1. Sharpe’s Tiger (set in 1799)
  2. Sharpe’s Triumph (set in 1803)
  3. Sharpe’s Fortress (set in 1803)
  4. Sharpe’s Trafalgar (set in 1805)
  5. Sharpe’s Prey (set in 1807)
  6. Sharpe’s Rifles (set in 1809)
  7. Sharpe’s Havoc (set in 1809)
  8. Sharpe’s Eagle (set in 1809)
  9. Sharpe’s Gold (set in 1810)
  10. Sharpe’s Escape (set in 1810)
  11. Sharpe’s Fury (set in 1811)
  12. Sharpe’s Battle (set in 1811)
  13. Sharpe’s Company (set in 1812)
  14. Sharpe’s Sword (set in 1812)
  15. Sharpe’s Command (set in 1812)
  16. Sharpe’s Skirmish (set in 1812, short story)
  17. Sharpe’s Enemy (set in 1812)
  18. Sharpe’s Honor (set in 1813)
  19. Sharpe’s Regiment (set in 1813)
  20. Sharpe’s Christmas (set in 1813, short story)
  21. Sharpe’s Storm (set in 1813)
  22. Sharpe’s Siege (set in 1814)
  23. Sharpe’s Revenge (set in 1814)
  24. Sharpe’s Waterloo (set in 1815)
  25. Sharpe’s Assassin (set in 1815)
  26. Sharpe’s Ransom (set after Sharpe’s Waterloo, short story in Sharpe’s Christmas)
  27. Sharpe’s Devil (set in 1820-1821)

Sharpe Publication Order

This is the order the main novels were released. I still like this order for readers who want to see how Cornwell built Sharpe over time. It starts in the middle of Sharpe’s military career, then later books fill in earlier gaps.

  1. Sharpe’s Eagle (1981)
  2. Sharpe’s Gold (1981)
  3. Sharpe’s Company (1982)
  4. Sharpe’s Sword (1983)
  5. Sharpe’s Enemy (1984)
  6. Sharpe’s Honor (1985)
  7. Sharpe’s Regiment (1986)
  8. Sharpe’s Siege (1987)
  9. Sharpe’s Rifles (1988)
  10. Sharpe’s Revenge (1989)
  11. Sharpe’s Waterloo (1990)
  12. Sharpe’s Devil (1992)
  13. Sharpe’s Battle (1995)
  14. Sharpe’s Tiger (1997)
  15. Sharpe’s Triumph (1998)
  16. Sharpe’s Fortress (1999)
  17. Sharpe’s Trafalgar (2000)
  18. Sharpe’s Prey (2001)
  19. Sharpe’s Havoc (2003)
  20. Sharpe’s Escape (2004)
  21. Sharpe’s Fury (2006)
  22. Sharpe’s Assassin (2021)
  23. Sharpe’s Command (2024)
  24. Sharpe’s Storm (2025)

Short Stories and Companion Book

There are a few extra Sharpe works outside the main novels. These are useful for completionists, but you do not need them before starting the series.

  1. Sharpe’s Skirmish (2002) (short story)
  2. Sharpe’s Christmas (2003) (contains “Sharpe’s Christmas” and “Sharpe’s Ransom”)
  3. Sharpe’s Story (2007) (companion booklet)

Which Reading Order Should You Choose?

I’d choose chronological order for most readers. It follows Sharpe from India to Waterloo and gives the series a clear timeline.

Publication order is still a good option if you care more about how Cornwell developed the character over time. It starts with Sharpe’s Eagle, then later books go back and fill in earlier chapters of Sharpe’s life.

The only real drawback to chronological order is that some prequel books were written much later. A few details may feel slightly different because Cornwell’s idea of Sharpe changed over time, especially after Sean Bean played him on screen. That does not ruin the reading experience. It just helps explain why both orders exist.

Sharpe TV Adaptations

The Sharpe TV adaptations are a big reason the series has stayed so well known. Sean Bean played Richard Sharpe in the original run of TV films, then returned for later stories.

The screen version is not a simple match for either book order. Some films adapt book titles directly, while others tell stories made for TV. That means I would not use the TV order as your book reading order.

Bernard Cornwell’s official site has a separate Sharpe films watch order. That list starts with Sharpe’s Rifles, then moves through titles such as Sharpe’s Eagle, Sharpe’s Company, Sharpe’s Enemy, Sharpe’s Mission, Sharpe’s Waterloo, Sharpe’s Challenge, and Sharpe’s Peril.

You can also find Sharpe on Prime Video, though availability can change by region and format.

The TV series also affected the books. Cornwell has said that once Sean Bean became the face of Sharpe, he adjusted later descriptions so readers could picture either version of the character.

About the Sharpe Series

The Sharpe series follows Richard Sharpe, a soldier who rises through the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He begins as an outsider in a rigid military world, but his courage, temper, and battlefield instincts keep pushing him forward.

Bernard Cornwell started the series with Sharpe’s Eagle. Later, he went back and wrote earlier adventures, which is why the publication order and chronological order are different.

Looking for similar books in order?

If you want more authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Books in Order index.

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