Sharpe's Tiger (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1)

Whether you're a longtime fan of Sharpe, or a newcomer, this s excellent story is as good as any in the long-running series. Longtime fans will love to finally get the details on some of the longstanding background material (Sharpe's infamous lashing, the Sultan Tippoo's jewels, Lt. Lawford's teaching him to read, etc.), while newcomers will find themselves at the chronological start of the series. Set in 1799, the book finds Sharpe a lowly private serving in Mysore in Southern India, as the 33rd Rifles are part of a large force seeking to destroy the Muslim ruler of Mysore. Cornwell does his usual masterful job of showing the unpleasant life of a common soldier on the march in a scorching distant land. It is a life so unpleasant, and rife with injustice (most of it at the hands of Sharpe's longtime psychopathic nemesis, Sgt. Hakeswill and the pliant and corrupt drunk Captain Morris), that Sharpe is weighing the pros and cons of deserting. The first half of the book establishes all this, as well as Sharpe's romantic relationship with a half-caste woman (one of the main points of contention between he and Hakeswill), and as well as the larger background. The Sultan's army is melting backward to hole up in the island fortress of Seringpetang, where they hope to hold out until the monsoon season forces the British to retire from the field. However, there is intrigue afoot, as a French advisor to the Sultan whispers encouraging words from Napoleon (then in Egypt), while a top Hindu advisor is the subject of the advances of a British spy. The British spy learns news of vital importance, if the fortress is to be conquered, but is thrown in jail before he can get the news out. Meanwhile, Sharpe has been suckered into an act of insubordination which seems certain to doom him. Fortunately, his fair-minded superior Lt. Lawford insists on Sharpe accompanying him on a suicide mission to rescue the spy. The second half of the book is this James Bondish mission, as the duo make their way to Seringpetang in the guise of deserters, and join the Sultan's unit of European mercenaries. From there, there's lots of tension, as Sharpe and Lawford try and maintain their disguise while proving themselves and trying to locate and free the spy. The book climaxes with the British assault on the fortress, as Sharpe and Lawford try and get the critical information out the the British in time. It's all great stuff, and Cornwell has such command of his material and characters that it just flows smoothly. That's perhaps part of the advantage of writing the books out of chronological sequence, he knows the characters so well that everything feels pitch-perfect. Sharpe is, well... Sharpe. Gritty, angry, crafty, and brutal. Hakeswill is menacing and madly violent. Col. Wellesley (later Duke Wellington of Waterloo fame) is priggish, snippy, and cold. The Sultan is cruel, and yet brave. Based on historical events, the book is packed with intrigue, action, a vivid setting, and is

Chronologically, this is the first adventure of the war-loving soldier, Richard Sharpe. I am new to the series, but if the first three books are any indication (The India Trilogy), I will read them all. The author, Cornwell, is a perfect blend of great storyteller and excellent writer. Cornwell's discription of the siege of Seringapatum is beautifully rendered. The reader can feel the heat and exaustion, hear the swish of saber and whine of bullets. Often, in books that deal with military history, the reader may find himself slightly confused as to troops movements and tactics, but not here. Cornell is such a fantastic action writer, that it is all crystal clear. The reader can sense the flow of action, picture the battlefield perfectly, and understand the reasons behind the decisions; and all without hampering the surge of action. The characters in the novel are particularily well drawn. This is a story with great villians and enemies. Especially enjoyable is Sharpe's nemisis in the novel, the horrid Obadiah Hakewill, Sharpe's sadistic sargent. I also like the author's portrait of The Tippoo Sultan. while it would be hard to call it a sympathetic portrait, Cornwell takes pains to write this enemy in truthful, fascinating strokes. Just a great piece of work and one of the few books I have read lately that have kept me up all night reading. Onward, Mister Sharpe!

This is the first Sharpe novel I've read and what a mistake it was to wait so long. My general avoidance of fiction, especially of the serial nature, caused me to foolishly ignore this series. Sharpe's Tiger was a mixed blessing: Yes, I loved the book, but as another reviewer warned, I am now addicted. Thankfully, I picked the right book to start with, this being the first chronologically in Sharpe's military career.Now, rather than go into detail about the plot and characters (which have been adequately covered in other reviews) I wanted to underscore how impressed I am with the historical accuracy. Cornwell has been first rate in his attention to detail and in describing the conditions of military life in the British Army of the period, even in drawing distinctions between regular army regiments and those of the British East India Company. But even more impressive is the amount of research that must have gone into writing such a novel. With historical fiction you always have people such as myself looking for errors and making pedantic statements like, "But the 52nd Regiment of Foot was never involved in the attack on Java". But Sharpe's Tiger, and presumably the rest of the series, is meticulously researched. Probably not one person in 10,000 has heard of the battle of Mallavelly (the only reference I have found is in Vol.4 of Fortescue's History of the British Army which is, sadly, long ago out-of-print) yet Cornwell presents a robust picture of this engagement. Being particularly interested in the Peninsular War (the setting for many of the other Sharpe adventures), I was elated to finally discovered what so many fans of Cornwell had known for a long time: The Sharpe series, like Hornblower, is sure to be a classic of this genre.

It never ceases to amaze me how a story so full of historical detail can be so consistently entertaining. 'Sharpe's Tiger' has the series' protaganist, Richard Sharpe, serving as a lowly private in India in 1799 and infiltrating the stronghold of the Tipoo Sultan before the arrival of the British army. Many factors contribute to Cornwell's remarkable novel, but the one that stands out is the character of Obidah Hakeswill, an antagonist so loathsome he is sure to go down as one of the great literary villans of all time.

...because that's the highest the counter allows. If not, I'd give it a 20. My introduction to Richard Sharpe, the character came through the TV movies aired here on PBS. My introduction to Mr. Cornwell's books came through this novel. Last spring, while at Gatwick Airport, I saw the hardcover displayed in a bookstore. Facing an 8 hour flight watching movies I'd already seen and disliked I decided "Sharpe's Tiger" was the better investment of time. It certainly was. Since then, I've read all of the Sharpe novels. I am always impressed, and as a novelist myself, more than a little envious of Mr. Cornwell's gifts. He melds fascinating historical details with blood and thunder adventure featuring a flawed, yet undeniably heroic protagonist. In this particular genre, Mr. Cornwell has no peers. I'm hooked on "Sharpie" for life.