Blood, Lust, Drink, Local Color, Intrigue, Adventure, Using Your Wits, and Battle
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When I checked this book out of the local library, my favorite librarian looked concerned. Based on her knowledge of my reading habits, she was dubious that I would like Sharpe's Tiger. Knowing her reading tastes, I soon realized that the book is far too bloody, raw, and unrestrained for her delicate sensibilities. If you like your adventure stories to be pretty antiseptic in protecting you from grisly reality, this book won't be for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy feeling like you are there and experiencing the story, you'll adore Sharpe's Tiger.
The year is 1799. The place is Mysore in India. Richard Sharpe is a relatively untested private who is good at thinking and acting quickly. After Sergeant Bickerstaff dies, Sharpe becomes first in line to marry his beautiful widow, a half-Indian half-English woman, Mary Bickerstaff. But that's a dangerous thing to do because one of the officers and a sergeant have designs of Mrs. Bickerstaff for immoral purposes that will bring some money to them as well. Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill sets Sharpe up to make a fatal blunder, and Sharpe falls for the plot. As a result, Sharpe is at risk of losing his life.
While this is going on, Colonel McCandless who leads the British military intelligence activities has learned a crucial secret for successfully seizing Seringapatam, the well-defended Mysore seat of the Tippoo who is the most fierce and determined enemy of the British in India. Before Colonel McCandless can pass on the secret, he is captured by the Tippoo. McCandless's only hope now is that his emergency plan to secure a rescue will work.
Sharpe is drafted for a suicide assignment to pretend to be a deserter and infiltrate Seringapatam in an attempt to free the Colonel before the siege begins. His potential reward is to earn Sergeant's stripes so that he can be free of Hakeswill's authority. The story suddenly goes from army boredom to taut suspense as Sharpe's life is continually hanging in the balance.
The story provides a wealth of details about the British and East India Company armies at the time and the life of the independent Indian leaders. You'll also learn a lot about battle strategy and tactics of the time.
Richard Sharpe is a truly extraordinary hero for being cool under fire, resourceful, and quick to gain an advantage. He also has the perspective of a general without the rank and authority to do much more than lead his own steps when no superior officers are around.
The book is filled with exciting action, intriguing challenges, and brooding evil. Naturally, you'll be rooting for Sharpe to drive out those who are doing or want to do wrong. But the good versus evil isn't that clear. The Tippoo isn't a bad ruler: He's just the enemy of Richard Sharpe.
Although the book is somewhat simplistic in its morality, I think you'll enjoy a break from all of those books written today about anti-heroes.
I especially liked the glimpses of the young Arthur Wellesley before he became the famed Duke of Wellington.
I am looking forward to reading more books in the series.
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Excellent
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I am so glad that Bernard Cornwell went back to do these. I was lucky enough to read all in date order (I got into these in the past 6 months). Reading the later books makes so much sense as they constantly refer back to previous exploits. Not sure how these would have worked before he wrote these...... doesn't matter now as he has!
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A mistake in the book.
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First of all, I am a big fan of the series. I have read many of them, although not in the chronological order. When I got my hands over this book I was thrilled. But then I got to the part when he made up verses of the "Koran".
This is not a real review, I have not completed the book because of that, but I felt I should at least state the mistake in it.
I pride myself for being open minded. I didn't object to the fact that the enemy were a Muslim. There were and are some incredibly stupid ones in history, it is human nature, but I could not go any further from the page where the made up verse was. I rated three, even though I suspect I would rate it more if I could complete it, I can't. It may sound silly to you, but I was offended.
I know it is fiction, but one of the things I like about Cornwell is how much research he puts in his books, I wish he made sure everything was correct in it, we muslims, do read other books too.
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Vultures, Tigers and Sharpie, who could ask for more
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It's 1799 in India, and Sharpe is 22, a private and thinking of deserting. His arch enemy, Hakeswill, is making his life a misery, and he is bored of the army routine of "hurry up and do nothing". Provoked into striking Hakeswill, Sharpe is flogged. After only part of the sentence is carried out, he's then offered a special assignment. From then on we are taken on a fast and furious action-packed ride based around the Siege of Seringapatam, with Sharpe joining Lieutenant Lawson on a mission to infiltrate the enemy to seek information and free Lawson's uncle who has been captured by the Tippoo.
Cornwall makes no effort to gloss over the privations and unfairness of army life, particularly for the rank and file, and spares no detail of the blood and gore of the events leading up to the siege and the final battle itself. Chronologically, this is the first episode of the Sharpe saga, and is based on real-life events, and the author openly acknowledges where he has altered proceedings giving as his reason "... fictional heroes must be given suitable employment".
This is a well-written and researched book, with loads of local colour and much 19th Century cant to evoke the atmosphere of the times. Its fast paced action gets you hooked into the storyline right from the first page, and I found myself unable to put it down. Admittedly, Sharpe's attitude towards women is definitely not PC, but does reflect both his character and the prevailing attitudes of the times, and we are provided with some glimpses of his softer side.
If you're looking for a pacey adventure based on historical fact, then I recommend "Sharpe's Tiger" as a great introduction into an engrossing series. For those of you wanting more details of the history around the Sharpe series, Cornwell recommends the timeline by Brian Timmins at http://www.brianstimelines.co.uk/SharpieA.html
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Tiger a truimph
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Forget the review by A Starbuck Fan - that person has put the same review on every Sharpe prequel which should be removed by an administrator because its not a review of a particular book.
Sharpe's Tiger is the official first book in the long running series. It's a fantastic opener and one you feel Bernard really enjoyed writing. Not only do we see a young Sharpe, confident and a private, but Hakeswill makes a brilliant return, we see Willie lawford and Tom Garrard again.
The story is set in 1799 an the British are at war with the Tippoo Sultan in Mysore. The story is so seemlessly written and descriptive that you are immersed in the story. Not many writers can do that.
Its a cracking book and I feel that the Indian Trilogy is Bernard's is the best of the "new" Sharpe books.
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