Sharpe’s Tiger by Bernard Cornwell

After getting started on Cornwell's King Arthur series, I began listening to his series about General Wellington through the eyes of a soldier, Richard Sharpe.

I finished the first book of the series, “Sharpes Tiger“, and really enjoyed it. There were a number of “driveway moments” where I did not get out of the car so I could listen to the end of the chapter.

In this book the main character, Richard Sharpe, starts out as an illiterate private in the British Army of 1799. The army is attempting to depose the Tippoo (ruler) of Mysore from his throne and drive the French, who are helping him, out of India.

The author does a great job of showing the unpleasant reality of the life of a common soldier. Coming from the dregs of English society, the regular soldier was treated as a dispensable pawn by the elite officers.

Cornwell’s portrait of The Tippoo Sultan is superb, showing him as a competent yet ruthless ruler. The Tippoo has two ways of dealing with those who betray him. His Hindu strongmen, the “jetti”, kill prisoners with brutal displays of their strength. Being thrown to his tigers is an even more nightmarish way to die.

The book climaxes with Sharpe, who knows the Tippoo’s secret plan for defending the fortress, being jailed in a dungeon and guarded by a tiger while the British begin their assault on the fortress. Cornwell is able to bring us into the tactical and strategic planning of the attacks and weaves a compelling yarn amid the chaos of the battlefield.

This is a fun read based on historical events that kept my attention and makes me want to read more of Sharpe’s exploits in the rest of this 20+ book series. One line I really liked in the historical notes at the end of the story was the author’s explanation of some liberties he took with certain historical details, saying, “because fictional heroes must be given suitable employment”.