# SHARPE‘S TIGER (Book Review)



## Danjanou (6 May 2003)

In one scene early on in Sharpes Rifles a group of Spanish Officers dining with Lt. Sharpe attempt to do their best to provoke him. One of them on finding that Sharpe served in India begins to sing the praises of the Sultan Tippoo who had been a long time opponent of the British. 

One of the Spaniards casually asks Sharpe if he had ever heard of the Sultan. Sharpe equally casually replies, "Yes. I killed him". Now after years of this series we finally get the tale of this, Sharpe‘s first adventure. 

India and a British army stands poised to assault the fortified city of the Sultan Tippoo, but they desperately need intelligence. A young Officer William Lawford volunteers to pose as a deserter and infiltrate the Sultan‘s forces and join his regiment of European soldiers. For him to succeed at this ruse, he‘ll need a real lower class private soldier to tutor him in the ways of the "scum of the earth". 

Enter Private Richard Sharpe, who like so many others joined the army one step ahead of the law. Sharpe should be honoured to join such an adventure as he has just been saved from being flogged to death for an offence he was framed for. Being Sharpe of course, escaping with the skin of his teeth is not enough. He wangles an instant promotion to Sergeant as his price for going along. 

Sharpe readily takes to his new role as a deserter and turncoat. Perhaps a little too readily especially when it comes to the personal discomfort of his "fellow deserter." All good things come to an end and the pair are betrayed and imprisoned. Here in the Sultan‘s dungeons, Sharpe will learn the one thing that will make possible the rapid advancement that will come in the years to follow. 

Will Sharpe escape in time to warn the approaching British Army of the deadly trap that awaits them? Will he defeat the Sultan and steal his fortune? Do we really need to answer this; we‘re talking the infamous Richard Sharpe here. 

Bernard Cornwall as always provides us with a highly entertaining tale of daring do. The sweeping and realistic battle sequences and the attention to details are his hallmarks. Careful research into such facets as the Indian caste system and the architecture of the ancient fortress, are coupled with his already noted knowledge of the British Army of the period and its social customs. 

Sharpe lives to fight once more.


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## Pikache (7 May 2003)

All Sharpe series novels are worth reading, well, maybe except Sharpe‘s Prey, which was rather... dry.


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## Danjanou (7 May 2003)

Hey Sharpe‘s Prey is good ( as my review will show, whenever I get around to posting it). It has everything in it, intrigue, adventure, a girl, actually a couple, the introduction of the chosen men, and Sharpe‘s picklock.


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## Pikache (7 May 2003)

Well, I guess I found Sharpe‘s Prey not as intense as other Sharpe novels.


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