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Sharpe's Tiger

by Bernard Cornwell

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2,325556,590 (3.91)110
Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:

In 1799, the British Army is fighting its way through India in an attempt to push the ruthless Tippoo of Mysore from his throne and drive his French allies out. Posing as a deserter, the young and illiterate private Richard Sharpe must penetrate into the Tippoo's city and make contact with a Scottish spy being held prisoner there. Success will mean winning his sergeant stripes; failure, being turned over to the Tippoo's brutal executionersâ??or his man-eating tigers.

Along the way, Sharpe keeps an eye out for beautiful prostitutes, any stray loot he can get his hands on, and the chance to learn his ABCs. But when the furious British assault on the city begins, Sharpe must fight with the fierceness and agility of a tiger himself to foil the Tippoo's well-set trapâ??and to keep from being killed by his own side… (more)

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English (50)  Spanish (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (52)
Showing 1-5 of 50 (next | show all)
A decent story about the events surrounding the siege and conquest of a city in 18th Century India by the British Army. I liked the detailed description of the siege tactics and storming of the city, and I learned a lot about the history of this conflict while reading the book. However I found the depiction of life in the British army to be brutal (maybe this is accurate? dunno), the story lavished attention on torture and executions, and the fictional protagonist, who ends up being a spy rather than a soldier for most of the book, struck me as unrealistically invincible. ( )
  yaj70 | Jan 22, 2024 |
Fast paced and fun. Cornwell is noted for taking some pains to make things historically accurate. Slightly below Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin books to my taste.
Audio note: Good reader with a range of accents and voices. ( )
  A.Godhelm | Oct 20, 2023 |
spell binding narration.
First novel in the Sharpe's series and I am totally hooked to it.
Sharpe is an orphan whose is a thief turned into a private in the East India company. He is resourceful, ambitious, ruthless, naive and kind-hearted too.

The seige of Seringapatnam is vividly described. Great deal of research is done on the architecture, ammunition, social mores, and life style of the people during the days of Tipoo sultan.

what I liked about the book is the balance in judgement. Cornwell, unlike G.A Henty (who was the author of The Tiger of Mysore) doesn't disparage Tipoo sultan. Opinion in India is divided about how tolerant a ruler Tipoo was ... but everyone agree he is a fearless and a superb military strategist.

Must read for historical fiction lovers ( )
  harishwriter | Oct 12, 2023 |
Curious to see how long and far I follow Sharpe around. Definitely a promising start. #India1799 ( )
  dandelionroots | Aug 9, 2023 |
Set in 1799 in India during the Myesore invasion, Richard Sharpe is a private in the British army. He is given a mission by the commander. Sharpe and a lieutenant pose as deserters to infiltrate the Tippoo Sultan’s stronghold and bring back intelligence for the upcoming battle of Seringapatam.

This is a prequel to the Sharpe series. It introduces the reader to Sharpe’s personality and sets up one of his main opponents, Sgt. Obadiah Hakeswill. The characters are easy to picture and are drawn in detail. The battle scenes are beautifully rendered. It contains a pleasing mix of characterization and action. Tigers are involved.

Cornwell adheres to the historic record. He informs the reader of the liberties he has taken in the Afterword, but they are few and they make sense. I have read and enjoyed other books by Cornwell, but this is my first about Sharpe. It is a great starting point and I look forward to reading more of the series. ( )
  Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 50 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (6 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Bernard Cornwellprimary authorall editionscalculated
Davidson, FrederickNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gaminara, WilliamNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Sharpe's Tiger is for Muir Sutherland and Malcolm Craddock, with many thanks.
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It was funny, Richard Sharpe thought, that there were no vultures in England.
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Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:

In 1799, the British Army is fighting its way through India in an attempt to push the ruthless Tippoo of Mysore from his throne and drive his French allies out. Posing as a deserter, the young and illiterate private Richard Sharpe must penetrate into the Tippoo's city and make contact with a Scottish spy being held prisoner there. Success will mean winning his sergeant stripes; failure, being turned over to the Tippoo's brutal executionersâ??or his man-eating tigers.

Along the way, Sharpe keeps an eye out for beautiful prostitutes, any stray loot he can get his hands on, and the chance to learn his ABCs. But when the furious British assault on the city begins, Sharpe must fight with the fierceness and agility of a tiger himself to foil the Tippoo's well-set trapâ??and to keep from being killed by his own side

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