Sharpe's Tiger (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1) (edition 1997)

Now that was a fun ride. In truth, for the first third or so I thought I was going to get rather bored, and I wasn't sure this book would be more than a 2-star, 3 at most. Matter of fact, right up until the end I thought I was looking at a 3-star, even when it did get interesting.

But Richard Sharpe is a brilliantly drawn character. He's a regular guy in the British army in 1799. He's crude and a bit wild and bored with the service. But when you get right down to it, the man is a good guy, mostly. Well, he's funny at least.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was wonderful. He's British, so that fit the majority of the characters, but his other accents were just as good. Whether doing a Scot or an Irishman, a Frenchman or an Indian, he was great. I've noticed that there a couple different narrators for this, depending on which audio you get. The one I listened to was done by [a:William Gaminara|882699|William Gaminara|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]. Honestly, he might have made the difference when I finally decided to raise this to a 4-star review.

To be honest, I'm not sure how many of the 20 other Sharpe novels I'll get to in the near future, but my experience with the first one (chronologically, at least) is a pretty good indication that I'll keep them on radar. I like Sharpe well enough to want to follow more of his adventures, and I like Cornwell's writing well enough to keep reading. ( )

Well read and engrossing first book of Sharpe Series. British Army in India marches to overturn the Tippoo, ruler of Mysore in southern India. Sharpe is a proper hero and the discription of life as a soldier in the British Army is very realistic and interesting. ( )

I'd read Patrick O'Brian before, and was hoping this series would be comparable. Surprise, I loved this first book, a great introduction to Richard Sharpe, a private in Britain's army in India at the close of the 18th century. Bernard Cornwell serves up a delightful yarn, weaving accurate, detailed historical details - of clothing, armaments, foods, army life, as well as real characters, like the future Duke of Wellington - with colorful fictional heroes and villains, intrigue, derring-do, desperate gambits, and exhilarating battles. I could not put the book down. Once it was finished, I had to go get the next in the series, and the next, and the next after that. I've now finished all 20 some of the books, and insofar as I'm concerned, it was time well spent reading them all. Dick Sharpe is your irresistible, lovable rogue. Constantly beset by corrupt, venal adversaries and enemies, he goes on fighting Britain's wars in India, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and even France, while facing his own foibles, fears, prejudices, and ambitions. He does all this the only way he knows how - with his whole heart and soul, and yes, honor - even if he was nothing but a thief at the start of this long, thrilling adventure. ( )

Library Audio Book, Very good narrator , brings all the character in focus with voice changes. Good story line.

The first installment of the great Sharpe series. One of the most enjoyable historical-fiction series ever written. ( )