Sharpe's Tiger: Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Seringapatam, 1799 (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1) [Hardcover]

Bernard Cornwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1997

The prequel to the series, describing Sharpe's experiences in India. Throughout the series, there are references to Sharpe's early soldiering life in India. With the same meticulous research and attention to detail that is found in the Peninsular War books, Bernard Cornwell has sumptuously recreated the 1799 campaign against Seringapatam which made the British masters of southern India, a campaign that pitted brutalized soldiers against an ancient and splendid civilization. Sharpe, the rest of his battalion and rising star of the general staff Arthur Wellesley, are about to embark upon the siege of the island citadel of the Tippoo of Mysore, Seringapatam. The British must remove this potentate from his Tiger Throne, but he has gone to great lengths to defend his city from attack. When a senior British officer is captured by the Tippoo's forces, Sharpe is offered a chance to attempt a rescue and infiltrate the Tippoo's forces. Sharpe needs no invitation to get away from the tyrannical Sergeant Hakeswill, but once inside the dangerous world of the Tippoo he realises he will need all his wits just to stay alive, let alone save the British army from catastrophe. Set against the background of dazzling wealth, ruinous poverty, gorgeous palaces, sudden cruelty and pitiless battles, Sharpe's Tiger is his greatest adventure yet.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What makes these books such a successful formula is the blend of action, well-researched historical setting, colourful characterization and a juicy sub-plot" The Times

About the Author

Bernard Cornwell worked for BBC TV for seven years, mostly as producer on the Nationwide programme, before taking charge of the Current Affairs department in Northern Ireland. In 1978 he became editor of Thames Television's Thames at Six. Married to and American, he now lives in the United States.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Publishers (June 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002250101
• ISBN-13: 978-0002250108
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #587,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an incredible start to a great series!, September 8, 2003

By 

M. Dog (Everywhere and Nowhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sharpe's Tiger (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1) (Paperback)

Chronologically, this is the first adventure of the war-loving soldier, Richard Sharpe. I am new to the series, but if the first three books are any indication (The India Trilogy), I will read them all.

The author, Cornwell, is a perfect blend of great storyteller and excellent writer. Cornwell's discription of the siege of Seringapatum is beautifully rendered. The reader can feel the heat and exaustion, hear the swish of saber and whine of bullets. Often, in books that deal with military history, the reader may find himself slightly confused as to troops movements and tactics, but not here. Cornell is such a fantastic action writer, that it is all crystal clear. The reader can sense the flow of action, picture the battlefield perfectly, and understand the reasons behind the decisions; and all without hampering the surge of action.

The characters in the novel are particularily well drawn. This is a story with great villians and enemies. Especially enjoyable is Sharpe's nemisis in the novel, the horrid Obadiah Hakewill, Sharpe's sadistic sargent. I also like the author's portrait of The Tippoo Sultan. while it would be hard to call it a sympathetic portrait, Cornwell takes pains to write this enemy in truthful, fascinating strokes.

Just a great piece of work and one of the few books I have read lately that have kept me up all night reading. Onward, Mister Sharpe!

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best in the Series, March 26, 2006

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sharpe's Tiger (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1) (Paperback)

Whether you're a longtime fan of Sharpe, or a newcomer, this s excellent story is as good as any in the long-running series. Longtime fans will love to finally get the details on some of the longstanding background material (Sharpe's infamous lashing, the Sultan Tippoo's jewels, Lt. Lawford's teaching him to read, etc.), while newcomers will find themselves at the chronological start of the series. Set in 1799, the book finds Sharpe a lowly private serving in Mysore in Southern India, as the 33rd Rifles are part of a large force seeking to destroy the Muslim ruler of Mysore. Cornwell does his usual masterful job of showing the unpleasant life of a common soldier on the march in a scorching distant land. It is a life so unpleasant, and rife with injustice (most of it at the hands of Sharpe's longtime psychopathic nemesis, Sgt. Hakeswill and the pliant and corrupt drunk Captain Morris), that Sharpe is weighing the pros and cons of deserting.

The first half of the book establishes all this, as well as Sharpe's romantic relationship with a half-caste woman (one of the main points of contention between he and Hakeswill), and as well as the larger background. The Sultan's army is melting backward to hole up in the island fortress of Seringpetang, where they hope to hold out until the monsoon season forces the British to retire from the field. However, there is intrigue afoot, as a French advisor to the Sultan whispers encouraging words from Napoleon (then in Egypt), while a top Hindu advisor is the subject of the advances of a British spy. The British spy learns news of vital importance, if the fortress is to be conquered, but is thrown in jail before he can get the news out.

Meanwhile, Sharpe has been suckered into an act of insubordination which seems certain to doom him. Fortunately, his fair-minded superior Lt. Lawford insists on Sharpe accompanying him on a suicide mission to rescue the spy. The second half of the book is this James Bondish mission, as the duo make their way to Seringpetang in the guise of deserters, and join the Sultan's unit of European mercenaries. From there, there's lots of tension, as Sharpe and Lawford try and maintain their disguise while proving themselves and trying to locate and free the spy. The book climaxes with the British assault on the fortress, as Sharpe and Lawford try and get the critical information out the the British in time.

It's all great stuff, and Cornwell has such command of his material and characters that it just flows smoothly. That's perhaps part of the advantage of writing the books out of chronological sequence, he knows the characters so well that everything feels pitch-perfect. Sharpe is, well... Sharpe. Gritty, angry, crafty, and brutal. Hakeswill is menacing and madly violent. Col. Wellesley (later Duke Wellington of Waterloo fame) is priggish, snippy, and cold. The Sultan is cruel, and yet brave. Based on historical events, the book is packed with intrigue, action, a vivid setting, and is a great adventure.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great author + lousy publisher = mediocre ebook, February 13, 2010

By 

Gerry M. Smith (Catalina Island, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sharpe's Tiger (Kindle Edition)

Just finished the Kindle edition. I was saddened to see a good author's craft ruined by truly horrible editing. The publisher screwed this one up so bad it was painful to read. The book is full of errors that should have been caught in the most superficial edit. I suppose that PerfectBound and Harper Collins simply scanned a printed copy of the book, pushed the electronic result through a spell checker, and published it. There are fifteen places where the scanner obviously misread "the" and got "die". Because of the lack of an edit, that's how it was published. And that's only one example.

Publishers have a duty to their authors and readers to faithfully reproduce the author's work. When they fail the author loses fans and, presumably, money. To have to pay ten dollars for a book that looks like it cost almost nothing to publish reflects on the greed of the publisher.