Sharpe’s Tiger and the Siege of Seringapatam, 1799 by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe's Tiger (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1) - In the Sharpe series, Cornwell recounts the military exploits of Richard Sharpe. The Books were apparently not written in historical order, but those of us who have just discovered the books can read them in order beginning with Sharpe’s Tiger – India 1799. All of the main events in the series are taken from history. Most of Sharpe’s exploits, in the author’s words, “steal the thunder” from real heroes of the military events. The author does note all of the events as either real or not, and those who really were the heroes.


In Tiger, Richard Sharpe is a private the British army in India. His immediate superiors Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill and Captain Morris have taken a dislike to Sharpe and do everything in their power to disgrace Sharpe. However, there are officers, Lieutenant William Lawford and Ensign Fitzgerald who recognize Sharpe’s worth. During one of Hakeswill and Morris’ engineered punishments, the Lieutenant convinces Colonel Arthur Wellesley to enlist Sharpe in a suicidal mission with Lawford to rescue Colonel Hector McCandless who had been captured while spying for the British.

Sharpe and Lawford accidently on purpose get captured by the Tippo of Mysore forces and “desert” the British army to the Tippoo’s forces at Seringapatam. Working from the inside, Lawford and Sharpe are able to not only complete their mission, but also act upon the information that McCandless had been able to gather.