Just Finished Reading: Sharpe’s Triumph by Bernard Cornwell (FP: 1998) [293pp]

India, 1803. Guilt is not something Sergeant Richard Sharpe deals with easily. His tools are musket, sword and fist and none of these are worth a damned thing against the guilt he feels at losing his section. But as the only survivor of an act of treachery by an East India Company deserter Sharpe has something else he can work with – a thirst for revenge. The opportunity to do so arrives in the shape of Sharpe’s friend Colonel McCandless. Tasked with tracking down the traitor and bringing him to Company justice, Sergeant Sharpe becomes involved in the growing revolt to British rule in India. The Company with its powerful mercenary army is a threat to Mahratta rule and finds itself faced by a mercenary army just as professional, just as well armed and much larger. Paid for by the seemingly endless Indian wealth both the Company and the British forces headed by the inexperienced Sir Arthur Wellesley have got a fight on their hands. Meanwhile, Sharpe’s old enemy Sergeant Hakeswill has got something very unpleasant planned for him and, with the promise of a king’s ransom in gems he’s not alone. With the fighting heating up all around him Sharpe has his work cut out just to survive the next few months with his hide and his jewels intact.

This is my 19^th Sharpe book (I think!) and the series continues to entertain mightily. It was interesting seeing Sharpe in his pre-officer days (not spoiling anything here!) and, of course, without his seemingly permanent sidekick Sergeant Harper who he has yet to meet. As always, despite his lowly birth Sharpe has a habit of making friends in high or at least higher places who can both help and shield him along his road. Here it is the bluff Scot Colonel McCandless who provides this support. Sharpe is here very much at the earliest stages of his fighting career and even wonders if he can stomach the inevitable death and destruction he is riding into. As any reader of the series already knows Sharpe need not have worried overly much. Dropped into a life or death situation he chose life – passionately, bloodily and (almost to his own astonishment) joyfully. As pretty much always with Sharpe novels this follows the formula of initiating event (the, in this case fictional, massacre), small battle (the siege of Ahmednuggur), large battle (Assaye) and complicating sub-plot (Hakeswill). Apart from the existence of Sharpe himself and a few other minor characters the story follows actual events and the battles happen pretty much as they did in 1803 including some of the more minor but memorable incidents. Naturally there is a woman, French this time, who falls into Sharpe’s bed (at least briefly) but I didn’t find Simone Joubert a particularly memorable character. Overall this was a good solid read and I enjoyed it greatly. Naturally, being me, it piqued my interest about Britain’s role in India during that time and especially the role of the East India Company in the events portrayed in the book. Luckily for me I had just the source to feed my need to know such things – and that’s coming next. One more thing which interested me. At one point a group of British cavalry approached Sharpe carrying the ‘new’ Union flag (only called a JACK when it’s on the back of a boat as I keep reminding people!) which, in its present form, was adopted in 1801. I do love details like this. Recommended for all historic combat buffs.