Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1)

Title: Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1)

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Published in: 1997

Date read: 2nd April 2017

Score: 5/5

Genre: Historical fiction

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Sharpe's Tiger" by Bernard Cornwell, published in 1997, is the first novel chronologically in the entire Richard Sharpe series, taking readers back to his earliest military career in India in 1799. This book establishes Sharpe as a raw but exceptionally resourceful private soldier in the British Army during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.

The story begins in the oppressive heat and political tension of southern India. Richard Sharpe is a private in the 33rd Foot, a line infantry regiment. He is a young, cynical, and hot-headed soldier, often clashing with authority and struggling against the brutal discipline and widespread corruption prevalent in the British East India Company's army of the era. He is haunted by his past as a London orphan and his current harsh reality as a common soldier.

His life takes a dramatic turn after a particularly brutal flogging (a common military punishment) ordered by a cruel sergeant. In a fit of desperate defiance, Sharpe attempts to desert. During his escape, he inadvertently saves the life of Major General Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington), who is then a relatively junior officer. This act of unexpected heroism, though born of a desperate personal situation, brings Sharpe to Wellesley's attention.

Wellesley, recognizing something unusual in Sharpe's courage and intelligence despite his low rank, gives him an incredibly dangerous and highly unusual mission. Sharpe is to infiltrate the formidable fortress city of Seringapatam, the capital of the powerful and enigmatic Tipu Sultan, the "Tiger of Mysore," a ruthless and technologically advanced ruler who is a fierce enemy of the British.

Sharpe's mission is to locate and rescue a captured British spy and agent named Colonel McCandless, who holds vital intelligence about Tipu's defences and his alliance with the French. To achieve this, Sharpe must adopt a disguise, navigate the labyrinthine city, and survive the Sultan's brutal regime, which includes torture and public executions.

Inside Seringapatam, Sharpe encounters a vivid array of characters, including Tipu's beautiful and cunning French mistress, Chantelle, and the zealous Indian chief of intelligence, Obadiah, who becomes a relentless pursuer. He also experiences the exotic but terrifying culture of Tipu's court, where British prisoners are often subjected to cruel fates, including being mauled by tigers in the Sultan's pits.

The "tiger" in the title refers both to Tipu Sultan himself and to the constant, visceral danger Sharpe faces. The novel is a gripping tale of espionage, survival, and brutal combat in a foreign land.

The climax builds to the epic Siege of Seringapatam, a real historical event, with Sharpe playing a crucial, though covert, role in the final assault. He must complete his mission, evade capture, and fight for his life amidst the chaos and carnage of the storming of the fortress, proving his mettle and setting him on the path to becoming the legendary soldier he is destined to be. "Sharpe's Tiger" is a fantastic origin story, establishing Sharpe's cunning, courage, and his relentless fight for survival and recognition.

Comments:
I read all of the Sharpe books in chronological order, one after the other. When I have looked back, I have not separated them at all unless there is a specific thing to add which will be after saying that I suddenly loved historical fiction and anything that Bernard Cornwell writes.

This is the start of the timeline and, in my opinion, is the best book. I loved it all through and I am quite sure that this is the book that made me fall in love with historical fiction. It was a recommendation from a friend and it did take me out of my comfort zone a little but I could not put it down.

Books that we've read by Bernard Cornwell (28):
Sharpe's Eagle (Sharpe, #8) (1981), Sharpe's Gold (Sharpe, #9) (1981), Sharpe's Company (Sharpe, #13) (1982), Sharpe's Sword (Sharpe, #14) (1983), Sharpe's Enemy (Sharpe, #15) (1984), Sharpe's Honour (Sharpe, #16) (1985), Sharpe's Regiment (Sharpe, #17) (1986), Redcoat (1987), Sharpe's Siege (Sharpe, #18) (1987), Sharpe's Rifles (Sharpe, #6) (1988), Sharpe's Revenge (Sharpe, #19) (1989), Sharpe's Waterloo (Sharpe, #20) (1990), Sharpe's Devil (Sharpe, #22) (1992), Sharpe's Battle (Sharpe, #12) (1995), Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1) (1997), Sharpe's Triumph (Sharpe, #2) (1998), Sharpe's Fortress (Sharpe, #3) (1999), Sharpe's Prey (Sharpe, #5) (2000), Sharpe's Trafalgar (Sharpe, #4) (2000), Gallows Thief (2001), Heretic (The Grail Quest, #3) (2003), Sharpe's Havoc (Sharpe, #7) (2003), The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1) (2004), Sharpe's Escape (Sharpe, #10) (2004), Sharpe's Fury (Sharpe, #11) (2005), The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2) (2006), Sword Song (The Saxon Stories, #4) (2007), Lords of the North (The Saxon Stories, #3) (2007)