Sharpe's Triumph - Bernard Cornwell

In the fall of 1803 Richard Sharp is still in Seringapatam India. 4 years after we were introduced to the private he hasn't moved very far. Rewarded with Sargent stripes for his role in freeing prisoner of war Colonel McCandless from the Tippoo's dungeons, he has continued to serve her majesty's army by helping Major Stokes maintain the defenses of Seringapatam.

Our story begins with Sharpe sent on an errand to retrieve and transport back 80,000 rounds of musket cartridges from a nearby fort. While he is there, a surprise attack wipes out the defenders and most of the women and children in the fort. Sharpe survives by accident. Having taken a glancing blow on the head from a musket ball, Sharpe is assumed to be dead given the huge quantity of blood that poured from his head.

When Sharpe returns to Seringapatam and reports what occurred, he finds out that the man who lead the raid, Major Dodd, was recently a Lieutenant in her Majesty's army. Having signed on with the Mahrattas, he was immediately promoted and promised a fortune for his services in helping to defeat the British.

Shortly after Sharpe has settled back into his routine at Seringapatam, Colonel McCandless arrives and takes Sharpe back to the war. McCandless has been tasked with capturing Major Dodd and returning him to the British army to stand trial. Never having seen the man, McCandless requisitions Sharpe to aid him in this perilous mission.

Cornwell continues to paint a vivid and accurate picture of this period in history. Using the backdrop of actual events and battles, he places his characters in situations that allow us to witness the history through the eyes of people involved rather than through the dry recitation of history books filled with dates and names. We get a feel for life at the time.