Sharpes Fortress

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Richard Sharpe is now a brand-spanking new ensign. He is learning that he should have been careful what he wished for. None of the enlisted respect him since he came up from the ranks; the officers look down upon him as a dirty peasant. The poor guy can't win for losing! He's a tenacious fellow, though. Knowing his character from the rest of the series, I enjoyed seeing Sharpe begin to develop into the character I know and love. Finding the boats that allowed Wellesley's forces to ambush Marshal Nicolas Soult's forces at the Second Battle of Porto (Cornwell notes that in reality a Portuguese barber approached the British forces of his own volition rather than being sent across by Sharpe);

Grace sets up home with Sharpe at Shorncliffe, but dies giving birth to their child, who survives her by only a few hours. Sharpe's fortune is seized by the lawyers, who believe it to be part of Grace's estate. urn:lcp:sharpesfortressr00corn:epub:605578e9-face-4978-bf2a-81bc76501358 Extramarc Brown University Library Foldoutcount 0 Identifier sharpesfortressr00corn Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t7tm9ph56 Invoice 11 Isbn 9780060194246 Gazetted by General Wellesley as a captain after saving the Regimental Colour of the South Essex Battalion at Valdelacasa. After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean. Major William Dodd – the traitorous British East India Company lieutenant now serving Scindia, he commands a specialize Sepoy company known as Dodd's CobrasServes as lieutenant colonel in the 5th Belgian Light Dragoons (Dutch Army) led by the Prince of Orange during the 100 days. He later acts as colonel of his old regiment during the Battle of Waterloo. At the climax of the battle, he is given official command after Wellington says, "That is your Battalion now! So take it forward!" At the end of the war Wellington confirms his command, allowing Sharpe to retire from the army on a lieutenant-colonel's pension. The read lives the battle at Gawilghur. You are made to feel the hopelessness of the task at hand and are treated to masterfully crafted detail of the planning of the assault all the way to the thrilling conclusion. From reading the afterwards, Cornwell gives the impression that the battle of Gawilghur was treated as a minor and insignificant event. This may simply have been a result of the manner in which the battle concluded. Cornwell continues to deliver heart-stopping, gritty battle scenes with incredibly high stakes, as well as odious villains and enemies you just love to hate. Combined with people on all sides who are decent and brave, and it's just such a great mixture of characters that keeps the proceedings lively and my emotions invested. This particular battle at the fortress of Gawilghur was so harrowing due to the geography of the setting that it's truly amazing this battle ever happened, and once again it was just a perfect subject for novelization. This book is a four star and not a five star because of how obviously it's a prequel, though. What is with authors making prequels and then saying to themselves, "hey, this character doesn't exist later on, so they *must* die?" it's unimaginative and predictable. And using Hakeswell as the villain for all three of these novels was a mistake, ESPECIALLY with how each time, Sharpe leaves him to be killed by some animal and then, inexplicably, the animals don't kill him. THREE BOOKS IN A ROW, BERNARD?! Unbelievable. This begins at the tailend of 1803 and takes place in India. The British under Wellesley, allied with the East India Company, have followed Dodd, his fellow traitors, and the Mahratta to an intimidating impregnable fortress called Gawilghur. Dodd and the gang hunker down, secure in the knowledge that no assault could ever breach the walls of Gawilghur. Thus begins an incredible siege.

There is some minor use of adult language. The main character will swear from time to time but as a rule he tends to avoid it. The Maratha army moves on, leaving McCandless behind at his own request. Sharpe decides to look after the wounded colonel, thereby turning down Pohlmann's offer. Nevertheless, he begins to wonder about how he might become an officer. Recognizing the ambition Pohlmann has stoked in the sergeant, McCandless cautions Sharpe. At the time, almost all of the officers in the British Army come from wealthy families and pay for their commissions. Those exceptional few who rise from the ranks are resented and have little chance of advancement. While McCandless recovers, Syud Sevajee locates them and delivers McCandless's report to Wellesley. This time The Fortress of Gawilghur is in his sights. The Fortress of Gawilghur is generally believed, by the Indians, to be impregnable. But if the British are to be successful in their attempt to conquer India Gawilghur must be taken. Cornwall is a master of what Dumas did so brilliantly (and shamelessly) with the three musketeers … namely, have peripheral (never having existed) heroes play key roles in major historical events (or not, as when barely failing to avert the beheading of Charles I by tunneling to beneath his scaffold). Thus, Sharpe brings about the fall of the eponymous fortress of this third volume almost singlehandedly—a ghost from the fictional future assuring the actual future career of the Duke of Wellington…. All this takes a certain letting go of disbelief … but no real complaint, as I did this long ago with the divine Dumas.

Further Reading

When two of Hakeswill's henchmen are killed, Hakeswill realises Sharpe is responsible, so he deserts and finds service with the renegade Englishman William Dodd in Gawilghur. It is said that whoever rules in Gawilghur, rules India, and Dodd intends for it to be him. When the Outer Fort falls, Dodd keeps the gates of the Inner Fort closed, trapping Manu Bappoo outside to be killed by the British. Dodd also has Hakeswill murder Beny Singh, the weak, pleasure-loving commander of Gawilghur.

His intelligence work for Wellesley brings him the long-lasting enmity of the fictional French spymaster Pierre Ducos, who conspires several times to destroy Sharpe's career, reputation or life.Saving Arthur Wellesley's life at the Battle of Assaye (Wellesley was unhorsed and forced to defend himself from Maratha artillerymen for a few crucial moments; Cornwell notes that if any soldier or officer had saved his life during this fight, he would almost certainly have rewarded him with a promotion); Sharpe is born to a whore in the rookeries of London. Orphaned at an early age, he grows up in poverty. He is eventually taken in by prostitute (and later bar owner) Maggie Joyce and becomes a thief. He has to flee the city after killing a man to protect Maggie.

During the earliest (chronological) books Sharpe is a private and later sergeant, and so his uniform and weapons largely are in line with Army regulations. His first sword and officer's sash are taken from the dead in the wake of the Battle of Assaye, although no specifics are given on the weapon. Sergeant Richard Sharpe and a small detachment arrive at an isolated East India Company fort to transport 80,000 recovered rounds of stolen ammunition to the armory at Seringapatam. While Sharpe and his men rest, a company of East India Company sepoys arrive under the command of Lieutenant William Dodd. Dodd abruptly has his men massacre the unsuspecting, outnumbered garrison. Sharpe is wounded and feigns death, allowing him to escape Dodd's determination to leave no witnesses. After the battle, Urquhart recommends Sharpe transfer to the 95th Rifles, an experimental unit, though nothing can be done while the war rages on. For the moment, he assigns Sharpe to assist Captain Torrance, in command of the baggage train. The army is short of many desperately needed supplies, and Sharpe soon discovers why. Lazy and deeply in debt, Torrance has been selling them to the merchant Naig, with the assistance of Sharpe's old nemesis, Sergeant Hakeswill. When Sharpe finds many of the stolen supplies in Naig's tent, Torrance has his associate hanged immediately to avoid being implicated. Jama, Naig's brother, is not pleased, so Torrance agrees to betray Sharpe into his hands. Hakeswill is only too glad to waylay Sharpe; besides their mutual hatred, he rightly suspects that Sharpe has a fortune in jewels looted from a dead enemy ruler. If you ever get the chance to rent or buy SHARPE'S CHALLENGE on DVD, by all means take it! The story is a combination of all the adventures from SHARPE'S TIGER, SHARPE'S TRIUMPH, and SHARPE'S FORTRESS, plus they throw in a lot more romance and more interesting female characters who aren't in any of the novels. After making their way to Portugal, and taking part in the Battle of the Douro, Sharpe and his surviving 30 riflemen are attached to the Light Company of the South Essex Regiment (a fictional regiment) as part of Wellesley's Peninsula Army. Some of the men Sharpe commands in the South Essex are:In this installment, the character of Richard Sharpe is more fully developed. The character is forced to deal with emotions and the anger and disappointment that when your dreams do not unravel as planned.