Sharpe's Fortress (Richard Sharpe Adventures (Audio))

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Summary: Richard Sharpe and the novel "Sharpe's Fortress" by Cornwell
Review: "Sharpe's Fortress" or the Battle of Gawilghur takes place in India in 1803. Richard Sharpe learns that he must make choices in his life as a soldier, and he must either stay in his position as an ensign or resign his commission when he returns to England in the near future after the battle. He learns to live the life of the soldier, as well as the officer that he is. He seizes command and goes into the fortress to sieze it at a terrible cost to the british and the indian soldiers who fight. He has many enemies in this book and he is forced to deal with his enemy, Captain Dodd, and also his hatred for Obadiah Hakeswill causes Sharpe to take harsh action against Obadiah at the conclusion of the novel. He is a good officer he is the child soldier who grows into the man who becomes the professional soldier who makes the army his life! He takes a realistic look at war and sees the hell and he also sees the beauty of war, and he becomes part of the war, and does his job and does it well so that Sir Arthur Wellesley can claim victory for the battle. It is a novel of blood and it is a novel of terror it is a novel of what war is all about! And it is one that you will either enjoy or not enjoy! It is Bernard Cornwell at his best, and it is Richard Sharpe as you usually do not see him, he is vulnerable, he is wounded in battle, and he learns that he can be part of a vicious assault on a fort and remain alive. If you read all of the "Richard Sharpe" novels be sure to read this one, its the last of the India series, and I did enjoy the novel, and look forward to his next "Sharpe" novel.

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Summary: Sharpe marches on
Review: Although I prefer Bernard Cornwell's books on his hero, Richard Sharpe's daring exploits during the Peninsular War, this story--the third and final one set in India--about the young Sharpe's life as a newly made Ensign in the British Army is the best. In the previous book, Sharpe's Triumph, we learnt exactly how the then Sergeant Sharpe saved Sir Arthur Wellesley's (later Duke of Wellington's) life at the Battle of Assaye. Now, we see how Sharpe tries to adjust to the rank of Ensign that was thrust upon him for that heroic deed. All the elements of the other Sharpe novels are present here. The battles, especially the storming of the apparently inpenetrable fortress of Gawilghur, are excellently and vividly written. Sharpe is again with his back up against a wall in having to deal with both men and officers who resent that he's been "brought up", and facing his old nemesis, the twitching and sly Obadiah Hakeswill, once more. It's interesting to see this early relationship between protaganist and antagonist knowing how it plays out in the Peninsular portion of the series. Bernard Cornwell does take some creative license with history, but it is clear (as in all his books) how thoroughly researched it is. I always enjoy Cornwell's historical notes, and seeing what really happened. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment and seeing Sharpe marching on once more!

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Summary: Weakest of the Sharpe in India books
Review: Not a terrible book, but definitely the weakest of the Sharpe novels set in India (the "Rifles" prequels). The battle scenes are quite good, but the perfunctory romance story feels so tacked-on that that one suspects Cornwell only included the female character because his formula required it. And the handling of Obadiah Hakeswill at the end is just annoying; altogether too much like a James Bond villain's attempt to rid himself of Bond. To reiterate, not an awful novel, but it compares pretty poorly to the preceding "Sharpe's Triumph" or to the subsequent "Sharpe's Trafalgar."