Sharpe's fortress

Cornwell has penned another rousing installment in the Richard Sharpe saga. This time around, Sharpe, a junior officer in Her Majesty's army, is stationed in India in 1803. Struggling to earn the respect of both his superiors and his troops, he once again runs up against the unscrupulous Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill. Uncovering an act of treason by Hakeswill, Sharpe must confront his sworn enemy in order to protect himself and recover a cache of stolen jewels. Set against the backdrop of the Maharatta War and the siege of the fortress of Gawilghur, this fast-paced historical adventure features plenty of electrifying military action. --Margaret Flanagan

Already a bestseller in the U.K., this 16th volume chronicling the heroic escapades of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier with Gen. Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the duke of Wellington), resumes the marathon historical narrative in India during the final battle of the Mahratta War of 1803. With an amorous French widow waiting for him back in Seringapatam, and carrying a fortune in jewels he has liberated from the Tippoo sultan, Ensign SharpeDnewly promoted from sergeantDis struggling to make a successful transition to officer responsibilities. Led by the murderous English turncoat Col. William Dodd, the Mahratta army withdraws to the impregnable mountaintop fortress of Gawilghur, where Dodd intends to defeat Wellesley and perpetrate a final treachery that will make him ruler of all India. Assigned to the service of Captain Torrance to assist with the supply train, Sharpe uncovers a large cache of misappropriated military supplies. The captain realizes that Sharpe suspects him and his sergeant, Obadiah Hakeswill, Sharpe's old nemesis, of stealing the supplies. He hands Sharpe over to Hakeswill, who takes his jewels and turns Sharpe over to a bandit leader to be killedDbut all is not lost. Resplendent with color and action, the stirring saga overwhelms the senses with the flash of sabers and the gore and din of battle. True to his adoring readers, Cornwell leaves no treachery unpunished as Sharpe again proves his mettle. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Cape Cod resident Cornwell returns to his Napoleonic Wars series about Her Majesty's rifleman Richard Sharpe. Now an ensign, Sharpe in prequel Napoleonic novels set in India, moves to the Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803, and defends the Crown against the treasonous Sergeant Obidiah Hakeswill and the renegade Englishman William Dodd. Sharpe fans may well recall his joining with Sir Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) at the Battle of Assaye in India, a battle Wellington in later years rated above his defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, in Sharpe's Triumph (1999). Now, the Mahattra fortress of Gawilghur cannot be breached, despite all of Wellington's endurance against savage cannonades from the bastion. Who will find the sneaky way around the fortress and across the Inner Fort's wall? Do you need his initials? Meanwhile, we’re told that the latest installment in the series, Sharpe's Trafalgar (not yet published here), hit the top of every major bestseller list in England and remained #1 for 12 weeks, surpassing Grisham's The Brethren. Twelve Sharpe novels have been filmed by PBS. HarperCollins plans a big relaunch of the series. Fabulous stuff.

Cornwell has penned another rousing installment in the Richard Sharpe saga. This time around, Sharpe, a junior officer in Her Majesty's army, is stationed in India in 1803. Struggling to earn the respect of both his superiors and his troops, he once again runs up against the unscrupulous Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill. Uncovering an act of treason by Hakeswill, Sharpe must confront his sworn enemy in order to protect himself and recover a cache of stolen jewels. Set against the backdrop of the Maharatta War and the siege of the fortress of Gawilghur, this fast-paced historical adventure features plenty of electrifying military action. --Margaret FlanaganCopyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

Already a bestseller in the U.K., this 16th volume chronicling the heroic escapades of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier with Gen. Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the duke of Wellington), resumes the marathon historical narrative in India during the final battle of the Mahratta War of 1803. With an amorous French widow waiting for him back in Seringapatam, and carrying a fortune in jewels he has liberated from the Tippoo sultan, Ensign Sharpe newly promoted from sergeant is struggling to make a successful transition to officer responsibilities. Led by the murderous English turncoat Col. William Dodd, the Mahratta army withdraws to the impregnable mountaintop fortress of Gawilghur, where Dodd intends to defeat Wellesley and perpetrate a final treachery that will make him ruler of all India. Assigned to the service of Captain Torrance to assist with the supply train, Sharpe uncovers a large cache of misappropriated military supplies. The captain realizes that Sharpe suspects him and his sergeant, Obadiah Hakeswill, Sharpe's old nemesis, of stealing the supplies. He hands Sharpe over to Hakeswill, who takes his jewels and turns Sharpe over to a bandit leader to be killed but all is not lost. Resplendent with color and action, the stirring saga overwhelms the senses with the flash of sabers and the gore and din of battle. True to his adoring readers, Cornwell leaves no treachery unpunished as Sharpe again proves his mettle. (Nov.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.