Title:

Sharpe's Fortress

Author:

Bernard Cornwell

Category:

Literature

Rating:

Date Reviewed:

August 22, 2022

harpe's Fortress is the third book in the series about Richard Sharpe, a soldier in the British army during the era of the Napoleonic wars. Sharpe's Fortress is the third book set in India, it completes the three "prequel" novels that tell the story of Sharpe before he fought the French. Sharpe's military service began in India as a private. After the first two books, (Sharpe's Tiger and Sharpe's Triumph, Sharpe has been promoted to officer status because he saved the life of Sir Arthur Wellesley at the battle of Assaye. Sharpe wanted to be an officer so badly it hurt, and yet now that he is an ensign he regrets his promotion. The other officers disdain him - they are aristocrats who purchased their commissions, while Sharpe is just common man. Being promoted has also isolated Sharpe from the comradery of the fellow soldiers. Even worse, Sharpe is serving in a Scottish regiment, and they all despise him for being English. Sharpe is pretty much friendless yet he has enemies a-plenty!

Sharpe's Fortress begins with the battle of Argaum in 1803. Sir Wellesley's British army is remorselessly pursuing the Mahratta's troops across Southern India when the commander of the Indian forces, Manu Bappoo, decides to make a stand. The Indian cannons are lined up across a millet field - the British soldiers will have to march straight into devastating cannon fire in order to engage. The British don't have nearly enough guns to square off against quality Indian artillery. Initially, the fierce cannon fire causes the British to falter (actually, most of the soldiers in this story are Scots, not English), but then they rally and press the attack. Cornwell does an excellent job describe what it must have been like to advance under cannon fire, with cannonballs whizzing past, occasionally making mincemeat out of the man marching next to you. The cannonballs bounce along, knocking holes in the advancing lines. Most devastating are cannons at the flank - a single shot fired from the side can pulverize multiple men advancing in a line.

Our protagonist, Richard Sharpe, has been promoted to ensign, which apparently is the lowest ranking officer in the British army, lower than a lieutenant but higher than a sergeant. As the battle of Argaum progresses, Sharpe finds he has nothing to do - the Scottish sergeants know their business, they don't need an Ensign telling them how to fight (especially not a British ensign!). Sharpe wants to carry a musket and fight, but as an officer he is ordered to maintain his place behind the advancing ranks.

Despite the fierce carnage wrought by the Indian cannon, the Scots charge with bayonets and soon they are amongst the Indian soldiers who flee, abandoning their guns and the field to the victorious British. But Manu Bappoo does not have to run far to reach sanctuary - he and his remaining troops retreat to the vast, impregnable fortress of Gawilugher. Perched high on a mountain top, with towering walls, Gawilghur's defenders can concentrate withering fire upon any troops that attempt to storm up the steep and narrow access road. And should the Outer Fort of Gawilugher somehow be taken, the Inner Fort is protected by four thick gates that are hidden from cannon fire (so they cannot be breached by shelling.) Characters from both sides of the conflict, British and Indian, assess Gawilugher's fortifications and conclude that it cannot be taken. And yet Sir Wellesley is an ambitious man - he needs to defeat the Indian troops so he can sail back to England as a victorious commander - only then will he be given a commanding role in the inevitable war that is coming with the French.

This is an impressive book. Cornwell's research shines through - he seems to know the army's tactics, weapons, food, customs and anything to do with horses. Cornwell convinced me that his depiction of these battles is an accurate description of how they were fought. Were the British gunners really so accurate that they could fire over the heads of their advancing troops? I would not be surprised to learn that Cornwell had visited these sites personally, especially the still standing ruins of Gawilugher. Cornwell shows men of courage and honor on both sides of the conflict, but most of the characters in the book are motivated by greed, lust, fear and revenge. There is theft, murder and cowardice. Sharpe himself is no paragon of virtue. He thirsts for vengeance against the many people who wrong him, and when given the chance, Sharpe is willing to use murder and trickery himself. But when it comes time for battle, Sharpe is courageous to the point of foolhardy, but thankfully none of those flying cannonballs find the mark, otherwise there wouldn't another 18 books left in the series!

This is the end of Sharpe's time in India, the next book is called Sharpe's Trafalgar, though how an infantryman gets involved in a naval battle remains to be seen.