Historical fiction book · Curated
Sharpe's Tiger
Bernard Cornwell · historical fiction
Series: Sharpe
In 1799 Private Richard Sharpe of the 33rd, under sentence from Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, is sent into Tipu Sultan's city of Seringapatam posing as a deserter. Bernard Cornwell's 1997 novel is Regency military historical fiction of that siege—Colonel Arthur Wellesley's army outside the walls, and the assault that has to take the island citadel.
Why read it: A widely searched Napoleonic novel—the Cornwell title readers look up by name (Sharpe, the chronological first), and a 1799 India counterpart to Mr. Midshipman Hornblower already on the shelf (not a Saxon Stories or Warlord Chronicles sequel).
About this historical novel
Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell is historical fiction set around 1799 in the Regency / Napoleonic period with key settings including Seringapatam, Mysore, India, the 33rd Regiment. In 1799 Private Richard Sharpe of the 33rd, under sentence from Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, is sent into Tipu Sultan's city of Seringapatam posing as a deserter. Bernard Cornwell's 1997 novel is Regency military historical fiction of that siege—Colonel Arthur Wellesley's army outside the walls, and the assault that has to take the island citadel.
On HisFic we tag it under 5. Military & war and 6. Adventure & epic so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include the siege of Seringapatam, Tipu Sultan, a private soldier, Arthur Wellesley, and Sergeant Hakeswill. A widely searched Napoleonic novel—the Cornwell title readers look up by name (Sharpe, the chronological first), and a 1799 India counterpart to Mr. Midshipman Hornblower already on the shelf (not a Saxon Stories or Warlord Chronicles sequel).
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Plot summary
In 1799 Private Richard Sharpe of the 33rd, under sentence from Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, is sent into Tipu Sultan's city of Seringapatam posing as a deserter. Bernard Cornwell's 1997 novel is Regency military historical fiction of that siege—Colonel Arthur Wellesley's army outside the walls, and the assault that has to take the island citadel. A widely searched Napoleonic novel—the Cornwell title readers look up by name (Sharpe, the chronological first), and a 1799 India counterpart to Mr. Midshipman Hornblower already on the shelf (not a Saxon Stories or Warlord Chronicles sequel).
Subgenres
Eras
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- Master and Commander · Patrick O'Brian
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- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet · David Mitchell
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- The Count of Monte Cristo · Alexandre Dumas
In 1815, sailor Edmond Dantès is framed for Bonapartist treason and locked in the Château d’If; he escapes, claims a hidden fortune, and returns to Restoration France as the Count of Monte Cristo to ruin the men who stole his life. Dumas’s novel is Napoleonic-aftermath historical adventure—prisons, treasure, and a revenge plotted across Marseille, Rome, and Paris.
- Les Misérables · Victor Hugo
In 1815, convict Jean Valjean is released from the galleys and tries to live honestly under a stolen name, while Inspector Javert hunts him through Restoration and July-Monarchy France. Hugo’s novel follows Fantine, Cosette, Marius, and the 1832 Paris barricades—crime, mercy, and a social epic that still defines French historical fiction after Waterloo.
Regions & places
Asia
Seringapatam · Mysore · India · the 33rd Regiment
Themes
- the siege of Seringapatam
- Tipu Sultan
- a private soldier
- Arthur Wellesley
- Sergeant Hakeswill
Tags
military · series · bestseller