Book Review - Sharpe's Triumph

Sharpe's Triumph is the second (chronological) book in Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. Highly recommended for lover's of historical fiction.

Sharpe is a soldier in the British army around the Napoleanic Wars. The series gives a soldier's eye view of the Duke of Wellington. In the first book, Sharpe and Wellesley (the future duke) start out in India in 1799, and in this book they're still there.

It's 1803 now, and the British are dealing with independent Indian rulers and traitorous British units. Sharpe has a fortune in jewels from the last book, and his own Javert in this book who pursues him to get them.

Action ensues: minor firefights, spying behind the lines, hiding out in a native village, a big set piece battle, and the bad guy meets a gruesome end at the feet of a trained elephant. Sharpe personally saves the future duke, and earns a battlefield promotion.

I'm not a great lover of historical fiction, nor much of a connoisseur. But, I did read all 20 of the O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books, so someone who loves me sees this as a good gift idea. So, I can't give an informed recommendation, other than I find this series very readable, and I am learning a bit about a part of history where I was fairly shallow.