Sharpe's Triumph facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Bernard Cornwell |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Richard Sharpe stories |
| Genre | Historical novels |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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26 February 1998 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) and audio-CD |
| Pages | 400 (hardcover) 384 (paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-00-225630-4 (hardcover) |
| OCLC | 40337475 |
| Preceded by | Sharpe's Tiger |
| Followed by | Sharpe's Fortress |
Sharpe's Triumph is an exciting historical novel written by Bernard Cornwell. It was first published in 1998. This book is the second story in the popular Richard Sharpe series. In this adventure, Sharpe is a brave sergeant in the army. He gets noticed by General Arthur Wellesley during an important battle at Ahmednagar.
The Story of Sharpe's Triumph
A Dangerous Mission Begins
Sergeant Richard Sharpe and a small group of soldiers arrive at a lonely fort. Their job is to move 80,000 stolen bullets to a safe storage place. While Sharpe and his men are resting, another group of soldiers arrives. These are East India Company sepoys, led by Lieutenant William Dodd.
Suddenly, Dodd's men attack the fort's soldiers by surprise. Sharpe is hurt but pretends to be dead. This allows him to escape Dodd, who wants to make sure no one is left alive to tell what happened.
Hunting a Traitor
Back in Seringapatam, Sharpe talks to his friend, Colonel McCandless. Sharpe had met McCandless four years earlier during a big battle. McCandless asks Sharpe about Dodd. It turns out Dodd has left the East India Company. He took his soldiers with him.
McCandless has been ordered to find Dodd and bring him to justice. This is important so other soldiers don't get similar ideas. McCandless tells Sharpe to go with him. Sharpe is the only one who can identify Dodd.
Dodd's New Plan
Dodd joins Colonel Anthony Pohlmann, who leads the army of Scindia. Scindia is a powerful Indian ruler. Dodd is rewarded with a promotion to major. He now commands his own group of soldiers.
The British have been moving further into India. Scindia and other Indian rulers decide to fight back. Scindia orders Pohlmann to protect the city of Ahmednuggur. Pohlmann gives Dodd this job. Dodd's orders are to hurt the British soldiers. But he must also make sure his own soldiers escape safely, as the city cannot be held for long.
A Plot Against Sharpe
Meanwhile, Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill figures out a secret about Sharpe. He guesses that Sharpe took treasure from the body of the Tippoo Sultan four years ago. Hakeswill then falsely accuses Sharpe of attacking his old commander, Captain Morris.
Hakeswill gets an order to arrest Sharpe. He gathers six tough men to help him. His real plan is to murder Sharpe and steal the treasure.
Meeting General Wellesley
Sharpe and McCandless travel to the British army. They are guided by Syud Sevajee. He is an Indian leader whose soldiers work for the East India Company. They finally reach the army, which is led by Major General Arthur Wellesley. Wellesley was Sharpe's old commander. He later became the famous Duke of Wellington.
When they arrive at Ahmednuggur, Wellesley quickly attacks the city. He uses a risky plan to climb the walls without a long wait for cannons. This surprises the enemy. He quickly captures the town. Dodd is amazed, as he thought Wellesley was not a good leader. Even so, Dodd manages to get his soldiers out of the fight. He retreats to Pohlmann's army.
A Rescue and a Secret Mission
During the battle, Sharpe saves Simone Joubert. She is the wife of a French captain in Dodd's army. McCandless hopes to use the chance to return Madame Joubert to her husband. This will allow him to secretly gather information about the Indian army.
They don't leave right away. Sharpe spends the night with Simone. The next day, she feels bad about her choice.
Inside the Enemy Camp
The next day, they reach the Indian army. Pohlmann realizes McCandless's real plan. But he knows his army is much bigger than the British. So, he lets McCandless see everything he wants. At the same time, Pohlmann tries to get Sharpe to join his side. He offers to make Sharpe an officer.
Pohlmann tells Sharpe how other European soldiers have become successful in India. He even mentions his own rise from a simple sergeant. That evening, Sharpe thinks about switching sides. But before he can decide, his and McCandless's horses are stolen. McCandless is shot in the leg.
Sharpe catches one of the thieves. It turns out to be one of Dodd's men. Everyone believes Dodd ordered the theft. But Pohlmann only has the thief punished by an elephant. Meanwhile, Hakeswill tries to get Wellesley to arrest Sharpe. Wellesley tells him Sharpe won't be back for a while. He assigns Hakeswill to the baggage wagons, which makes the impatient sergeant very angry.
A Difficult Choice
The Indian army moves on. McCandless asks to be left behind. Sharpe decides to stay and care for the wounded colonel. This means he turns down Pohlmann's offer to become an officer. Still, he starts to wonder how he might become an officer in the British army.
McCandless sees that Pohlmann has made Sharpe think about his future. He warns Sharpe that becoming an officer is very hard. Most British Army officers come from rich families and pay for their positions. The few who rise from the lower ranks are often not liked and have little chance to move up. While McCandless gets better, Syud Sevajee finds them. He delivers McCandless's report to Wellesley.
The Warrant Problem
When McCandless is well enough, he and Sharpe rejoin the army. They are moving towards Borkardan. Sharpe uses one of the Tippoo's emeralds to buy a horse from Wellesley for McCandless. He pretends that McCandless is buying it. McCandless is surprised and learns about Sharpe and the Tippoo's death.
The next day, Hakeswill tries to arrest Sharpe again. But McCandless cleverly smudges the ink on the arrest warrant. It now reads "Sharp" instead of "Sharpe." McCandless refuses to let Hakeswill take Sharpe.
The Battle of Assaye
After weeks of marching, the Indian leaders finally decide to fight the British near Assaye. Pohlmann is put in charge of their entire army. The British have two groups of soldiers. One is led by Wellesley, and the other by Colonel Stevenson.
Pohlmann plans to fight and defeat them one by one. This way, they cannot join forces. Wellesley discovers the enemy is closer than he thought. He knows the situation is dangerous, but he is still determined to attack.
Pohlmann sets a trap. He places his army at what he believes are the only safe places to cross the River Kaitna. But Wellesley figures out there must be another crossing point. It is between two villages on opposite sides of the river. Wellesley uses this crossing to try a surprise attack from the side. But Pohlmann quickly moves his army to face him.
Wellesley's helper is killed, and Sharpe takes his place. Back with the baggage, McCandless confronts Hakeswill about the arrest warrant. He warns Hakeswill that he knows he lied. He promises to tell Hakeswill's commander.
On the British left side, the 78th Highland Regiment and the Indian soldiers move forward. They face heavy cannon fire. They manage to defeat much of Pohlmann's foot soldiers. But on the right side, the 74th Regiment and some smaller groups move too far forward. They are forced to form a square shape to defend against attacks from Indian cavalry. Dodd's soldiers then attack these two trapped groups.
Sharpe's Heroic Act
Meanwhile, some Indian gunners take back their cannons. They fire them into the back of Wellesley's men. So, Wellesley orders his cavalry to charge. During the fight, Wellesley is knocked off his horse. He is alone among the enemy.
Sharpe launches a fierce attack. He saves his commander and bravely fights many enemy soldiers by himself. Friendly troops arrive, and a shaken Wellesley leaves. As the Indian right side collapses, Dodd is forced to retreat. During the fighting, Hakeswill finds McCandless alone and kills him.
A New Beginning
As the Indian forces run away in confusion, Sharpe sees Pohlmann. But he does not capture him. He also finds Simone Joubert again. Dodd killed her husband during the retreat. So, Sharpe takes her under his protection once more.
Eventually, he catches up to Wellesley's staff. Sharpe is amazed when Wellesley rewards him. He gives Sharpe a promotion right on the battlefield! Sharpe becomes an ensign in the 74th Regiment. This means he is now an officer.
Afterward, Hakeswill tries to arrest Sharpe again. But Sharpe's new commanding officer points out that the warrant for "Sergeant Sharpe" is useless against "Ensign Sharpe." Sharpe proudly makes Hakeswill, who first refuses to accept Sharpe's new rank, address him as "sir."
Main Characters
- Richard Sharpe – A brave British Army Sergeant, the main hero of the story.
- Major General Arthur Wellesley – The leader of the British and Indian Allied Forces. He later became a very famous general.
- Lieutenant Colin Campbell – A British officer who helped lead the attack on the walls of Ahmednuggur.
- Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill – Sharpe's enemy within the British Army. He is always trying to cause trouble for Sharpe.
- Simone Joubert – The wife of a French captain. Sharpe helps her during the battle.
- Colonel Hector McCandless – A smart Scottish intelligence officer for the British East India Company. He is a friend to Sharpe.
- Colonel Anthony Pohlmann – A German soldier who left the British side. He became the commander of Scindia's army.
- Major William Dodd – A British East India Company lieutenant who betrayed his side. He now works for Scindia and leads a special group of soldiers called Dodd's Cobras.
- Daulat Scindia – An Indian ruler (raja) of Gwalior, a state in the Maratha Confederacy.
- Raghji Bhonsle – The raja of Berar, who is an ally of Scindia.
- Captain Morris – The commanding officer of the 33rd Light Company.
About the Book's Release
The first edition of Sharpe's Triumph was published in the UK by HarperCollins on 26 February 1998. It was released as a hardback book.
