Sharpe's Fury


Sharpe's Fury is the eleventh historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2006. The story is set in 1811 during Wellington's campaign in the Iberian peninsula.

Plot summary

In the spring of 1811, the Peninsular War appears to have been won—by the French. Cádiz is the only major Spanish town still holding out. From their overwintering strongholds in Portugal, the British sally forth to the River Guadiana with a small force seeking to destroy a key bridge across the river. The mission is commanded by the young Brigadier General Moon, a man with no love for Sharpe. Sharpe and the men with him encounter French Colonel Henri Vandal, commander of the 8th Regiment of the Line. Sharpe succeeds in blowing up the bridge, but is seriously wounded in the head. His men manage to get him to Cádiz, which is besieged by a French army led by Marshal Victor.
In Cadiz, British ambassador Henry Wellesley, younger brother to the Duke of Wellington, seeks Sharpe's help. Wellesley has fallen in love with a beautiful woman named Caterina Blazquez. Unfortunately, she turns out to be a whore, and her pimp tries to blackmail Wellesley using Wellesley's love letters. Worse, virulently anti-British Catholic priest Father Salvador Montseny learns of this and murders the pimp to obtain the letters. British spymaster Lord Pumphrey assures Wellesley he can pay for the letters and that will be the end of the affair, but Sharpe believes otherwise. Sharpe is proved correct, but eventually manages to steal the letters with the assistance of Patrick Harper and his trusted riflemen.
Then a joint Spanish-British army is transported by boat south of the city to attack Victor's forces from the rear and lift the siege. Because the Spanish provide more troops, timid Spanish General Lapena is given command, rather than British General Thomas Graham. Lapena squanders opportunity after opportunity, leading his men toward disaster and Victor's trap. Fortunately, Graham and the British, fighting desperately while the Spanish do nothing, defeat the French in the Battle of Barrosa. In the battle, Sharpe captures Colonel Vandal.

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