Sharpe’s Trafalgar (book)

Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Trafalgar, October 1805

Here is the cast of characters for Sharpe’s Trafalgar:

• Richard Sharpe – now an ensign in the British army
• Lady Grace Hale – another passenger on the ship Calliope and wife of Lord Hale
• Lord William Hale – British Diplomat
• Horatio Nelson – Admiral of the British fleet
• Joel Chase – Captain of the Pucelle and friend of Sharpe from India
• Peculiar Cromwell – Captain of the Calliope until her capture by the Revenant
• Colonel Anthony Pohlmann – the defected Hanoverian sergeant who became Scindia’s army commander

Sharpe’s Trafalgar, chronologically, is the fourth book in Bernard Cornwell’s Richard Sharpe series. It is also the first book to mention the wars against Napoleon. It is set aboard a ship heading from India to England. Richard Sharpe is still an Ensign and is in Army limbo as he is on his way to report to his new unit, a new all-rifle unit that wears green instead of red.

It is 1805 and Richard Sharpe is finally leaving India aboard the cargo ship Calliope. Before leaving India Richard has to get back his stolen goods from a con artist. He met a young Captain, Joel Chase, and with his help fought the con men and retrieved the stolen goods. Captain Chase is the captain of the Pucelle, the Virgin, and is hunting a French ship called the Revenant. Sharpe and Chase part ways as Sharpe boards the Calliope.

Aboard the Calliope Sharpe sees a familiar face, Colonel Anthony Pohlmann, now going by a new name with a chubby German wife. Among the passengers is the pompous Lord William Hale and his lovely, but cold wife Lady Grace Hale. Sharpe, now single since Simone Jubert ran off on him with his money, falls for Grace and starts having an affair with her under her husband’s nose. Lord William Hale’s secretary, who is also in love with Grace, finds out about the affair and tries to blackmail Sharpe. Sharpe shrugs it off, but when the secretary blackmails Grace he follows the secretary and kills him. The murder is written off as an accident and the crew focuses on the French man of war attacking them.

The Revenant attacks them and captures them. It was an all too easy capture as the Captain of the Calliope gave up on purpose since he was working with the French Captain and Pohlmann. Captain Cromwell, now a friendly guest aboard the Revenant, also has all of Sharpe’s money and the last of his stolen jewels. The Revenant is headed to its own fleet, carrying a stolen treaty that, if delivered, could provoke Indians into a new war against the British. Luckily, the Calliope is saved by the Pucelle and Captain Chase. Along with Admiral Horatio Nelson and his fleet. A battle ensues and they are victorious. During the battle Lord Hale, who discovered his wife’s affair and that she is pregnant with Sharpe’s kid, tried to kill his wife, but Grace killed him first. He was declared a casualty of the battle. Richard and Grace get to be together and Richard gets to join his new all-rifle regiment.