Sharpe’s Fury

by Bernard Cornwell Book 11 in the Sharpe series.

First published 2006

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In 1811, a failed attack on a French-held bridge leaves Sharpe, Harper and Brigadier Moon stranded in besieged Cádiz. Sharpe is ordered to recover compromising letters being used to blackmail the British ambassador and undermine the alliance with Spain. His search through the city leads him into the campaign of Sir Thomas Graham and the Battle of Barrosa, where a political crisis becomes a fight for survival.

Cadiz is valuable because it remains a Spanish stronghold while much of the country is occupied. The blackmail plot threatens the alliance protecting it, so recovering the letters has consequences beyond one diplomat's reputation. Barrosa then places Sharpe inside a battle where British and Spanish cooperation is itself under strain, making political trust as important as tactical success.