Recovering from his wounds after Salamanca, Sharpe is assigned to guard a commissary officer and a stock of captured French muskets at a small Spanish fort. The post controls an old bridge over the River Tormes, which the French intend to seize in a sudden raid. Sharpe and his limited garrison must organise a defence before the attackers cross the river.
Because the bridge matters more than the fort itself, the action becomes a compact study in tactical improvisation. Sharpe has too few men for a conventional defence and must use terrain, captured weapons and the uncertainty of the attackers to compensate. The story places a small engagement inside the larger Salamanca campaign, where control of crossings can decide the movement of armies.
Paul Bannister
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G. A. Henty
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Henry Treece
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Geoffrey Trease
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Ken Follett
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