Combat

The book's early dominant theme is combat. The opening chapters present the setting of the military theater and develop the rationale for the ensuing combat activity. The British Empire marches on Toulouse—Napoleon's forces are unbalanced and undergoing strategic realignment as the empire crumbles. England prosecutes the war effort with hopes of complete conquest in France. Sharpe, Frederickson, and Harper join forces led by Nairn that are directed to assault a particular section of defenses outside of Toulouse. Chapters 2 and 3, in particular, are extensively devoted to narratives of combat between British and French forces.

Although Sharpe's personal background is lightly developed, it is not the dominant theme of the novel. Likewise, the overarching political situation is described but only insofar as to present the rationale behind Sharpe's military actions—that is to say, no discussion of the greater strategic situation is offered, and political intrigues are...