Sharpe's Rifles (novel) Study Guide & Notes

Sharpe's Rifles (novel) Plot Summary

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Sharpe's Rifles is a novel in a series that tells the stories of the daring adventures of British Army soldier Richard Sharpe. This novel is set early in the British involvement in the Peninsular War of the Napoleonic Wars of the nineteenth century. The story begins in the winter of 1809.

Don Blas Vivar leads a group of Spanish cavalry called Cazadores. They are being pursued by a French colonel commanding a force of French cavalry. Also pursuing Vivar is a Spanish civilian who knows the contents of the strongbox Vivar guards and Vivar's intended destination. The French colonel has orders from Napoleon himself to capture the strongbox.

Lieutenant Richard Sharpe is a British soldier who has been promoted from the enlisted ranks to officer. This is an unusual practice in the British Army at the time, and Sharpe's promotion causes resentment from other officers and enlisted men alike. Sharpe's...
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