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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens to General Calvet during the assault on Toulouse?

2. Of what are Sharpe and Frederickson accused?

3. What is the month and year in which this book begins?

4. What does Sharpe expect will happen when he is shipped out?

5. At what does Frederickson scoff concerning Sharpe's and Harper's lives?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens as Sharpe and the others are about to board a ship in Bordeaux?

2. What do Sharpe and Frederickson decide to do and how does Harper help?

3. To what company is Frederickson attached, what is Sharpe's position in that company and who else of Sharpe's acquaintance joins the company? What event does this enable?

4. What does Henri do with his sister, Lucille?

5. Where do Nairn's troops participate in the battle at Toulouse and why and where do they then move?

6. How does Sharpe respond to Jane's demands in the Prologue?

7. What does Soult do with Toulouse following the British assault?

8. What are the British organizing to do in the beginning of this book and what has occurred in their military campaign that motivates this?

9. In the opening of Chapter 4, what is happening with the British troops following the abdication of Napoleon?

10. What do the British at Toulouse learn after the battle about Napoleon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cornwell has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think this book qualifies as an historical fiction? Why or why not?

2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?

3. Do you think the culture of that era is more or less advanced than you imagined? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Most of the entire series of novels concerning Richard Sharpe takes place during the Napoleonic Wars; therefore understanding the political and social situation during that time helps to a greater understanding and appreciation of this book and others in the series. Discuss one of the following:

1. Research and write an expository essay about how the Napoleonic Wars begin and end.

2. Research and write an expository essay about the battles that take place on land between Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars.

3. Compare/Contrast the importance of the British infantry during the Napoleonic Wars to the importance of the British infantry during either WWI or WWII.

4. Write an expository essay on how the Napoleonic Wars affect the social culture of one of the following countries: Britian, France, or Germany.

Essay Topic 3

The court proceedings in Chapter 5 are a major turning point in the novel; at a stroke Sharpe ceases being a wealthy military hero and commences his life as a penniless fugitive from justice. The parallel development of Sharpe's and Frederickson's demeanors during the proceedings is interesting.

1. Compare and contrast the differences between Frederickson's reactions and Sharpe's reactions at being charged with a crime neither committed.

2. If one was an elitist and believed that whoever is born into a wealthier or more refined family will behave better in almost any circumstance, the demeanors of Frederickson and Sharpe under the proceedings would support that supposition. Discuss this statement using examples from the book to support your opinion as to whether a person born into a certain strata of society will react differently than one born far above or "beneath" him or her.

3. Discuss how you believe you would behave and what you would do if you were in Sharpe's position compared to what he did.

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