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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. When Sharpe is within twenty paces of Rossendale, what does Rossendale do?

2. What does Rebecque want of Sharpe?

3. What is the Duke of Wellington's army doing?

4. Who are the Voltiguers?

5. With what does the battle start?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author fit in a depiction of the Allied Forces in Chapter 13?

2. What person and his position, provide a good example of dealing with incompetent superiors?

3. What is a major failure on the French part that leads to their ultimate defeat?

4. What happens to the British Heavy Cavalry unit with which John Rossendale is riding?

5. What gross error in judgment and orders did the Prince of Orange make in Chapter 15?

6. What type of relationship does the contrast of the two opposing generals have to the two armies?

7. What new weapon is used, who invented it and why did the description of it stand out among other action scenes?

8. In Chapter 10, what describes a critical decision made by Wellington that ultimately leads to an Allied victory?

9. What is the difference between Napoleon and the Duke in how they come before their men and how their men acknowledge them?

10. What makes Rossendale feel better about himself?

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 many 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

During the four days of battle, the Prince of Orange made several egregious errors that killed a lot of men; yet, after the first error he was not removed from command.

1. Discuss why he was allowed to remain in command. Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. If the Prince of Orange had been a general in the U.S. military today, discuss what you think might be the various outcomes that could happen to him.

3. Do you think royalty should have been given so much power? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Richard Sharpe is no exception. Sharpe's legendary powers of military strategy are juxtaposed with his reputation as a womanizer and his hatred for his wife. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Sharpe demonstrates his prodigious powers of military strategy. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Sharpe's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Sharpe's admirable traits helped him obtain a high rank in the military despite his background as a child. Have his flaws impacted his career at all? Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 983 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample