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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 persists towards the East from where Sharpe and Harper are?

2. What order is Sharpe given?

3. Who are the Cuirassiers?

4. How do the British defend against the Cuirassiers?

5. What order does Sharpe refuse to take to Halkett?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Bonaparte thinking about as he sits in his coach near where the French come into Belgium?

2. Why are the Dutch-Belgium troops unable to fight well?

3. What town on the river Sambre is easily taken by the French, who tries to stop them, and what does this mean in tactical terms?

4. How do the French feel about the outcome of the war and why haven't the Prussians come to help the British?

5. What type of technical details are seen in Chapter 8?

6. Who does Sharpe encounter while escaping the crossroad area and what happens?

7. Who is Sharpe's mother and in what wars has he fought? To whom is he attached now?

8. What are some of the types of infantry attack used in the battle for Quatre Bras?

9. What does the Duke of Wellington read at the ball that interrupts his participation? What does he do after he reads the dispatch?

10. Why is the Duke of Wellington worried about his troops and what kinds of troops does he have?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

D'Alembord died of a leg wound. This was a fairly routine occurrence at that time. Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Compare/contrast the medical remedies used in Sharpe's Waterloo to those which would be used in our modern world.

2. Many wars are partially, if not completely, determined by factors other than the actual fighting. One of those factors is disease. Research and discuss how epidemics/pandemics have influenced the outcome of three different wars throughout history.

3. Discuss why men died so readily of wounds that would be easily treated today.

Essay Topic 2

Sharpe's Waterloo is one book in a series of novels involving Richard Sharpe. Discuss the following.

1. What are two advantages of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

2. What is a disadvantage of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

3. Do you prefer to read a standalone book, or a series of books with the same main characters? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 3

At the conclusion of a novel, most readers either consciously or unconsciously engage in processing the book and usually come to a conclusion as to whether they like the book or not. Discuss one of the following:

1. Would you consider Sharpe's Waterloo a "good" book? Why or why not? Use examples to illustrate your stance.

2. What do you think are the elements of an outstanding novel? Analyze one of your favorite novels to see if those elements are present.

3. What are some reasons you might consider a novel a failure? Analyze a novel you think is a failure and see if those elements are in that novel.

(see the answer keys)

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