Who is Lieutenant Richard Sharpe from Sharpe's Eagle: Richard Sharpe and the Talavera Campaign July 1809 and what is their importance? Sharpe's_Eagle:_Richard_Sharpe_and_the_Talavera_Campaign_July_1809 English & Literature Lieutenant Richard Sharpe | Sharpe's Eagle: Richard Sharpe and the Talavera Campaign July 1809

Richard Sharpe is first described as tall, dark, and brooding. The reader learns early on that he is no ordinary officer. Sharpe first enlisted in the army as a private sixteen years prior. He came from an impoverished background. In fact, Sharpe is an orphan who does not even know his own birthday. While in the army, Sharpe encounters the only security and sense of self-worth he has ever known. This drives him to succeed.