Combat

The book's early and dominant theme is combat. The opening chapters present the setting of the military theater and develop the rationale for the ensuing combat activity. The British Empire assaults Ciudad Rodrigo to gain control of a vital roadway into Spain. England prosecutes the war effort with hopes of complete conquest in Spain and then France. Sharpe and Harper are part of the forces led by Lawford, and though they do not take place in the direct assault, they join the reinforcements. Chapters 2 and 3, in particular, are extensively devoted to narratives of combat between British and French and Spanish forces.

Although Sharpe's personal background is lightly developed, it is not the dominant theme of the novel. Likewise, the overarching political situation is described but only insofar as to present the rationale behind British military actions—that is to say, no discussion of the greater strategic situation...