Sharpe's Christmas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Sharpe's Christmas" |
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|---|---|
| Author | Bernard Cornwell |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Sharpe |
| Genre(s) | Historical short story |
| Published in | The Daily Mail |
| Publication type | Newspaper |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | 1994 |
Sharpe's Christmas is an exciting short story written by Bernard Cornwell. He is famous for writing historical fiction, which means his stories are made up but happen during real historical times. This story features one of his most popular heroes, Richard Sharpe.
The story first appeared in the British newspaper The Daily Mail in 1994. It was published in parts during the Christmas season. Later, a longer version was released in 2003. This longer story was part of a collection of short stories with the same name. It helped raise money for a special foundation started by Bernard Cornwell and his wife, Judy.
Contents
About Sharpe's Christmas
This section will tell you more about the story and its setting.
What is the Story About?
"Sharpe's Christmas" takes place in 1813. This was near the end of the Peninsular War, a big conflict in Europe. The story happens right after the events in another book, Sharpe's Regiment.
The Peninsular War Setting
The Peninsular War was fought between France and a group of countries including Britain, Spain, and Portugal. It took place on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Major Richard Sharpe is a British soldier fighting in this war.
Sharpe's Mission
In this story, Major Richard Sharpe and his group, the Prince of Wales Own Volunteers, have an important job. They need to stop a French army group from escaping. This French group is hiding in a strong fort called Ochagavia. They want to get back to France.
The French group includes about 300 soldiers, plus their families. There are also 1,000 more soldiers from the 75th Line Infantry Regiment. Colonel Caillou leads these extra soldiers. The main fort group is led by Colonel Gudin. He is an old friend of Sharpe's from when they both served in India.
To help the French escape, Brigadier General Picard brings his own soldiers. They go to a village called Irati in the Pyrenees mountains. This village is on the escape path for Colonel Gudin's group.
Sharpe and his men fight against Picard's soldiers. They manage to stop Picard's group from helping the escape. However, Sharpe makes a choice to let Colonel Gudin, the women, children, and the 75th's Imperial Eagle get away. The Imperial Eagle was a special flag or symbol that represented the French army's pride.
