Rossendale
I haven't got to reading Sharpe's Waterloo yet, so I was wondering if anyone who had read it could tell me how Rossendale dies in the book as opposed to the movie. I'm led to believe it's quite different. Thanks
shareIts actually really quite similar from what I remember.
The only difference really is that when he's "killed" in the film, he's only actually knocked unconcious in the book. He wakes up the night after the battle to, from what I remember, an old lady cutting his finger off to get a ring off of his finger. She then slits his throat.
Thanks. I had heard it was much more horrific. I guess waking up among the dead like that would be pretty scary.
shareIt was more horrific. He's cut down and blinded by a French Chasseur and left for dead. He then gets robbed by some French infantrymen for his money, then later some camp followers strip him naked, then he gets his throat cut. And he's concious the whole time.
shareOne might say that it was preferable to what Sharpe would have done.
shareserves the bastard right for what he did to our Richard
Growing old is mandatory, Growing UP is optional
It was more horrific. He's cut down and blinded by a French Chasseur and left for dead. He then gets robbed by some French infantrymen for his money, then later some camp followers strip him naked, then he gets his throat cut. And he's concious the whole time.
This scenario is actually pretty authentic. Below is a link to the story of cavalry officer Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, who suffered wounds almost as bad as Rossendale's, was knocked off his horse, ridden over y Prussian cavalry, and robbed, but miraculously survived, partially, believe it or not, because a French officer helped him. I've read a more complete account of his story, and he even had to offer rewards to the British foot soldier who guarded him through the rest of the night.
Not to be confused with another cavalryman named Ponsonby, who was his second cousin... his horse became mired down, and he was surrounded by a group of Polish lancers who systematically stabbed him to death. I did notice several times Sharpe and others expressing their hatred for these lancers. I'm not sure whose idea it was to bring back a weapon of the middle ages in the late 18th Century, but when you consider that a cavalryman had a five, maybe six-foot "reach" with just a sword, and a lance could reach eight or ten feet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Cavendish_Ponsonby#Hundred_days_period share