Well history has surely shaped Sharpe . . . like so many others he fought through a world war that lasted over twenty years and that experience was as horrific as it was enthralling. Did he shape history? No, that's not his job. History is immutable and though I can give him moments when he appears to change history (such as killing the Tippoo Sultan) it's only because 'real' history has left a mystery as to who really performed that deed. the big story is history itself, and including it is what separates historical fiction from fantasy!
I often wonder the same. Mind you, they tried often enough. Sharpe has your address.
I love it! We have a great parade, the food is terrific, and the sun (almost) always shines. In fact it did not signal the end of Britain's 'greatness', but rather the beginning! The country that suffered worst from the war of American Independence was France. Her involvement was not altruistic, but rather a continuance (and a desire for revenge for) the Seven Years War, and they only entered the American side on pledges of American support for the recapture of the West Indies and Canada (they're still waiting). France was bankrupted by the war, and that bankruptcy led directly to their revolution, Napoleon, and all the attendant horrors. Britain, bereft of the thirteen colonies, goes on to create a much larger and richer empire, and the 19th Century, whichever way you look at it, was dominated by Britain. besides, July 4th was the date the French surrendered Paris to Wellington after Waterloo - no wonder I celebrate it!