Fraser, George MacDonald

Average customer rating:

Flash-inating insight into the Victorian age
Flashman - an anti-hero for the ages
fun, smart but sometimes believable
The Great Game is afoot!
A poisonous little book

Flashman: A Novel (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman)

ASIN: 0452259614

Customer Reviews:

Flash-inating insight into the Victorian age.......2007-03-24

Have you ever wondered what it was really like in the Victorian age? How the heroes of the "Charge of the Light Brigade" and "Last stand at Rorke's Drift", to name a few epic events in British military history, really behaved when they weren't fighting for Queen, country and the honor of their regiment while keeping a stiff upper lip?
Well, meet Flashman: scoundrel, cad, drunkard, incompetent, coward, anti-hero and (even for those times, but even more so now) totally politically incorrect. And those are his good qualities. At the first sign of danger and/or trouble, his instinct is always to run like hell to save his own skin and the devil take the hindmost. Mothers & fathers, keep your daughters (and husbands your wives) as far away from him as possible, because he chases after anything in a skirt and uses every trick in the book (and a few out of it) to get laid. The Flashman Papers are his memoirs, and he "tells it like it is", sparing no punches.
And you really can learn a lot about history from him, for while trying to keep his skin intact, he manages to land smack in the middle of some of the most famous historical events (Flashy was there at the charge of the Light Brigade, at the retreat from Kabul in 1842, at Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn to name just a few) and rubs elbows with some of the most famous people of that era: Raglan, Queen Victoria, Lincoln, Custer, Kit Carson - to name just a few.
For example, in "Flashman", you get a historically accurate look at how the British got kicked out of Afghanistan in 1842 during the First Afghan War (Bush take notice: "history is a mirror of the past/and a lesson for the present" as an old Persian proverb goes).
So, read "Flashman", the first novel in the series about the adventures of Harry Flashman, as he lies, steals and wenches his way through the Victorian age.
Anyway, having read this book I'm still not sure what to think about Flashman: if I like to hate, or hate to like him. What I do know is this: I want to read the next adventure of the Flashman Papers! So I've ordered the next couple of books in this series. The only reason I gave this book only four stars, is because this series can only get better!

Flashman - an anti-hero for the ages.......2007-03-12

I'm not sure what it says about me, but I seem to fall more for anti-heroes than for heroes themselves. Whether it is Lee Child's creation Jack Reacher, or Bernard Cornwell's murderous Richard Sharpe, or Shakespeare's Falstaff, I just find these guys so darn compelling even though I'm perpetually glad they don't live next door.

George MacDonald Fraser's drunken rake, Harry Flashman, joins the ranks of the truly great anti-heroes of literature. A handsome coward with impeccable timing to get himself in the worst trouble imaginable, Flashman was not born great, will not achieve greatness, but is more than willing to have greatness thrust upon him by others. He's also the kind of guy who, when accused of being drunk on gin and beer, will go to great pains to correct you - I may be a drunk, but I am not so uncivilized as to mix my drinks.

Flashman's story is told as "the Flashman Papers," so the novel is one long narrative - Flashman has written his autobiography. And what an autobiography it is! Kicked out of school for drunkenness, Flashman enters the British army only after wheedling a handsome annuity from his father and taking his father's mistress. To Flashman, the army is a chance to look smart in a uniform and have an idle, safe career as an officer's aide - plenty of time for perpetual bachelor Flashman to dally with bored officer's wives and daughters. So Flashman chooses to join up with a British unit that just returned from India, on the reasonable grounds that these guys just finished their stint in hell, and nobody's going to ask them to go back into harm's way.

Flashman's plans go awry in two major ways. First, he finds himself betrothed to the gorgeous Scottish wench Elspeth, who is as naive and stupid as Flashman is cynical and cunning. The conditions of the engagement perfectly summarize Flashman - he has his way with Elspeth, and when her uncle tells Flashman that he can either marry Elspeth or fight a duel, Flashman naturally chooses marriage. Then, Flashman must leave Elspeth behind (no worries there) because Flashman gets sent abroad with his regiment - first to India, and then to Afghanistan (major worries there).

While in Afghanistan, Flashman takes part in one of England's worst military blunders. Britain's army is carved to pieces, thanks to the sheer incompetence of its commanding officer. Flashman is, very relunctantly, forced to put his skin in harm's way. The fact that Flashman survives is not surprising - he's writing his autobiography, after all. But it is the way he survives - by being the most cowardly soldier imaginable - that gives the novel its spice. The fact that, as a survivor, Flashman keeps getting saddled with charges of heroism just adds to the fun . . . and Flashman's manners are too refined for him to correct anyone of their misapprehension.

A must-read for fans of historical fiction, "Flashman" is the first novel in a highly praised and much-adored series. Check it out.

fun, smart but sometimes believable.......2007-03-08

As an account of the disastrous Afghan campaign of the early Victorian era, this novel succeeds beyond expectations. In terms of character and plot development, one sometimes gets the impression that any movie of the Indiana Jones series is more realistic. Only for history buffs (like myself).

The Great Game is afoot!.......2007-02-22

One of the best 'historical' series ever written, 'Flashman' rates right up there with the Patrick O'Brian Jack Aubrey series! I won't spoil the tale, but basically, Flashman is the beginning tale of the long career of a thorough cad and scalliwag, bouncing from one disaster to the next throughout the world of the 19th Century in a manner somewhat reminiscent of 'Forrest Gump,' though with none of the naivete. Because of the various events Flashman becomes involved with, it is almost impossible for his career to be anything other than what he is (anything more 'noble' would have been killed off in infancy!), and it is splendid to see the hypocrisy of the Victorian world exposed for what it was... preposterous noble sentiments glossed over with religious overtones, all concealing a rapacity, bigotry and greed that has rarely been seen in any other time frame. Excellent history (you will learn a lot!), splendid imagery, and altogether, you can't ask for much more in this genre!

A poisonous little book.......2007-02-03

I bought Flashman based on the Amazon reviews and (even better) the quote of praise from P.G. Wodehouse on the back cover. I started it with high hopes of having found a sort of land-based Horatio Hornblower. In the end it turned out to be one-dimensionally cynical, with limited historical detail.

The author is clearly proud of his cyncial tone, which I found humorous at first. But unlike, for example, the great Wodehouse himself the author is incapable of any other mode -- he ends up giving the impression of a tone-deaf soloist who can only sing one note. A redeeming or sympathetic character does not have the nerve to poke its nose into a Flashman book.

Of course feet of clay are a part of reality, and a part of each of us. However, the author belongs to the class of people who actively seek them out in order to convince us that selflessness and idealism are always illusory -- and that he is somehow being objective when he looks at humanity and sees one aspect only. If this is the way you wish to see the world and are looking for confirmation that your approach is smugly superior, this is the book for you.

For me, it was only a disappointment. I have a strong cynical streak myself, and count Twain and Wodehouse among my favorite authors; but their strength lies in their ability to use the entire palette of human nature, against which the sharp, intelligent cynicism is so fresh it jumps off the page. Flashman does not measure up to these masters.

Pure poison.

Average customer rating:

Mein Gott, Herr Flashmeister!
Henry Flashman, is not "a flash in the pan"
Flashy in hot water again
Flashman as Literature?
Boring

Royal Flash (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452261120

Customer Reviews:

Mein Gott, Herr Flashmeister!.......2006-10-01

Perhaps it is unfair to give Royal Flash only 4 stars, but I had to distinguish its rating from the first Flashman book, which I would have given 5+ stars.

The Royal Flash takes Harry Flashman from the comforts of home to Munich - at the invite of Lola Montez! Flashy, what are you thinking? (By the way, Lola Montez is an historical figure - and quite a beauty.) Once in Bavaria he meets his old nemesis Otto Bismarck, who entangles Harry in the intrigues of 1840's Germany, Denmark, and the Schleswig-Holstein Question.

I preferred the more military setting of Afghanistan because it gave full rein to a display of Flashy's physical cowardice, rather than just his moral cowardice. And then he takes an at times some almost un-caddish attitude toward the sweet flower of Strackenz! And I just find an historical war setting more interesting than the political.

Highly recommended, if just slightly less so than the original Flashman.

Henry Flashman, is not "a flash in the pan".......2006-04-05

Once again despite himself, Flashy comes to the rescue. More than once, says I, and mostly for himself after he'd gotten himself into hot water once again. The story of course is once again inconsequential, but the fun is seeing how many situations Flashy can get himself into, and the remarkable ways that he gets himself out, say I.

The one really extraordinary thing that we learn about Flashy is that even among other men, his manhood is admired as 'above average'. That Fraser can take another story, and turn it around so that you would swear that the other guy is guilty of plagarism is just another piece of the Flashy legend.

All in all, says I, a rip-roaring tale of a man without a consience, says he; who seems to do his damndess to preserve and protect other people's honor.

Four huzzahs for the Flash-man.

Flashy in hot water again.......2006-03-21

Flashman gets roped/coerced into masquerading as a Danish prince and the action gets furious from there. Written in the first person, Flashman is brutally honest about himself and others, and waxes philosophical more often than he should, but then this is part of his "autobiography," take it or leave it. A good deal of human nature can be learned from him.

I think many of us will live vicariously in Flashman's reluctant adventures, especially the erotic episodes. Being a 19th Century Anglophile, I enjoy the History, phrases and terms used then, as accurately described by Fraser. I am most impressed at his research for the background and settings used. For a while, I wasn't sure whether Flashman had been a real person.

Strongly suggest that the reader read the Flashman series in order, starting with the first one, Flashman: 1839-1842, to get the most out of the series. If you are really into it, read "Tom Brown's Schooldays" first.

Flashman as Literature?.......2005-11-08

Although the Flashman novels have been extolled by, well, practically everybody, it is mostly because of their action-packed plots, meticulous attention to detail, and, of course, the remarkable, hilarious narrator, Harry Flashman. Not often, though, do you find comments having to do with the novels' literary worthiness, or if you will, God forbid, High Art. Well, it's perhaps past time to talk about this a little bit, and probably the best place to start would be with Royal Flash.

The word--the literary word--is satire. As in, making fun of the stodgy Victorian adventure novel, the likes of which always contain a brave, hearty, God-fearing, noble little hero, vanquishing his enemies, and making a stoic and haughty England proud in the process. Others have noted that the plot of Royal Flash borrows liberally from the Victorian adventure, The Prisoner of Zenda. Of course it does. What they fail to take into account, however, is the fact that Royal Flash turns it on its head.

Whereas Rudolf, of Zenda, willingly takes the place of the captured king, for God and glory and all that is right, Flashman is commandeered into his adventure, threatened with jail and public humiliation after being discovered in flagrante with a fat German baroness. Where Rudolf manfully and indeed eagerly faces his enemies with, "steel," so that he can, "take a slap at 'em," Flashman cowers fearfully behind whatever he can find, or runs away without a thought. Where Rudolf leashes his growing affection for and chastely kisses the hand of the Princess Flavia, Flashman bulls the duchess Irma all over the castle for ten days after hoisting her up on his shoulder and singing an English sea ditty. Where Rudolf refuses to visit Strelsau later in life, so that he may maintain the dignity of his honorable relationship, Flashman returns to Strackenz so that he can steal every royal jewel he can get his hands on.

This is characteristic of all the Flashman novels. The selfless, brave souls found in novels by Doyle, P. C. Wren, Hope and Stevenson, are to Flashman, "vicious little sneaks," and, "toadies." And Flashman himself is as far from the Victorian "ideal" as a human being can get.

Here is another delightful little tidbit in the underappreciated novella, Flashman and the Tiger. Flashman, in disguise as a passed-out, drunken stumblebum, is accosted by the venerable Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Watson. Holmes, after some brief study, declares Flashman to be a German seaman, probably engaged in, "menial tasks," shipboard, and whose whiskers, "compensate for the ravages which drink and evil living have stamped on his countenance." This is not only hilarious because the man of logic, Sherlock Holmes, manages to get practically every detail wrong, it is also that he manages to get one right, which is his merciless depiction of Flashman's ignoble character. (Mr. Fraser is clearly not above poking fun at his own creation.)

Flashman, in his narrative, refers to the icon of Victorian literature, Sherlock Holmes, as a, "conceited ass," and possibly, "some kind of maniac," and to Watson as an, "oaf." This is classic Flashman, perfectly in tune with his irreverent personality, but beyond that, it is a perfect example of Fraser's irreverence as well, and only one of the dozens of playful little jabs that Mr. Fraser routinely takes at the Victorian hero throughout his novels.

But make no mistake: these are jabs, made in jest rather than scorn. Obviously, Mr. Fraser loves Victorian adventure stories as much as anybody. Indeed, he has proved it by spending the better part of his life perfecting them--all the while gleefully skewering them at the same time. Maybe he isn't Shakespeare, but there is definitely a certain kind of genius at work here.

Boring.......2005-06-06

I've read this book because I had been recommended Flashman by many people who are (like me) interested in 19th Century history. The idea of the hero meeting all major characters of the period was quite attractive. In fact, while some historical background elements are quite interesting - for example the biography of Lola Montez, which I didn't know - I was very disappointed by the novel. I can't find anything funny, and the story is too lacking in credibility to be interesting. I must be missing something.

I got bored and I did not finish the book. At least at won't have to buy the other books in the series.

Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman)

Average customer rating:

One of the best Flashman novels
Flash as sepoy, Pathan and finally, Knight of the Bath, VC
A real book with some meat in it that is well worth the time
Flashy goes native
Flashy's Best?

Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452263034

Customer Reviews:

One of the best Flashman novels.......2006-10-10

Flashman novels so uniformly entertain that it's hard to single one out as the best. But the unremitting action and focused detail of "Flashman in the Great Game", set in India during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, might qualify it. American readers may know as little about this as they do about the Crimean War, the subject of Flashman's immediately prior adventure. But there is no better way to fill in our gaps of understanding about the British Age of Empire, than to accompany Flashman on his escapades.

Unwilling as always, Flashman is sent to India by Lord Palmerston as a secret emissary to the troublesome Queen Lakshmibai of Jhansi. Flashman is mesmerized by the beautiful and powerful queen, one of the most memorable of Flashman babes, but an assassination attempt sends him into hiding. Disguising himself as a tribesman he enlists in the colonial army, where troops are tense with rumors that they will be given taboo rifle cartridges. They revolt with horrifying violence against British cut off in remote areas with small garrisons. Flashman repeatedly escapes from a frying pan only to find himself in a hotter part of the fire. He witnesses events as synonymous with "atrocity" to the British public of the 19th century as September 11 or Beslan are to us today. Flashman escapes one incident more harrowing than the next. He never loses hope that soon he'll be able to lay low and shirk the rest of his mission, but his hopes are repeatedly dashed until he suddenly finds himself back before the intoxicating Lakshmibai, wondering, with his life on the line, if in fact she actually loves him.

Scrupulously showing colonialism's warts, Fraser depicts brutal British reprisals and suggests with postmodern egalitarianism that each side's violence somehow offsets the other. But in my old-fashioned, post-9/11 opinion the savagery provoking those reprisals was far greater, with barbaric atrocities committed against women, children, surrendering soldiers and the like. Executing a rebel is not the same as hacking a child up with a sabre.

Throughout the Flashman series our antihero's cowardly and bigoted selfishness provide black humor in all manner of grim situations, yet the gravity of the Mutiny necessarily mutes that side of Fraser's writing. The unrelenting violence of this episode limit even Flashman's capacity to be a jerk; he is forced, more often than usual and despite his best intentions, to be noble. As Fraser recreates the Raj in all its glory and inequity, we sense the surreal quality of a few English soldiers controlling a subcontinent with hundreds of millions of residents, and what happens when the resulting powder keg explodes.

Flash as sepoy, Pathan and finally, Knight of the Bath, VC.......2005-06-15

George Macdonald Fraser never ceases to amaze me with the wit, clarity and attention to historical detail of his Flashman series. In _Flashman and the Great Game_, he has truly outdone himself.

Begining as an agent for the Queen, Flashman is sent to India, where he soon finds himself embroiled in the 1857 Mutiny. The historical background and detailed information included is as delightful as it is impressive. That our Harry Flashman shows a more human side (being genuinely moved by the atrocities he "witnesses" by both sides) serves to add depth to the character. As a previous review mentioned, in this book Flashman is much more influenced by events than an actor upon them. In telling of the Mutiny, it works extremely well.

And finally, one also gets a feel for Fraser (through Flashman) as he writes, "you don't deserve it, you know ... not if its courage they're after .. but if they hand out medals for luck, and survival through funk, and suffering ignobly borne ... well, grab 'em with both hands" Written as by a true warrior, even if spoken through a scoundrel, poltroon, braggart and liar.

A real book with some meat in it that is well worth the time.......2005-03-10

GMF has hit his stride with this book! Of all of the Flashman Series that he has "Edited", This is far and away his best work.
I highly commend it as it has it all, What with Flashy hiding, running , lying , fornicating his way thru one of Britains most horrible and bloody Colonial Wars The Sepoy Mutiny.
Flashmans observations and insight were steel on target. I highly commend this book as I have worn out several copies of it in the past 10+ years. Its a pity that some one does not get off their duffs and make a decent movie of this series. The one effort with Roddy Macdowell came close but not quite.
I just hope that we can read of Flashy's adventures in the War between the states that has been hinted at in the other books. I would buy in a second!

Flashy goes native.......2004-12-31

Though the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser has been in print for decades, this is the first book that I've read. Ok, I've been inexcusably tardy; I've been busy.

As created by the author, the fictional Harry Flashman is an officer in the British Army during the reign of Queen Victoria. In FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME, Flashy, by this time a colonel, is asked by Prime Minister Lord Palmerston to go to India to investigate unrest among sepoy troops, a potential uprising perhaps being fanned by Harry's old nemesis, Count Ignatieff of Russia. After Flashman arrives, he's forced to go underground by assuming the identity of a native enlistee in the 3rd Cavalry, Bengal Army - just in time to become embroiled in the Great Mutiny of 1857.

Despite Flashy's growing reputation for heroism among the Army and Her Majesty's government, he's actually the greatest of cowards. His only interests are staying out of harm's way and having sex with as many women as possible. He's a rascal and a bounder of the first order. For female readers, Flashman is the man Mom warned about. For male readers, he is, perhaps, Everyman at heart. The charm of his memoirs, "The Flashman Papers", from which each book of the series is an excerpt, derives from the total honesty by which Flashy readily admits to his character deficiencies. It's only through canny opportunism, unwelcome circumstances, and luck that Harry's renown for derring-do increases with each installment.

The appeal of Flashy's rascality aside, the strength of these stories is apparently the historical research that Fraser did to create the backdrop for Harry's adventures. In FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME, the event is the savage 1857 uprising of Indian troops against their British masters that resulted in massacres of whites - men, women, and children - at such places as Meerut, Jhansi, and Cawnpore. The British reprisal was merciless. And Flashy is there to tell us all about it, as well as explain the cultural and religious factors that contributed to the bloodbath. As an instruction about something I knew nothing about, Harry's narrative more than justifies the cost of the book. (OK, so I got it free from an email pen pal. But, you get my meaning.)

As I've no other Flashman novel for comparison, I was torn between awarding 4 and 5 stars. I settled on 4 as the safe option since that leaves room for improvement, which I may discover as I read additional volumes in the series. I do have to say, however, that I found Fraser's McAuslan trilogy more humorous and appealing, perhaps because the time, place, and protagonist are more contemporary.

Flashy's Best?.......2004-01-07

While I read this book as number eight in my chronological survey of the life and times of Harry Flashman and still have three books to go in the series, I can understand why the Flashman cognoscenti consider this book Fraser finest effort of this series.

In this book our toady, womanizing coward ends up in the middle of the great Indian mutiny in the 1858-9 period. As always there is high entertainment with Flashman's picaresque adventures and a lot of historical context thanks to Fraser's meticulous research. What makes the book stand out in this superb series is it's accurate and objective analysis of the events leading to the Indian Mutiny -required reading with regard to the current conflict in Iraq- and the fully three-dimensional rendering of the Indian princess Lakshmibai.

Fraser has responded to questions "how much of Flashman is in you?", "I think like Flashman, but don't follow it up with acting the way he does". As such, It seems like Fraser's esteem for this enigmatic leading lady translates into this book. Furthermore, the expert description of the battle scenes and the sights and smells of India turn this book into a superb example of historical fiction.

Too bad that the Flashman character has so far been so poorly translated to the moving screen. Maybe, just like Dickens, Fraser's writing skills are so evocative that any reenactment ends up disappointing. Yet, since the in my eyes disappointing O'Brien series received the full Hollywood treatment, it may be time for another try to bring Lord Harry to a larger audience.

Flashman's Lady (Flashman)
Average customer rating:

Completely Bonkers

Flashman Rides Again--To Rescue His Lady

Flashy shows a spark of selflessness in spite of himself

Flashman and the Pyrates, or, Flashman in Madagascar

Flashy again

Flashman's Lady (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Royal Flash (Flashman)

Flashman and the Mountain of Light (Flashman)

Flash for Freedom! (Flashman)

Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman)

Flashman and the Redskins (Flashman)

ASIN: 0452264898

Customer Reviews:

Completely Bonkers.......2006-02-19

This one is my favourite, partly because of the snippets of long-forgotten Asian history and partly because the story's completely bonkers. We start in a central London watering hole with Flashy being brow-beaten into playing cricket by an old school bore. Then we're at Lord's, batting and bowling against the nation's finest. Along comes a swarthy Oxford type called Suleman who's on the hunt for Flashy's Elspeth, and before you know what's what we're boffing Lady What's-her-name and on a slow boat to Singapore to avoid the London bookies. Blink and you'll miss Flashy getting mugged by knife-wielding triads and Elspeth getting kidnapped by Suleman, who turns out to be an infamous pirate (but with Oxford manners). Then we're off to Borneo with the Royal Navy, fighting pirates and fornicating with their locals and eventually Flashy's reunited with Elspeth after months of enforced servicing of Queen Ranavalona in Madagascar, that nookie-loving despot who ruled by boiling her opponents and force-feeding them chicken bones and poison. Saved by the French Navy after their own one left them to rot, Flashy and Elspeth live to ride again, Flashy with all and sundry, and Elspeth with all of Flashy's mates. Fabulous. Not a moral in sight. 5 Stars.

Flashman Rides Again--To Rescue His Lady.......2006-01-30

Flashman rides again, this time to the rescue of his lady, the beloved and empty headed Elspeth, who has been stolen away by a pirate. Lots of fun is had along the way, including an early 19th Century cricket match where our Harry shines, battles galour (some in the company of the famous pirate hunter Rupert Brooke), and lovely females, dangerous to be sure, but all buxom and bonaire. How many marriages can stand this strain and still endure?

Flashy shows a spark of selflessness in spite of himself.......2005-05-25

In the 1966 screen adaptation of A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) advises his daughter Meg (Susannah York):

"If (God) suffers us to come to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand to our tackle as best we can. And, yes Meg, then we can clamor like champions, if we have the spittle for it. But it's God's part, not our own, to bring ourselves to such a pass. Our natural business lies in escaping."

One of the most endearing qualities of author George MacDonald Fraser's anti-heroic protagonist, Harry Flashman, is his natural cowardice, which he freely admits with a certain degree of pride. Flashy is an expert at escaping; More would have been impressed.

In that volume of his memoirs entitled FLASHMAN'S LADY, Flashy is still young in the mid-1840s. His talent for a prudent and precipitous departure has yet to mature, as evidenced by his delayed response when beset by thugs in a dodgy section of Singapore:

"I'm not proud of what happened in the next moment. Of course, I was very young and thoughtless, and my great days of instant flight and evasion were still ahead of me, but even so, with ... my native cowardice to boot, my reaction was inexcusable ... in my youthful folly and ignorance, I absolutely stood there gaping ..."

The larger portion of this book's plot involves the kidnapping of Flashy's beautiful but scatterbrained wife, Elspeth, by a certain Don Solomon Haslam, a moneyed and mannered member of English high society who's not what he seems. Harry's determination to stay out of harm's way is severely taxed as he pursues Elspeth's rescue into the pirate-infested interior of Borneo, and later into Madagascar, where Flashy finds himself the slave of that island's mad and despotic queen, Ranavalona.

A chief attraction of Fraser's Flashman series is the knowledge it gives the reader about historical and factual, but arcane, events and places. In FLASHMAN'S LADY, the reader is apprised of the private war against the pirates of the East Indies by the eccentric English imperialist, James Brooke, and the reign of terror perpetuated by that female Caligula of the period, Queen Ranavalona I of Madagascar. Indeed, the author's research into the latter has prompted me to place a non-fiction history of the subject on my Wish List.

Deep down, I think, Flashy's personal appeal is based on the realization that he's Everyman, whether one would wish to admit it or not. Our natural preference is to escape, and it's only through blundering circumstance, good luck, or an odd quirk of fate that any one of us might, like Harry himself, be perceived a hero by our fellows.

Flashman and the Pyrates, or, Flashman in Madagascar.......2004-02-09

Flashy - after, incidentally, pulling a hat trick on the three most celebrated cricketers of his time - accepts a "friendly" wager in a single-wicket match against Don Solomon, a foreign-born Eton-educated socialite. The tie score results in he and Elspeth accompanying Solomon on a cruise to the Far East, where Solomon's true colors are revealed, and he absconds with Elspeth. Flashman must fight, however unwillingly, to get her back - until they both end up in the hands of the bloodthirsty queen of Madagascar, Ranavalona I. This is a fine entry in the series, possibly a little more heavy on the humor this time around than the adventure. The first half of the book is all cricket and social intrigue; a more thorough look at Madagascar might have been in order, tho' perhaps Fraser was dealing with limited intelligence on that subject. Another minor quibble: At the book's opening, our hero is caught in a damned-if-he-does-damned-if-he-don't trap that pushed him again into adventure (lose the cricket match and see Elspeth go on a cruise with Solomon, or win and be beaten by crooked bookies?). And, as in Flash For Freedom, the dilemma that prompted him into action, when he returns (in that case, cheating at cards), is completely forgotten. I would have liked to see some closure in the matter of the threatening bookie, at least. All that aside, this is, of course, another witty, well-researched adventure. Bravo!

Flashy again.......2003-09-18

At his best. The only fault with Flashman is that Fraser had to squeeze him into a single lifetime. Flashman of Flashman's Lady is a great place to begin the Flashman tour of the British Army during the 19th Century, the roll on the floor laughter of Frazer's characterization, the relatively accurate history that goes with this historical fiction. If you haven't read Frazer's Flashman books you are missing a great lot of evenings.

Average customer rating:

Flashman and the Charge of the Light Brigade
A wild ride, just like the Charge of the Light Brigade
SUPERB
Russian Flash
Simply Brilliant

Flashman at the Charge (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452264138

Customer Reviews:

Flashman and the Charge of the Light Brigade.......2006-12-18

In this fourth packet of the Flashman Papers, our man Flash finds himself in the thick of the Crimean War, including the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. Flash endures the regettable Lord Haw-Haw, the Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge (although Lord Raglan deserves at least some of the blame for that fiasco). The reader is introduced to William Howard Russell, the famous Times of London who invented modern war reporting (the generals didn't like having a reporter around then either).

Harry also spends some not altogether unpleasant time in captivity in Russia - although a near encounter with the Russian knout leaves him with severe dyspepsia. Later Flash escapes, but ends up in in a Russian dungeon with Central Asian chieftain Yakub Beg and the warrior Izzat Kutebar. Rescued by Beg's people, Flashy shows some shocking signs of acting entirely honorably and contrary to his self-interest, but his odd behavior is soon explained.

If you are unfamiliar with the Flashman series, each book is a packet from the supposedly historical Flashman Papers. Flashman is a character of fictional history twice over, first in 'Tom Brown's Schooldays' published in 1857 and now in the George MacDonald Fraser's rediscovery. Fraser makes Flashman not only a cad, but also a reluctant and serial war hero. If you ever start to think Flashman has turned over a new leaf, just keep reading. If this kind of thing interests you I do suggest that you start with the first book in the series, 'Flashman', although each book stands on its own.

The Flashman series weave historical detail together with spell-binding stories told with frequent hilarity. Highly recommended for fans of British historical fiction or a good ribald tale of any kind.

A wild ride, just like the Charge of the Light Brigade.......2006-10-09

Frazer keeps his series alive with yet one more finely written installment in the Flashman series.

Our Flash Harry is a rotten sort of fellow, but amicably so. Keep him out of harm's way, give him some undeserved glory, warm him with a bottle and a trollop, and he's happy. But in this episode, he meets someone far more rotten, the chilling Count Nicholas Ignatieff in chilly Russia, where Flashman is held after being captured during the Charge of the Light Brigade. Ignatieff is merely the nastiest aspect of a nasty land. Even Flashman, appalled by serfdom's cruelty, sees no difference between it and slavery.

Flashy maneuvers to avoid service during the Crimean War, but has the misfortune to be assigned as mentor to Queen Victoria's German cousin who can't wait to go to the front. Flashman somehow stumbles into three major actions on the same day. After capture, he is held in genteel captivity by a medieval Cossack lord who alternately fascinates and repels Flashy - and who details Flashman to impregnate his married-to-a-weakling daughter. He escapes during a serf rising in a thrilling nighttime sleigh ride, accompanied by his lover clad in nothing but furs, and the priggish Scud East, a fellow officer, prisoner and former classmate obsessed with notions of duty. Flashman is recaptured and watches in horror as Ignatieff has a random prisoner beaten to death with the horrifying knout, merely to intimidate Flashman. After being hauled off to Central Asia in chains to aid in Russia's planned invasion of India, he busts out with local rebels who draft him into yet one more life-risking but glory-generating escapade. He meets another notable babe, the Asian rebels' half-Chinese princess known only as Ko Dali's daughter, a chilling manipulator whose seduction has a deeper motivation.

SUPERB.......2006-03-24

G. M. Fraser's Harry Flashman is a brilliant vehicle for examining Victorian social mores and military history. For the uninitiated, let me explain that Flashman, a rake, craven soldier, and toad-eater, survives and prospers-not without difficulties, mind you-while innocents and idealists are stomped beneath the boot of history.

This is my fourth Flashman novel. While the others-FLASHMAN, ROYAL FLASH, and FLASH FOR FREEDOM!-were exceptional, FLASHMAN AT THE CHARGE offers, word for word, more of Fraser's amazing action writing. YOU ARE THERE at the Battle of Balaclava (the Crimean War for you Yanks) as a petrified Flash holds his ground behind the Thin Red Line and participates reluctantly in Scarlett's Charge and the Charge of the Light Brigade. There are also sensational action sequences as Flash, a prisoner of war, escapes from Russia and supervises the bombardment in the bloody battle at Fort Raim. These spellbinding action sequences go on for thousands of words and their emotional power, in my opinion, exceeds that of any adventure movie.

This time, Flash is in mid-career and is an experienced man of the world. Occasionally, this Flash, a realist with a poetic bent, speaks completely in character and provides wonderful descriptions and insights. These are another great pleasure in this terrific novel. Here, for example, is Flash describing the Russian landscape (page 121 of my Plume edition):

"I've seen big countries before-the American plains on the old wagon-trails west of St. Louis, with the whispering grasses waving away and away to the very edge of the world, or the Saskatchewan prairies in grasshopper time, dun and empty under the biggest sky on earth. But Russia is bigger: there is no sky, only empty space overhead and no horizon, only a distant haze and endless miles of sun-scorched rank grass and emptiness. The few miserable hamlets, each with its rickety church, only seemed to emphasize the loneliness of that huge plain, imprisoning by its very emptiness...It appalled me as we rolled along."

Russian Flash.......2005-08-31

The most surprising thing about this installment of adventures of Harry Flashman (most famous officer, gentleman (well, quite doubtfully) and hero (well, not exactly) of Victorian England) set in Russia, that it is not even popular there, it is absolutely unknown. The Crimean War, together with serfdom, is quite an embarrassment for the Russians and George MacDonald Fraser spares none of his literary talents describing the 'beauty' and 'excitement' of Russian life in the middle of 19 century. Well, Flashman definitely enjoys certain aspects of it (you can easily imagine which ones). What catapults him into the Land of Tsars was, first of all, the Crimean War (which he skillfully tried to avoid but as usual getting himself into the pickle) and, as it happened, an unfortunate Charge of the Light Brigade, where he earns hard a status of a POW through his yet again outstanding cowardice. His life on the estate in a beautifully described southern rural Russia (or Ukraine to be precise) turns into yet another amorous affair with a beautiful daughter of a Cossack noble (with another surprise there too, mind you). Such fabulous captivity is abruptly interrupted by this foul Russian institution -serfdom- which catapults him into another adventure now in Central Asia (which was fighting not to be Russian at that time) where Flashy meets East again with more shocks and surprises for a reader (and Flashman). Prepare yourself for a Russian steambath, eavesdrop on the enemy's secrets after a passionate date and think how to make your sled lighter when you are on the run with a beauty because the chase is on and Cossacks are on the way!

Simply Brilliant.......2005-07-20

George MacDonald Fraser is simply brilliant - the Flashman Papers are part historical fiction, part bodice ripper, part humour. The intrepid Harry Flashman, a "hero" by all accounts is in his own words, a coward, a cheat, a liar and a womanizer. In spite of this, he continues to receive accolades, praise and a chest full of military decorations and titles.

In _Flashman at the Charge_, Flashman (in an attempt to avoid active service), ends up in the Crimea where first he joins "the thin, red line" in preventing the advance of the Russians, before rushing over to lead (farting all the way, incidentally), the charge of the light brigade.

Captured by the Russians, Flashman learns much about serfdom, Cossacks, "the Russian soul" - and of course, their attempts to invade India.

For all the show of cowardice, however, Fraser may be having a joke on us - that is to say, perhaps Flashy isn't the yellow-belly he would have us believe ... after all, the only difference between a "hero" and a "coward" is timing... and no one can doubt that Flashman has had an excellent sense of that.

Average customer rating:

Flashman And the Peculiar Institution
Jolly Good Read
One of the best of the series
Layering dark satire onto the diciest of subjects
Flashman comes to America

Flash for Freedom! (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452260892

Customer Reviews:

Flashman And the Peculiar Institution.......2007-06-14

One of the finest in what is likely the greatest series of historial comic novels ever. Harry Flashman is one of Victorian England's most decorated heros and its most craven coward and in this book finds himself unwillingly thrust headlong by his own Scottish merchant father-in-law into the slave trade. During this book, Flashy poses as slave raider, government anti-slave agent, overseer and slave stealer. As always, Flashy's quest to entrench himself in the Garden of Earthly Delights along with his unrivaled ability to create enemies propells him from a quiet card game with Disraeli and friends inexoribly along a twisted and tortuous road that will continue on to Africa, Cuba and New Orleans and in other novels will find him accompanying John Brown on the Harper's Valley raid (Flashman and the Angel of the Lord) and eventually to the Battle of the Little Big Horn (Flashman and the Indians) which he survives to his own great astonishment. Among the cast of unforgettable characters he meets is the mad cashiered Oxford Don and slave ship captain, John Charity Spring, who lashes his crew with the cat and numerous classic Latin quotations. Abraham Lincoln makes several unforgettable appearances as well. Not for the prudish or the PC crowd, but there's scarcely any equal to it for both enlightenment and entertainment.

Jolly Good Read.......2007-04-20

Time to write a Flashman review. Historically astute as I am, I've found the Flashman papers an easy and enjoyable method with which to buff up on history in the 19th century. This is my third encounter with Flashy. Had a blast with each one, but the subject matter in Freedom was somewhat more familiar than the first (Flashman) and second (Royal Flash) offerings. Fine with me, I learned much in the first two. Not for the squeamish or prudish, Flash finds his way to America aboard a slave ship and works his way North on the underground railroad. Coward that he is, Flashy let me down in the final packages. What a cur! Regardless, I'll continue with his exploits and let you know how he's doing. All for now... ta-ta.

One of the best of the series.......2006-07-10

Unbelievably funny. From the first brilliant sentence, we have the pleasure of being witness to a series of non-stop, hilariously horrendous mishaps visited upon poor, despicable Harry Flashman. The plot is as tight and the writing as crisp and witty as any book in the series.

In "Flash for Freedom", MacDonald Fraser puts old Flashie through a wringer as incredible as it is unbelievably harsh. From a high-powered political house party, during which he puts the moves on Fanny Duberly and makes mildly anti-Semitic comments to future PM Disraeli, Flashman is politically ruined when he almost murders a man, is then forced by his malicious Scotch father-in-law to lay low on what Flash later discovers is a slave ship, goes on a slaving expedition in Africa, fights the American Navy, is coerced by the Underground Railroad into running a supercilious slave to freedom up the Mississipi, then becomes a slave driver on a Southern plantation, eventually being forced into slavery himself, subsequently escaping to freedom with an attractive octoroon, inspiring "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and running into Abe Lincoln along the way. MacDonald Fraser somehow makes it all seem plausible. Phew! As usual, we learn a good deal about history. Although Flashman couldn't give two pence about slavery, GMF paints a vivid picture of the brutality and corruption of the institution, while pointing out the necessary complicity of the Africans themselves and the naive romanticsm of the Abolitionists towards the slaves. John Charity Spring, one of the best characters in the Flashman series, is introduced in this novel. As with all of these books, you'll learn something through your laughter.

Layering dark satire onto the diciest of subjects.......2005-12-11

Flashman is shown at his vile best in this installment of his saga. Signed unknowingly onto a slave ship by his malicious father-in-law to get him out of the country following a scandal, Flashman plunges up to his whiskers into that century's nastiest business. Sailing under an insane, Latin-quoting captain, who brings his tea-serving, equally insane wife along for the voyage, Flashy's misadventures take him from the Slave Coast of Africa to the whorehouses of New Orleans, from the back roads of Mississippi to the frozen Ohio River. Fraser's research into the slave trade is compelling; this is one of the more detailed fictionalizations of the slave trade in most of its horrors that I've ever read. The author gets credit for layering his dark satire onto this diciest of subjects, not something every author would have dared, and not sparing it in the least. It is, of course, almost the perfect vehicle for Flashman's unPC sensibilities, if the reader will forgive the anachronism. His encounter with Abraham Lincoln is absorbing even while satirical; Fraser presents a Lincoln with a frontier-tuned wit that penetrates further than can the capital's shallower sophisticates .

Flashman comes to America.......2004-05-21

Fraser has created another excellent Flashman adventure. The first half (or so) of the book concerns how Flashman ends up serving unwillingly in the crew of a slaving ship (after running afoul of his despicable father-in-law). The second half of the book - a bit weaker than the strong first half, I think - involves Flashman's exploits in the American South after he gets dragooned into helping the Underground Railroad. Flashman encounters a soon-to-be retiring Congressman Lincoln a couple of times during the course of the novel, and these scenes should be fun for fans of Abe.

The plot is strong, the pacing very fast, as we've come to expect from Flashman, and the dialogue is lots of fun. Fraser's historical accuracy is as good as ever. This is the third Flashman book I've read, and it's almost as good as the first book in the series ("Flashman"), which I liked quite a lot, and it's considerably better than "Royal Flash," the second book in the series. I'd recommend "Flash for Freedom" to anyone who's enjoyed the series so far. As with other Flashman books, if you're easily offended by bawdy - though not obscene by any stretch - language or activities, you should take a pass on this one.

Flashman on the March (Flashman Papers)
Average customer rating:

Bloody Hell - Where's the NEXT one?

Excellent, informative and engrossing

Yet Another entertaining Flashman adventure: 4.5 stars

More Flashman

Flashman at his usual best

Flashman on the March (Flashman Papers)
George Macdonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1400096464
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Book Description

It’s 1868 and Sir Harry Flashman, V.C., arch-cad, amorist, cold-headed soldier, and reluctant hero, is back! Fleeing a chain of vengeful pursuers that includes Mexican bandits, the French Foreign Legion, and the relatives of an infatuated Austrian beauty, Flashy is desperate for somewhere to take cover. So desperate, in fact, that he embarks on a perilous secret intelligence-gathering mission to help free a group of Britons being held captive by a tyrannical Abyssinian king. Along the way, of course, are nightmare castles, brigands, massacres, rebellions, orgies, and the loveliest and most lethal women in Africa, all of which will test the limits of the great bounder’s talents for knavery, amorous intrigue, and survival.

Flashman on the March—the twelfth book in George MacDonald Fraser’s ever-beloved, always scandalous Flashman Papers series--is Flashman and Fraser at their best.

Customer Reviews:

Bloody Hell - Where's the NEXT one?.......2007-05-07

If you have read even one of the Flashman Papers, this review very likely is irrelevant: You're already reading one of the previously published works recounting the adventures of Sir Harry.

On top of that, what can you say about General Flashman that has not been said already, and by those better with the Queen's English than Your Humble Narrator? Sufficient to say that "Flashman on the March" is a suitable continuation of The Saga of the Greatest Hero of the Victorian Age.

As always, when finishing the latest installment of the Flashman Papers, one hungers for the next installment, while wondering what that will involve. The rest of the story about Our Hero's involvment in the Civil War? The French intervention in Mexico? Australia?

But in the midst of such pleasant reveries, a very unpleasant thought creeps in: George MacDonald Fraser, Sir Harrys' biographer, is getting along in years, and -- alas! -- is unlikely to live forever. Gad! The very thought sends a chill down the spine.

Neil

P.S. If you have not read Fraser's WWII biography, "Quartered Safe Out Here" -- do so. Now. Immediately. You'll thank me.

Excellent, informative and engrossing.......2007-02-04

Flashman On The March is by no means the best book of the series, but Fraser is in his 80s, doesn't need the money, and we must be grateful for any new Flashman material at all. It is better than his previous, Flashman & The Tiger, a collection of three shorter stories, was.

In this case, Flashman finds himself once again in trouble over a woman, and consequently exposed to what appear to be convenient plans to get him out of town when offered by his friend Speedicut; and of course thus unwittingly puts his head into yet another noose, this time finding himself on the expedition to Magdala in what became the Abyssinian War.

Fraser's absolutely meticulous research, as usual, brings what is to us a very remote and little known campaign to technicolor life. Fraser's notes and commentary refer to all the primary sources then extant, newspapers and magazines of the time, official publications, memoirs, and the like, transforming his work from standard historical fiction into something a good deal better, more reliable, and instructive. Combine this with Fraser's excellent characterizations, his pitch-perfect dialogue, his ironic, sarcastic, and often bawdy humor, and you have what is simply the best such series in print. Every novel has been an absolute joy to read and reread over the years.

The story and the events make for great reading and do not need to be reviewed here; every Flashman reader knows what he will get, and that he will love it. (In that sense, Fraser is every bit as dependable as Ian Fleming was; give the public what it wants.) More interesting to me is Fraser's long-standing political incorrectness, and I am not talking about his use of 'the n-word' (which can be rationalized on grounds of historical accuracy in speech) or the jumping of every woman in the book (which is fact is completely PC), which is what the NY Times seems to think makes this stuff racy, but rather of his observations of actual conditions and actual events around the world. Fraser pulls no punches, and never has, in describing in cold hard brutal documented facts the almost unbelievable cruelty, the shocking crimes, and bestial behavior, of homicidal maniacs masquerading as kings, chieftains, advisors to the great, and so on, throughout the Victorian world, and while the British are far from faultless (see destruction of the Summer Palace after the Chinese expedition) there is a clear contrast between the civilized and the uncivilized, and both Flashman and Fraser (in his notes) leave us with no doubt as to which they prefer. The concept of the 'noble savage' is one with which Fraser deals again and again - perhaps best at the beginning of Flashman & The Redskins, which finds Flashy dealing with Political Correctness of the time at a London Club, but throughout most of the other books as well - and which he demolishes simply through accumulation of documented evidence. In 2006, however, as it was in 1969 when Fraser first began this epic romp through history, this remains an uphill fight. Even the last page of this book, where Flashman, Napier and Speed discuss the benefits of leaving Abyssinia now that the mission is done, or staying and colonizing the place, makes clear the dilemma is a no-win situation: if they leave they will be characterized as irresponsible, and if they stay as imperialistic. The New York Times won't touch that in their review; they seem to think the whole series is just about fornicating Flashy on a tour through the brothels of the world. It is, in part - but if there weren't quite a bit more to it than that, Fraser would not still be providing his readers with the best and most enjoyable historical fiction in print.

The brilliant covers by Arthur Barbosa are a thing of the past, and time moves on for Fraser as for the rest of us. For my part, I selfishly hope Mr Fraser lives to be 150 year old and cranks out many, many more Flashman novels.

Yet Another entertaining Flashman adventure: 4.5 stars.......2007-02-02

Yet Another Flashman adventure, this time to Abyssinia, 1868, on a British rescue/punitive mission against mad King Theodore (Toowodoros) at Magdala. Another fine outing for Flashy, and more entertaining reading for us: ". . a tawny young beauty remarking to my captors: 'If we feed him into the fire, little by little, he will speak. . . .' Aye, it's an interesting country, Abyssinia."

"Sir Harry Paget Flashman isn't just another eminent Victorian; he is also the stuff of legend and truly an inspiration to us all." -- Wash Post review, above.

Hard to believe Fraser been cranking these things out for almost 40 years. He's 81 now, but Flashy 'lived' to well past 90....

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

More Flashman.......2007-01-17

A pleasant surprise to find another Flashman book. He is a true anti-hero. Fraser premises that rewards sometimes go to the the least deserving and the luckiest. Flashman is both throughout his long and eventful life while he hobnobs with the famous and infamous. An added bonus is that the reader is actually educated to the most probable explanation/description of major world events and the personalities of those involved.

Flashman at his usual best.......2007-01-04

This is what I love best about Flashman. A detailed history that I knew nothing about before reading the first page, combined with great heaps of hilarity and action. God Bless Flashman (because no one else will).

Quartered Safe Out Here: A Recollection of the War in Burma

Average customer rating:

Made Me Feel at Home
A pure delight
George Fraser's Excellent Recounting Of A Burma Grunt.
Extraordinary Memoir of "The Forgotten Army"
A Great Book about a forgotten war & now vanished great Army

Quartered Safe Out Here: A Recollection of the War in Burma
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0002726874

Book Description

"One of the great personal memoirs of the Second World War" (John Keegan) by the creator of the Flashman books.

Customer Reviews:

Made Me Feel at Home.......2007-04-26

This is not your so called war stories. It is about a man and the men he served with without any liberal gibberish (see his references to more modern times)and the fact that wars happen and will happen, just or unjust depending on one's views. But, they won't go away like some Utopian dreamers think just because other "Utopians" weren't up to it. There were so many pages that hit me in the gut because one could so readily identify with things on the page. I never expected such a great book from a journalist / media person which proves that there is good in every crowd. I salute Fraser and I wish I could tell him so in person.

A pure delight.......2006-08-10

I read this entire book with a smile on my face, punctuated by frequent outbursts of laughter. George MacDonald Fraser's memories of his WWII service with the British Commonwealth Army in the Burma campaign was the first of his non-Flashman works I've read. Although it's impossible to really compare two completely different literary genres, I'll just say that "Quartered Safe Out Here" was-in its own unique way- as hilarious, if not more so, than the best of the Flashman novels. The difference is that in the Flashman novels, Fraser's obvious respect for the sacrifices and achievements of the British soldier had to be viewed as a backdrop to the foreground humor while the opposite is true in this work, where the humor plays a supporting role to his tribute, which is explicit.

Unlike his Flashman creation, Fraser was an honest-to-goodness war hero- courageous, honorable, and immensely proud of his country, regiment and platoon section. Like old Flashie though, Fraser cuts through the B.S. and shows no tolerance for armchair generals, civilian second guessing, and the nattering classes' politically correct sympathizing for Britain's enemies, so long as they were black, brown or yellow. It was amusing how Fraser's account of his argument with a bleeding-heart over the atomic bombing of Japan exactly echoes Flashman's dustup with a supercilious academic at the beginning of "Flashman and the Redskins". The alert reader will notice other such episodes in this memoir that seem to have found life in that series, but as Fraser noted, sometimes real life in Burma was so bizarre that he would have been laughed out of town if he had tried to slip some of those stories or dialogue into his fictional novels or screenplays. That's why I'm glad he finally got around to writing this book. It would have been a real shame if this story had not been told.

Fraser details his time as a 19 year old soldier in Burma during the last months of the war. His writing is brilliant, as usual, his stories engrossing, his attention to detail is fascinating, and the characters we meet, from the lovably obscene Cumbrians to the unbelievable Captain Grief, are unforgettable, the more so for being real. Apart from the entertainment value, which is considerable, Fraser's insights into the nature of war and the warrior are poignant and valuable as a historical record of, and paean to, a lost Britain. He bemoans the fact that that Britain (not to mention America) has been replaced by a therapeutic society of hypersensitive p.c. twits who have been severed from the warrior tradition and stoic ethos which made their existence possible in the first place. As with most of Fraser's books, it's not for someone who thinks that the world has improved much in the last 50 years. What else is there to say? This is simply a great book. Read it and love it.

George Fraser's Excellent Recounting Of A Burma Grunt. .......2006-07-23

This book had been brought to my attention by the author John McKinna ("The Sen-Toku Raid" and others) when it was learned we both had been combat infantry. And a great recommendation it was. The name of the book was taken from a Rudyard Kipling phrase in "Gunga Din", and outlines the infantryman's life during the final days of WWII as the Black Cat Division pushed down the Burma road towards Rangoon.

His book is unique in that it recounts the perspective of the war-fighter on the ground, who's entire knowledge of a world conflict is about 300 yards. At one point, he described every piece of equipment on his person, a bit of historical information I found of great interest.

Interspersed with this narrative however, was Fraser's meticulous research of after action reports of the units involved to weave a mosaic for the reader that helped round out the full picture of the campaign itself.

Overall, a great read.

Extraordinary Memoir of "The Forgotten Army".......2006-06-27

George MacDonald Fraser, best known for his Flashman novels, and, in my opinion, one of our best writers, gives us here his nearly fifty-year-old memories of his service in Burma in 1945.

There is so much to like about this book that it's difficult to know where to begin. There is Fraser's absolute honesty about his fears, his mistakes, his attitude toward the Japanese, and the virtues and vices of his comrades. There is his ability to place his unit's activities within the context of larger campaigns and yet give a vivid impression of what fighting with his unit must have been like. There is his brief but compelling portrait of General William Slim, for whom he has an unabashed admiration. There are moments of low humor, of heroism, and of tragic loss of life, and there is an unapologetic pride in what he, his comrades, and the rest of the British and Allied forces accomplished.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read, and I recommend that you make it one of yours.

A Great Book about a forgotten war & now vanished great Army.......2005-06-20

GMF has outdone himself with this book about his part in the Horrific war in Burma during War II. He tells of his time as a junior enlist then junior NCO with the Border Regiment. He spins his tale extremely well about the story of the last great War fought by the Old Anglo-Indian Army of the Raj. So if you want to get a feel for a bygone Army, its various & exotic troops, weapons and some great characters like the Iron Duke and the Impressive FM Slim then this is the place for you.

Flashman and the Mountain of Light (Flashman)

Average customer rating:

Another great adventure of Flashman
Say it isn't so! Flashman shows some courage?!?
History has never been more enjoyable
Flashman's fourth, and best so far.
Flashman's fourth, and best so far.

Flashman and the Mountain of Light (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452267854

Customer Reviews:

Another great adventure of Flashman.......2005-08-03

After reading Royal Flash and Flashman's Lady, I was beginning to think that I as over Flashy, as those books didnt move me in quite the same way the Flashman Papers and the Dragon did.

However, this tale of debauchery and adventure redeemed good ole Flashy in my eyes. Actually, I have been beginning to suspect that Flashy isnt as big a coward as he plays himself to be. His aim appears steady and his sword arm sure when ever he is in a pinch.

The only draw back is that if you are not careful to remember the meanings of all the native lingo, you'll bound to get lost.

Say it isn't so! Flashman shows some courage?!?.......2005-01-11

In the fourth installment of the Flashman papers, our intrepid hero is in India, helping the Empire expand into the Punjab. And yes, there are instances where Flashman does seem to demonstrate a little spine - but perhaps this is more a result of his working along side equally manipulative and underhanded schemers that Flash looks downright heroic in comparison.

As Flashman fans would expect, the history behind the story is meticulously documented. The tale is set a few years before the crown assumes control of the sub-continent from the East India Company, as India makes is greatest (but ultimately failed) attempt to drive the English out of the region by force. The history alone makes a fascinating read. With the addition of Harry Flashman's escapades to "liven up" the byzantine plotting of real -life theives, turncoats, cowards and liars you have the best Flashman book to date.

History has never been more enjoyable.......2003-09-18

Neither has historical fiction. Harry Flashman is both. By now you are probably joining me in wishing Harry Flashman was here today. I'd vote for him to President.

Flashman's fourth, and best so far........2002-03-19

I read this book as part four of my chronological survey of the life and times of the greatest jewel in the British crown. After greatly enjoying the original Flashman papers and the two following edited packages, I consider this installment the best so far.

Fraser not only gives us the expected portion of ribaldry, but puts our hero in an accurately described historic situation in which some of the players are so spineless that they make look Flashy rather virtuous, by comparison.
The result is a well-documented narrative, describing the first series of big battles of the British in the Punjab in which the local powers did not have any scruples about plotting a defeat resulting in thousands of deaths of their own people, just to hold on to power a little longer.

In style, Flashman, who looks rather upstanding through it all, gets none of the credit that he for once deserved. ...

This book was a great read and I can't wait to devour the next volume in the series.

Flashman's fourth, and best so far........2002-03-15

Fraser not only gives us the expected portion of ribaldry, but puts our hero in an accurately described historic situation in which some of the players are so spineless that they make Flashy look rather virtuous, by comparison.The result is a well-documented narrative, describing the first series of big battles of the British in the Punjab in which the local powers did not have any scruples about plotting a defeat resulting in thousands of deaths of their own people, just to hold on to power a little longer.

In style, Flashman, who looks rather upstanding through it all, gets none of the credit that he for once deserved. Don't worry, even our weak-boweled toady bastard himself took it rather philosophically.

This book was a great read and I can't wait to devour the next volume in the series.

Flashman and the Redskins (Flashman)
Average customer rating:

Flashman in the American West

More of Fraser's history and humor

The best of the bunch

Flashman in America

It's difficult to do serious reviews on Flashman

Flashman and the Redskins (Flashman)
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452264871

Customer Reviews:

Flashman in the American West.......2007-05-26

A great delight of the Flashman series is to watch George MacDonald Fraser place Harry Flashman, his ubiquitous anti-hero, in great historical events and then to see this loathsome yet endearing character emerge as a hero. In FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS, Fraser achieves this daunting feat twice, once in each novella that makes up this fine book.

In the first novella, "The Forty-Niner", Fraser shows Flashman escaping from New Orleans, where there is a warrant for his arrest (See, FLASH FOR FREEDOM!) and traveling on the Santa Fe Trail during the 1849 gold rush. Then, in "The Seventy-Sixer", Fraser shows Flashman's adventure in the Dacotah Territory and his amazing escape from the Battle--a skirmish, really, the soldier Flash repeatedly says--of the Little Bighorn.

Flashman fans who look to these novels for striking descriptions of events as they might have occurred will not be disappointed in this book. In "The Forty-Niner", Fraser captures the danger and innocence of wagon train travel, as well as the brutal fringes of early western American life, where massacre was a risk faced by all. And in "The Seventy-Sixer," Fraser paints a plausible (and historically accurate) picture of Custer, while showing the aggressive blunders that led to the destruction of his Seventh Cavalry. (How many of you know that Custer was actually attacking a small city of Sioux?)

In my opinion, Fraser also does a great job with his Indians in both novellas, communicating lots of information about the Indian way of life, especially among the Apache and Sioux. Here, thanks for these eye-opening portrayals goes to the disillusioned Flashman, who sees Fraser's Indian characters and tribes without sentimentality or hatred. There's good and bad (as well as a drive to survive) in us all, Flashman might say.

I must declare, however, that the connection between these novellas--a dastardly act by Flashy in "The Forty-Niners" that produces its equivalent reciprocating act in "The Seventy-Sixers"--was a wee bit farfetched. But, who cares? The novellas in FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS were a delight throughout. Highly recommended!

More of Fraser's history and humor.......2005-06-27

_Flashman and the Redskins_ is essentially two stories, tied together with the common thread of the American West. As Harry Flashman - cad, womanizer, cheat, theif and coward (and also a Knight of the Bath, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and Victoria Cross) - winds his way through the West, readers are treated to a veritable "Who's Who" of the time.

The first half of the book is about the "opening of the West," as Harry travels the Oregon and Santa Fe trails to California as a '49er. Along the way he makes the acquaintance of such larger-than-life personalities as Kit Carson, Gallatin, Mangas Colorado and Geronimo. The second half of the book Harry returns West, to meet the likes of Geo. Custer, Spotted Tail, Crazy Horse, Anson Mills, Wild Bill Hickock (and a surprise for both Flashman and the reader.)

The history, of course, is impeccable. Fraser takes readers across the West from Independence, MO to Santa Fe, north to Ft. Laramie, from Ft. Robinson, the Little Big Horn, and finally, Deadwood. Quite an adventure, indeed. In the middle of it all is Harry Flashman, ever the scoundrel; and this book will not disappoint, as Harry is more devilish than usual. It was a pretty involved and lengthy read, but with so much material (and so many personalities) to cover, it was very much worthwhile.

The best of the bunch.......2003-12-11

I have read this book over fifty times and each time I find something new and interesting. The author writes with real understanding and love of his material, particularly the Indians and both their views and how they were viewed, his characters especially the female ones, seem to have real personalities and insights, and his hero, Harry Flashman, while cynical and manipulative, starts to develop into maturity, and becomes less a "pantaloon" himself .

Flashman in America.......2003-11-08

Harry Flashman, Victorian England's unlikely hero, the unknown "ace of cads," is up to his old tricks. He travels to the American west with a traveling bordello, goes on a scalp-hunting party, marries an Apache chief's daughter and rides out with Kit Carson in '49. Then it's back to the West in '79 so he can attend the massacre at Little Bighorn and almost be scalped by Frank Standing Bear, who turns out to have a very reasonable grudge against our anti-hero. Whew! As always, Fraser is a raconteur of humor and wit and a historian of astonishing erudition. His depth of research is commendable, and would be even if he didn't use it to make every nuance of historical events more human and understandable. This book, while light reading, is hilarious and instructive: it's a towering achievement.

It's difficult to do serious reviews on Flashman.......2003-09-18

He's good history submerged in laughter. By now you are hooked. Buy it. You can't fight it.

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