World War II’s answer to Flashman, only much more honorable—Dick's a Coward by name but not by nature—our hero has the uncanny knack of being in just the right place at just the wrong time. The first volume of Coward's adventures finds him storming the Normandy beaches with the green berets of 47 Royal Marines Commando. Outnumbered and outgunned, they have a mission to capture the strategically vital town of Port-en-Bessin—or die trying. Protecting Coward throughout is his hardbitten, long-suffering assistant (and head groom to his estate) Price, for whom noblesse oblige died long ago at Passchendaele. But there are worse things than war, Coward knows, not least the horrific possibility that the family estate might fall into the hands of his ghastly, undeserving brother, James. Only by amassing sufficient military glory to appease his difficult father—and living to tell the tale—can Coward guarantee that justice prevails. Such a pity that military decorations tend so often to be posthumous.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Hitting one comic high note after another, [this] laugh-out-loud story begs (no, demands) a sequel." —Booklist, starred review
"Extremely funny . . . very moving. The research is exemplary, and like the best historical fiction, woven seamlessly into the narrative. Truly compelling." —Sunday Telegraph
"Tempered by the carnage of war, Dick's antics have more meat and less sauce than those of his antecedent Flashman, whose racy adventures Delingpole creditably updates." —Financial Times Magazine
"Vigorous, witty and elegant . . . a welcome corrective to the Spielberg-Hanks version and promises a lot more excitement to come." —The Spectator
"A literary equivalent of Saving Private Ryan . . . a fine ear for dialogue." —Mail on Sunday
"Very funny, and always delightfully non-PC." —GQ
About the Author
James Delingpole writes regularly for The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times, and The Times. His other titles include Fin, How to Be Right, and Thinly Disguised Autobiography.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
D-Day as it Probaly Really Was,
This review is from: Coward on the Beach: Vol. 1 (Dick Coward 1) (Hardcover)
I just finished this after having bought it in the U.K. and recommend this heartily. The back says "A Welcome Corrective to Spielberg" and this is true. The incredible madness of D-Day is the backdrop for the story of Dickie Coward's experiences with the 47th Commandos. The characters are real, the narration is in the first person in the form of a recorded autobiography for his grandson, and the military details are excellent. Did I mention that it's very funny? Think of Harry Flashman (minus the enflamed libido; Coward is befuddled with women) or Sharpe (minus the tortured soul)in World War II. Coward, it seems, as served in Burma, been captured by the Japanese, in the Eastern Front with the Wehrmacht, in North Africa with Monty and the 8th Army. All of these mentioned in asides that suggest a series, along with Sergeant Price, a veteran of the trenches, as his batman and continued life-saving father figure. Price, of course, served with Coward's father in WWI.Readers enthusiastic for details of real commando raids, for a picture of what it was like on Gold Beach, and into the Normandy hedgerows, will be very satisfied. Readers who know little of the subject, and find non-fiction accounts a bit boring, will learn far more than they ever expected while being hugely entertained.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Flashman lite,
By
This review is from: Coward on the Beach: Vol. 1 (Dick Coward 1) (Paperback)
Actually, I'd rate this 3 1/2 if it were possible. While I applaud Delingpole's entertaining prose style and echo the other reviewer's strong evaluation of the D-Day parts of the book, I found the last 30 or so pages increasingly unsatisfactory. They seemed almost slapdash, as the author piled one coincidence on another to tie up the plot, introduce recurring characters, and prepare for the sequel. Of course, the Flashman books, Delingpole's obvious model, do this sort of thing too, but Fraser usually managed to pull it off with more assurance and gravitas. The end of COWARD ON THE BEACH seemed very half-baked.On the other hand, maybe it's just because this is the first book in the series, and Delingpole is still developing his approach. There clearly is a lot of potential in Dick Coward, and I'll definitely give him another chance when COWARD AT THE BRIDGE comes out in paperback.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
At last, a fit successor to Sir Harry Flashman!,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Coward on the Beach: Vol. 1 (Dick Coward 1) (Paperback)
Since his death earlier this year, I have mourned the passing of George MacDonald Fraser and the death of Harry Flashman, to both of whom I am indebted for many, many hours of enjoyment and much learning. I am glad now to become acquainted with Mr. James Delingpole and Dick Coward, who have begun exceptionally well and hold out the promise of a series as informative and entertaining as Sir Harry's adventures.
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