Customer Reviews

Flashman

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It is hard to believe that this first book of the Flashman series is now nearly 30 years old. Written as if it is an actual published memoir (later books put "a novel" on the cover, probably to protect the publisher from receiving annoying letters of shock and outrage from the truly ignorant and profoundly clueless). This is a book for lovers of historical fiction, military fiction, or British history, but will be enjoyed by those who otherwise would never read in these areas. They are books of humor, following a knave and poltroon -- Harry Flashman -- as he stumbles into many of the great events of the 19th century (often fleeing irate husbands). Events he has visted so far include Little Big Horn, the Chinese Boxer Rebellion, the Indian Mutiny, the American slave trade, and the Prussian court where he was forced to act as a royal imposter. To the world he is seen as a great heroic figure, a development that Flashman finds hilarious yet endlessly useful. This first book introduces the Flashman character, beginning with his being expelled from school, forced into the British Army, and suddenly finding himself in the midst of the disasterous British Afghan campaign. The only books that ever left me laughing harder were the original three books of what should have remained the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy" by Douglas Adams. Highly recommended, though with this warning: reading this book and its successors will leave you considerably more educated about the important events of the last century without you even realizing it is happening

I discovered and read George MacDonald Fraser's masterful "Flashman" series in my teens (I'm now crouching this side of forty), at the same time I first read Ian Fleming's James Bond novels.

From Bond I've learned how to play baccarat, how to pull an Aston Martin out of a skid, and how to climb through a tunnel of scorching hot metal.

I have never in my life had to do any of these things.

On the other hand, from Flashman I've learned lessons I use every day of my life:

* When the trouble starts, keep your head down, or better yet, in a totally different country.
* Never be afraid to accept credit for something good you did. That goes double for something good you didn't.
* Never volunteer.
* Wine, women, and song? To hell with the song.
* There's no shame in living as a coward. Beats dying as a hero.
* Always have an escape plan. If not, steal someone else's.

Game, set, match: Flashy.

The Flashman papers - the memoirs of the fictional 19th century British officer Harry Paget Flashman - are the product of George MacDonald Fraser's fertile imagination. If they had really been found in a Leicester saleroom in 1965, as Fraser tells us in the preface of the first Flashman book, their discovery would have been as serendipitous as the discovery of the ruins of Pompeii. These books are really special, and it's a pity that more people don't know about them.

The first of eleven books in the series, Flashman: From the Flashman papers, 1839-1842 recounts Harry Paget Flashman's adventures as a young adult, primarily his participation in the First Afghan War. The book presents certain thematic elements that recur delightfully throughout the series: Flashman's propensity for finding himself at the center of major historical events, brushing shoulders with important historical figures like the Duke of Wellington and Queen Victoria; his uncanny luck in getting out of the stickiest situations imaginable while getting credit for heroic deeds not his own; and his unbridled hedonism.

Flashman is a talented equestrian and linguist. His positive characteristics end there. By any objective measure he is a deplorable human being. Flashman is a coward, a lecher, and a libertine; and yet, oddly, most readers will wind up liking him. Some have compared him to James Bond, but that would be an insult to 007, who was after all a decent guy.

This contradiction is hard to explain. How can we like a guy who has a deplorable character and yet always seems to come out on top? Perhaps he appeals to the irresponsible freedom-loving id in all of us. There is a part of us that envies someone who can sin often, get away with it, and never feel burdened by a guilty conscience. Flashman is a scoundrel and knows he's a scoundrel; it just doesn't bother him. We feel privileged to be let in on the secret, for while some of the book's characters recognize Flashman's true nature, most do not. And Fraser makes an art of killing off the characters that have the most damaging information on Flashman before they get a chance to expose his treachery. Near the end of the book, we can only chuckle when a young Queen Victoria, filled with emotion, gushes to Flashman, "You are a very gallant gentleman. God bless you," as she pins a medal on his coat in recognition of his "service" to England in the Afghan campaign.

As you follow Flashman's every move, devouring this action-packed adventure like ice cream, reveling in its bawdy humor and ironic twists and turns, you'll realize that this is very high quality stuff. Flashman is an extremely well-written piece of historical fiction. The eloquent narration fits with what one might expect from a memoir by a 19th century officer in her Majesty's service. The British retreat from Kabul in early 1842, which is recounted in all its gruesome detail, really did happen as described in the book, with men, women, and children savagely hacked to pieces by Afghani tribes. And true to form, Fraser does justice to the book's many historical figures, who at least in spirit are similar to the real life personalities.

Flashman is a great book that can be seen on many different levels: comic adventure story; commentary on Victorian life; or historical fiction. In the end, no matter how one chooses to view Flashman, there is no denying the entertainment value of this book, which is unparalleled, unless compared to some of the other books in the Flashman series (i.e. Flash at the Charge or Flash for Freedom). One word of caution: given Flashman's offensive views on race and gender, you can throw political correctness out the window with this one.

It was great fun and embarrassing to read this first book in what I am sure is an impressive series. Why embarrassing, you may ask; well I am an Indian.

Fraser certainly knows how to write a great satirical historical fiction. I have no idea about the Afghan war and for all its worth I would believe Flashman's papers as the truth. Fraser writes it that well. Flashman confesses to being a coward and a scoundrel and impressively is hailed as heroic, brave and loyal. This itself seems to bring truth to his story. It is so fantastical and detailed that one may believe his words by the end of half the novel.

I being from the lot of India's black n***** savages am quite impressed by the perspective of the Englishman - a soldier and a gentleman. His description of that era is accurate in its disgust. The action, in bed and battle, is a very telling account of a foreigner in a hellish land (hell for the Englishman, home for some others).

It starts off with Flashman's disgrace and elimination from school. He has a flash of an idea to take it easy in a cozy regiment. Depending on his dad's fortune he gets the colours and can't help continue being a scoundrel. He is then further disgraced by getting orders to go to India to assist the East India Company. Here the story keeps getting funnier, interesting and irresistible. His adventures in India seem to bring him glory whether he keeps going worse or not. Hailed for learning the native tongue he is rewarded by an assignment to Afghanistan. Poor fellow is a victim of his own success.

Soon the Afghan chapters turn rapidly as you breeze through his adventures with the Gilzais and Ghazis and Kabulis. He turns every misadventure into glory without lifting a finger. It's as if an angel of scoundrels watches over him. Every mistake he makes turns him to be more appreciated by the Afghans and the British alike. The description of the battle, the siege at Kabul, the retreat, the escape from Gul Shah, the Jallalabad fort fiasco and his constant good luck in cowardice is captivating. He keeps getting laurels for what any idiot would get flogged and hanged for. His ease with the natives and British Generals get him into cozy deals where he keeps getting patted and congratulated.

If anything, forget the outrageous humour, you should read the book as if it is a dated James Bond novel. Okay so Bond is brave, but Flashman - he doesn't have to be. Fraser writes out the fiction with great accuracy to dates and events and people involved. It is a fascinating read and insight into the feringhee's vision of Asia.

Other than that the characterisation is beautiful and plot smooth as silk. Elphy Bey, Hudson, Sale and Lady Sale, Akbar Khan, Gul Shah, and so many more great characters with their description as young Flashman speaks it is incredibly delightful. The book seemed to tell too much in too few words cause for all that happens, it takes only 294 pages to tell. I intend to read and collect every book in this series. The ending I thought was rightly tame, with the vile Flashman doubting his own wife after coming back to London 2 years later. It further establishes his character and how he lacks a backbone or honour.

An Indian I am and proud of it, but Flashman is funny as hell and I won't deny it. Fraser is a brilliant writer and could probably lecture history at the best Universities, but here he let's us enjoy an unparalleled satire of the British soldier in India. Also, Indian canteens today would not really sicken a pig, but a European may well stay away from it. Cheers to our health and to that of Flashman.

This is the first book in the Flashman series. There are about 12 or so in all, and they follow Flashman's life and adventures in sequence. To fully understand his flashback references (no pun intended), you should read them in order.

I think that Fraser is one of the greatest Historical fiction writers of modern times. You almost end up believing that Harry Flashman was a real person. A supposed "autobiography," Flashman is brutally honest and candid about himself and others around him, but this is his opinion. He is certainly a realist.

Written in the first person, he is often philosophical more than he should be, and this sometimes gets a little boring. But Fraser's writing is top notch in his readability, plot development and continuity, attention to detail in History, background and settings, and character development. Flashy's adventure are vividly brought to life in real Historical settings, much like "Forest Gump." His theme seems to be that there is another story to the History that we have learned, and that heroes are more often created by others than by themselves.

There is much to be learned from the Flashman Series. If you want your fuzzy understanding of 19th Century History and Geography more clearly impressed in your understanding, read the Flashman series--but be prepared for frequent erotic asides.

Wow, now this is a hero that is just as human as the rest of us. Of course, I do not admire him for the terrible things that he does (ok, I admit it, I do, but only off the record), but I am tired of heroes that are just impossibly moral with ethics that are 200 years out of place. Old Flashy is one of us. He is honest about how he feels, the fear and anger and everything else seem as believable as if we had faced those same circumstances. He fails to overcome these fears and prejudices, but how many other authors really address these issues in such a cool way.

This is probably the way most officers are in any army anywhere in the world.

Fraser transports us directly into Afganistan, with not so much detail to bore, but just enough to think that you are right there along with Flashy.

The Flashman books are a rip-roaring read. First-hand accounts of real historical events portrayed through the eyes of Flashman, everybody's favourite scoundrel. Flashman, a British cavalry officer, lies, fornicates, cheats, pleads and abuses his way thro ugh battles and uprisings and other major historical events always emerging the hero. But Flashman is no hero - he is a self-confessed coward with the morals of an alley cat. You'll love him!
This, the first of the series, is perhaps the best. Flashy take s part in the first Afghan War with hilarious results. You also get the full background in the Flashman character. I've recommended this book to a few people and they all became instant converts, although I think men will find it more directly appealing t han women. Sexy, thrilling AND educational. British military history was never this much fun at school.
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As many of the other reviewers have pointed out, this is the recounting of the first of Harry Flashman's adventures, with this particular book ("memoir") set in Britain and Afghanistan in 1839-42. Flashman is a true rogue who routinely engages in thoroughly disreputable behavior (much like Jack Vance's character "Cugel" in the Dying Earth series), but you'll love him anyway. Fraser's prose is extremely well-crafted and the book is, at times, literally laugh-out-loud funny (my wife asked me what I was laughing about half a dozen times while I was reading Flashman). He has a knack for being in just the right place at the right time, and ends up playing at least a minor role in most of the important historical events of the mid-19th Century. Terrible things happen to him throughout the course of his adventures, though somehow, Flashman always manages to come out ahead in the end, even if he's slightly worse for the wear.

Fraser's history seems quite good (even elaborating on a few of the more obscure points with unobtrusive footnotes) and this is probably a good introduction for someone looking to find out a bit about British mid-19th Century involvement in Afghanistan. You don't have to be an historian to enjoy the book, however; it's extremely approachable for the layman.

Oh and don't bring any politically correct sensibilities with you when you read Flashman. Flash is most definitely *not* politically correct. Far from it. He's a man of his time (well, that's a bit of an understatement, Flashman is an avowed scoundrel and coward) and his actions and language may offend some readers, so you should be aware of that going into it.

I've only read a few other Flashman books so far, but I plan to continue on with them. While most seem fairly self-contained, I'd recommend starting the series with this one, as it gives you a very good feel for Flashman's character and sets the tone for the remainder of the series.

I've been reading the Flashman books for close on two decades now, after learning about them in an interview with Richard Lester (who directed the disappointing movie version of Royal Flash). I can say with certainty that George MacDonald Fraser significantly influenced not only my writing style but also the way I view the world. Fraser taught me to reject sugar coatings, mindless patriotism, and deification of historical figures, and to look at past events with a new and critical eye. Note that most heroes ARE anti-heroes to some degree; they just had friendly biographers to hide their flaws. The genius of the Flashman series is that the heroic/mythic veneer is stripped away to reveal the human underneath. (Flashy, of course, takes roguishness to an outrageous degree, which is a major reason why the series is so funny, though sometimes the laughter is shocked laughter.)

As for the writing, well... IMHO, Fraser is one of the best writers of the late 20th century. Nobody does battle scenes as well as he does. No one explains political motivations as well. Nobody makes history more palatable or weaves it into the story so naturally. And there are few characters as well drawn as Flashy, who is strangely likable despite his behavior.

For the record, I'm a woman, and I don't have any problem with the depiction of women in this and the other books. It's fiction, and Flashy's behavior has to be taken in the context of the times. (Frankly, if he'd behaved like, say, the wholly unbelievable folk who populated the historical travesty that was Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, I'd've been bored stiff after three pages.)

So read this first book to familiarize yourself with the character, but know that it isn't the best-written of the series. Fraser really settles in with Flashy's voice in the second book, Royal Flash, and just gets better from there!

I was unaware of the Flashman series till it became a subject of conversation on the Amazon Discussion Board. So, wondering what I was missing, I purchased the first in the series and plunged in. What I discovered was Flashman, a man who chose the military as his profession but spent most of his time and effort avoiding service. Duty, honor, country... Flashman would have none of it. Flashman, gives us the cynic's view of war and glory, which is the highest cause one can have in war is to escape it alive at all costs and all who think otherwise are chumps. It takes some fortitude to deal with the incredible cowardice, arrogance, snobbery, racism and sexism that Flashman embodies, but the writing of Mr. Fraser makes following Flashman's exploits a guilty pleasure and often extremely funny. Reading Flashman is akin to watching a train wreck. At each stage you wonder how it will come out, you know it won't be good, but you can't turn away. The series is definitely not PC but redeems itself by holding up the foibles of Flashman to the ridicule they deserve.