Customer Reviews

Flashman on the March

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I'm not supposed to like stuff like this. After all, I'm supposed to be a man of the cloth. I like it anyway. Like all of its predecessors, it is a guilty pleasure.

Harry Flashman is the creation of George MacDonald Fraser. He is a Victorian hero who seems to have been present at every great event of his age. He is hailed as the hero of Jallalabad, the Indian Mutiny, the American Underground Railroad, the charge of the Light Brigade, the charge of the Heavy Brigade and the stand of the thin red line among other. He was commissioned by the Confederate Army and the Union Army. He also fought with the French Foreign Legion under the Emperor Maximillian. He was hailed as a hero by all. What only the readers of the Flashman papers know is that he is a coward and a cad. He just manipulates those around him in order to build his reputation and get laid. He does both superbly and just manages get out of every scrape he finds himself in.

In this volume, Flashman takes part in the Abyssinian War. He doesn't do so willingly and gets from one bit of trouble to the next. He also gets from one bed to the next literally and metaphorically screwing everyone with whom he comes into contact and again comes out of it with an enhanced reputation.

One of the interesting things about Flashman books is the copious addition of footnotes. The stories are presented as if they are autobiographical and written to cause trouble after Flashman's death. The footnotes at historical details that are worth reading in their own right.

The war this volume covers is one of the strangest in British history. Most of the time when Britain goes to war it does so with great pomp and certainty of swift victory. After a few reverses, they ultimately win. This war was different. Everyone predicted disaster. Instead, the campaign was won without any loss of life to combat (by the British) and remarkably few casualties. They went in, did what they said they would and left.

This is not the best of the Flashman Papers but all of them are good. This one is no exception.

Whatever you may think or feel when you read this latest release of The Flashman Papers, you will know that you are reading history. George MacDonald Fraser is an authentic military historian. Flip through the pages of The Steel Bonnets for proof. If all you learn about the Crimean War, the Schleswig-Holstein Affair, The Indian Mutiny, or the Opium Wars is what you've seen through the eyes of history's most self-effacing hero, then you are still very well informed. In Flashman on the March, Sir Harry, now fortyish, turns the tide in Sir Robert Napier's march on Magdala, in what is grandiosly known as The Abyssinian War of 1868. Though less well known as are the above-mentioned events, it stands as a stunning achievement in British colonial power. Sir Robert (Bughunter Bob, Flashy calls him) is dispatched to free some British captives held by a maniacal Abysinnian tyrant, King Theodore. Even those of us who are ardent students of The Flashman Papers must admit that the Flashman formula has now become, well, formulaic. But Frasier may rest assured that those of us who love his admirable protagonist would not have him change that formula one iota. You cannot be disappointed with this grand adventure at the upper reaches of the Blue Nile, in the mountainous jungle of what we now know as Ethiopia. Let me use Flashman's own words of reflection, "...I thought of that hellish beautiful land and its hellish beautiful people, of Yando's cage and the horrors of Gondar, of bandit treasure aswarm with scorpions, of the terrifying thunder of decent into a watery maelstrom, of a raving lunatic slaughtering helpless captives, of fighting women drunk on massacre, of a graceful she-devil aglow with love, and ice cold in hate..." In my view this book stands with the very best of the Flashman Papers. Sir Harry leaves no value unscorned, and he keeps us smiling throughout. Oh, and don't wait for it to come out in audio, or video; as usual, there's too much uncomfortable truth embedded in the fiction.

The Flashman series is one of the unalloyed treasures of reading: hysterically funny, immensely informative, unfailingly entertaining, and even, at times, moving. These adventures of the 19th Century's greatest poltroon never fail to amuse-- and I've read them all many times. This new volume is a treat (though not in my top 6), and deserves your attention.

THAT SAID: don't start here. If you haven't read, at the very least, the first volume ("Flashman"), you'll be doing yourself a disservice. These should be read, and savored, either chronologically (in terms of Flashy's life and crimes) or in order of publication, as you prefer. Your appreciation of the character will be enriched by the proper introduction, and you'll get more out of this and all the others. Enjoy!

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.

As an avid fan of the Flashman papers I obtained my copy of this book from Amazon's UK site. Having read all of the books in the series, I'll use the basic elements of the Flashman papers to review this book.

THE VILLAIN - Emperor Theodore of Abyssinia is one of the more disturbing bad guys in the series. His split personality can change on a dime. Sometimes he's a reasonable, responsible, and impressive figure. But any slight can turn him into a brutal mass murderer. He imprisons and tortures British diplomats because the foreign office didn't answer his mail. He saves Flashman's life but later tries to kill him. Think of Saddam Hussein with a pleasant streak.

THE HISTORY - Abyssinia and its people are certainly interesting. This part of the world is new territory for Flashman (and me). But the military battles that normally highlight the Flashman books are anti-climatic. Theodore retreats to his fortress in Magdala and releases the prisoners too late to stop General Napier's attack. For the British the hard part of the march is the logistics involved in getting there. Napier handles this very well (except for one near disastrous mistake his leadership is almost perfect). Unfortunately logistics only makes exciting reading when they're done poorly. The footnotes in the book come too frequently. Some of them should have been combined.

THE STORYTELLING - George MacDonald Fraser is still up to writing a good yarn. The initial setup of the story is brilliant. Flashman's intelligence mission to get allies for Napier has many exciting moments. (Flashman doesn't spend much time on the march itself.) Because the military campaign isn't suspenseful the final chapters don't have the excitement readers normally expect from the Flashman series.

THE HUMOR - Like some of the recent books in the series, Flashman doesn't make many of the laugh out loud wisecracks present in the earlier books. There are some funny situations.

THE MAIN CHARACTER -- Flashman commits one of his most dastardly acts. Otherwise he's responsible, except for the adultery.

THE "ROMANCE" - Naturally it's his womanizing that gets Flashman into trouble. As a group the ladies aren't as attractive as those in most of the other books. Flashman acknowledges that he's not discriminating when it comes to women. Given the number he's been involved with, that shouldn't be surprising.

OVERALL - This book keeps up the high quality of the Flashman papers. It's one of the weaker entries, but it's still better than any historical fiction you'll find this year. I give it a 4.5.

What can I say except that Flashman delivers again. This story has all the characteristics which we have come to expect from the series - a distant and exotic locale, a mad emperor, Englishmen in distress and a gallant British army to the rescue and of course Flashman. A Flashman who has matured, who is wiser and more assured than his youthful self, but who at heart remains the same lecherous coward, bully and all round rogue.

But what really make the Flashman series special is that the events described - the British Army's Expedition to Abyssinia to free a group of hostages from the clutches of the Mad Emperor Theodore -actually occurred and have been rigorously researched by the author. So read this tale and you will learn about a fascinating but largely forgotten event in Victorian history.

Although this is not the best work (I'm partial to Flashman; Flashman at the Charge; and Flashman in the Great Game) of the Flashman series, it is still head and shoulders above most of the drivel that is being passed off as novels today. In this adventure, my favorite cad, Flashman is involved in General Napier's Abysinnian expedition to free European hostages held by the unpredictable King Theodore. Using his Flashy charm he woos and beds a bevy of women while fulfilling a secret mission to prepare the battlefield for General Napier. His use them and abuse them style, makes for some hilarious predicaments as the jilted women, husbands, and boyfriends seek their revenge on the hero. And as usual, this most loveable of cowards, comes out of his escapades smelling like a rose, what.

For anybody wanting three things in one - a fast-paced and exciting novel, a fairly learned history book and a well-written piece of literature - you don't need to look much further than Flashman.

This twelth addition to the Flashman Papers - in order of publication if not chronology - sets sail in fabulous form, with greed, lust, derring-do rescues, beautiful maidens and rotten Europeans all adding to the mix, before the adventure really gets going. We know we're onto a good thing from page one!

While no later part of a set of novels is ever a good place to start reading the series, don't think that you have to have read all previous instalments to be able to understand this one. All you need to know is that Flashman, the protagonist, is a liar, a coward, a serial fornicator and a cheat, motivated by greed, sex, a fear of losing his (unearned) reputation as a Victorian hero, and bare-knuckle survival. Oh, and sex.

This novel is as good as most, and better than many. It falls something short of the classic books "Flashman", "Flashman At The Charge", "Flashman In The Great Game" and "Royal Flash" but the editor of the papers, George MacDonald Fraser, has given us something that stands well above "...Dragon", "...Mountain Of Light", "...Lady" and others. Flashman's hilarious acts of self-preservation, occasionally getting him into more trouble than he started in, can only be described as a cross between twisted genius and absolute spinelessness. His outrageous treatment of his travelling companion, at one crucial and hair-raising moment in the story, was as dazzlingly wicked as anything he's ever stooped to before, and had me wide-eyed in shock and laughing out loud at the same moment.

There isn't much of the whistful sentimentality in this book that has crept into the previous few volumes either - the narrative has had much of the stoical philosophy peeled away to let the razor-sharp wit and sardonic humour shine through beautifully. Plus, of course, it's nice to see 'Flash Harry' back strapped to a murderously inventive torture device once every so often. It's even better to laugh yourself silly at his gutless attempts to plead his way to safety.

It needn't really be said that this is a must for fans. The real question is whether it would stand alone as a novel in its own right, attracting readers who had never come accross Flashy before... or whether it even needs to. George MacDonand Fraser has given us doses of Flashman for decades now, and it could be argued that as long as the fans are happy that's all that matters; but I started reading the books after seeing the film "Royal Flash" (a very different style of humour from the book, in case you haven't had the opportunity to compare the two), and would hate to think there are people out there who would be put off by "March" simply because it was aimed at an established and in-the-know readership.

To a certain extent, this book relies on a readership that doesn't need to be seduced, but the more satisfying news for me is that even if they did need it, they probably would be. In many ways, that says more about the quality of the book than anything that trumpets loudly: "He's Back!"

I confess I simply ordered this book when I saw its availability, having read everything Flashy written to date. It wasn't the to-be-hoped-for advent of Flashy at Gettysburg, but I have never been disappointed with a Flashman novel, and I still am not.

I also had to look up the Abyssianian campaign, and mad king Theodore, to make sure it really happened - and of course it did! A little bit of research, and I was ready to delve in.

I couldn't put it down.

For those of you lucky enough to read this novel first in the series, immediately backtrack and start from the beginning with the other Flashman novels. There's not a more lovable ne'er-do-well poltroon in modern fiction.

Fraser strikes again - thank heavens!

I should begin by saying that I am a huge Flashman fan and rank George Macdonald Fraser as probably my all time favorite author.

His prose is riveting, action superb and historical research meticulous.

That being said, his last two 'Flashy' adventures have not moved me to the helpless laughter that have caused me to re-read the first 10 books at least a dozen times each. The history and detail are still meticulous and the adventure and characters still compelling, but I think that Flashy's character has in someway... mellowed. The only hint of the lovable self-centered rogue in Flashman on the March comes when Flashy boots a delectable young Abyssinian princess away when they're both in danger of plunging over a monstrous waterfall.

Although this action is certainly reminiscent of the 'old Flashy', he seems to have been maturing into a somewhat more compassionate, understanding or at least a person with some bare degree of concern for his fellow man. Now that would and should be a trait to be welcomed with any 'normal' person (or protagonist) but I have to ask myself... would 'Flashy' really have matured? He seems a little more philosophical. But all that being said, reading Fraser and Flashman is kind of like making love. When it's good its fantastic and when it's not, it's still pretty darned good!.