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Flashman (Flashman Papers #1)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 4,168 ratings · 451 reviews

For starters, Harry Flashman is expelled from school as a drunken bully. After seducing his father's mistress, he begins a secret life that leads from the boudoirs and bordellos of Victorian England to the erotic frontiers of her exotic Empire. Along the way he lies, cheats, steals, fights fixed duels, betrays his country and proves a coward on the battlefield.

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Paperback, 304 pages

Published 1999 by HarperCollins (first published January 1st 1969)

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Apr 17, 2012 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, 1954-1969, rogues-and-scoundrels, humor-and-satire

Harry Paget Flashman is NOT your typical morally-challenged but likeable scoundrel who you can’t help but love because of his sharp wit and buckets o’ charm.

No…he’s an ASSHOLE…a big one. A rapacious, lecherous, despicable scumbag with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I’m talking such odious funtivities as:

**Having sex with his Father’s mistress, and then beating and sexually assaulting her when she refuses his subsequent advances.

**Forcibly selling his Indian concubine to a passing artillery...more

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May 12, 2008 Douglas rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Flashman books (all twelve of them) would be a guilty pleasure if they were not so jam-packed with Victorian historical detail that would make them a good foundation for a history of the mid to late British Empire.

The protagonist, the classic anti-hero Harry Flashman, is a scoundrel, a bully, a coward, a liar, and a rake. And he frankly admits all of the above in this series of 'memoirs.' Flashman himself is a character from the Thomas Hughes novel, 'Tom Brown's School Days,' published in t...more The Flashman books (all twelve of them) would be a guilty pleasure if they were not so jam-packed with Victorian historical detail that would make them a good foundation for a history of the mid to late British Empire.

The protagonist, the classic anti-hero Harry Flashman, is a scoundrel, a bully, a coward, a liar, and a rake. And he frankly admits all of the above in this series of 'memoirs.' Flashman himself is a character from the Thomas Hughes novel, 'Tom Brown's School Days,' published in the 1850s. And 'Flashman,' the first of the series, begins with Harry being expelled from Rugby for drunkenness, his last appearance in the Hughes book.

The Flashman books themselves are published as 'packets' of Flashman's memoirs which were discovered in an English antique shop in the early 1960s. They reveal that Harry Flashman, the celebrated hero of the British Empire was actually nothing of the sort, but rather that he acquired his formidable reputation largely by stealing credit that rightfully belonged to others, while he himself fled from the scene of battle or cowered out of sight.

In addition to the brilliant historical recounting of the innumerable actions that Flashman (largely unwillingly) finds himself in - the First Afghan War, the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Indian Mutiny, the Battle of Little Bighorn, John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry, and so on - the books are a scathing indictment of the cult of the hero. Flashman wound up covered in glory while cringing in terror and lying shamelessly afterwards, showing that we have this desperate need to hoist these people on our shoulders, deserving or not, and we turn our eyes away from their faults, because we do not want to see them.

The books themselves got better and better as the series went on. The only weak one was the second to last, 'Flashman and the Tiger.' Fraser returns to fine form in 'Flashman on the March,' the final book in the series, and its preface includes a scathing indictment of the Iraq War.

You wind up liking Harry Flashman despite yourself. He is a relentless adulterer, yet he is made miserable by his belief (never confirmed, but occasionally encouraged) that while he is off globe-trotting, his wife Elsbeth is paying him back in like currency. He is a forthright racist (the n-word crops up more times that in Huckleberry Finn), but comes to admire the numerous non-Europeans who share his adventures, even as his antagonists. Flashman also has more interest in, and liking for, non-British civilizations that the more liberal, pious types who poked around the Empire trying to 'improve' the habits of the locals. He is a cynic, but he recognizes greatness in many of those he encounters, including many British generals of the period, as well as the abolitionist John Brown and Abraham Lincoln.

In short, he is a scoundrel, and a thoroughly bad man, but a likable one, and in him George Macdonald Fraser created one of the great characters of all time.

Highly recommended for those interested in the period and not put off by the highly unPC action and language.(less)

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Apr 18, 2008 Raegan Butcher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Meet Harry Flashman, decorated hero of the Victorian age. He also happens to be a liar, a lecher, a bully, and a sniveling coward, and that is what makes these comic historical novels so funny.He is also gloriously un-PC, which seems to ruffle some dainty feathers these days. Great stuff.

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Feb 06, 2011 Louise rated it 2 of 5 stars

Flashman was picked as the February book for the NeoGAF bookclub. I thought I would like the adventures of Flashy based on the first few pages. Who wouldn't like a story that starts off with being expelled from Rugby school for drunkenness?

Unfortunately, after reading 1/3 of the book, I can't continue. Flashy is an unapologetic ass! I'm usually fine with antiheros, but this one takes it too far. Flashy's treatment of women is awful and while this could be the norm for his time and his class, it...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Evan Leach rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1960-1969, historical-fiction, humor-and-satire, brit-lit

I am not a big historical fiction buff, but I fell head-over-heels in love with this book. The very premise is awesome: in 1857, Thomas Hughes wrote a novel based heavily on his own experiences as a schoolboy. The villain of the book is a boy called Flashman, a bully, drunkard, and general asshole. Naturally, 100 years later George MacDonald Fraser decided to write a series of historical novels starring a grown up Flashman as the “hero.” The result, at least in Fraser’s original book, was pure m...more I am not a big historical fiction buff, but I fell head-over-heels in love with this book. The very premise is awesome: in 1857, Thomas Hughes wrote a novel based heavily on his own experiences as a schoolboy. The villain of the book is a boy called Flashman, a bully, drunkard, and general asshole. Naturally, 100 years later George MacDonald Fraser decided to write a series of historical novels starring a grown up Flashman as the “hero.” The result, at least in Fraser’s original book, was pure magic.

Flashman picks up right where Hughes left off, in 1839. The recently expelled Flashman is forced to find an occupation after being expelled from school for drunkenness, and chooses the army in the hopes of landing a cushy post with no real demands. Unfortunately, Flashman ends up getting shuttled off to India and then Afghanistan, just in time to take place in the First Anglo-Afghan War. Flashman is, by his own admission, a coward, scoundrel, and overall crummy human being. He may also be the greatest anti-hero I have ever encountered and is a thoroughly entertaining main character.

The book is written as a sort of diary penned by Flashman in his old age, later discovered by Fraser (who provides endnotes). The book honestly feels like it was written in the 19th century, and not in a bad way. Fraser is pitch-perfect writing in Flashman’s style, and overall the prose in this book is top notch. The plot is also perfectly paced and Fraser does a great job in knowing where to draw out the suspense and where to cut to the chase, so to speak. I have nothing but praise for MacDonald’s writing and the pages flew by for me. The book is also very funny. I was turned onto this book (in part) because I have been nostalgically re-reading Douglas Adams’ books (for the 3rd-4th time) in order to review them for this site, and have been in the mood for British humor. Flashman is not as goofy as Adams’s Hitchhiker books, but it is extremely clever and has plenty of laugh out loud moments.

The historical aspect of this book is also compelling. While I am a bit of a history buff, I do not read much historical fiction as I can’t help but feel I’d be better served just reading the actual history (truth being stranger than fiction and all that jazz). I am not an expert on the First Anglo-Afghan War, so I cannot speak to Fraser’s accuracy. But he has a reputation for being rock solid regarding his history, and I found that to be completely true. I was continually referring to Wikipedia during Flashman’s exploits, to determine whether this or that crazy historical occurrence was accurate, and it invariably was. While the character Flashman is fictional, the history his adventures take him through is very real and I actually learned a lot in reading this book.

One word of caution. Flashman is supposed to be an asshole. He is also a 19th century asshole, and to some degree a product of his time. Through the course of his book he says and does many things that are racist and/or sexist. If reading about a fictional character doing these sorts of things will upset you, this is not the book for you. However, keep in mind (a) he is supposed to be awful, and (b) he is supposed to be a 19th century Englishman, and if you think all 19th century Englishmen regarded their Indian subjects as their equals it’s probably time to think again. Remember, this book purports to be the journal of a man living in 1839. Many of the men who would fight & die to end slavery in the U.S. Civil War weren’t even born yet. So hand-wringing over the lack of political correctness in this book seems incredibly stupid, but I include this paragraph as fair warning.

There are twelve (12!) Flashman novels and I could not be more excited to tackle the lot. This book featured a thoroughly enjoyable anti-hero, razor-sharp writing, a fine sense of pace and plot, and plenty of laughs. I really can’t recommend this book highly enough. 5 stars.(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

A magnificent read about an appalling man. You get a good feel for Flashman's character early on. With his unflinching and intelligent take on the people and situations surrounding him you feel very much a part of the action. It is extremely well written and a very entertaining book.

Given the current situation in Afghanistan, it's pretty poignant too. I was laughing till I snorted in public at the description of one military leader's incompetence; then very swifly nearly in tears as the full imp...more

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Mar 29, 2008 Lena rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Let me begin this review by saying that my star rating has less to do with the quality of the book and more with the fact that it was a bad match for my reading tastes.

I became interested in the Flashman books after hearing them described as a much-loved series of historically accurate, comic fiction. Though title character Harry Flashman is a self-described coward and cad, he does have a certain charm as he describes how he repeatedly finds himself in the middle of one British military disaste...more

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Sep 14, 2008 George rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first book in what is almost certainly the finest series of historical comic novels ever written. Over the series, written over a 30 year period, Harry Flashman becomes one of Victorian England's most decorated military heros while in actuality he's its most craven coward. There's scarcely anyone of importance in history that he doesn't eventually meet. The books heavily satirize Victorian society and morality. Flashman himself is not only a coward, but is also a bully, a scoundrel, a cheat,...more The first book in what is almost certainly the finest series of historical comic novels ever written. Over the series, written over a 30 year period, Harry Flashman becomes one of Victorian England's most decorated military heros while in actuality he's its most craven coward. There's scarcely anyone of importance in history that he doesn't eventually meet. The books heavily satirize Victorian society and morality. Flashman himself is not only a coward, but is also a bully, a scoundrel, a cheat, and a lecher, and only those things on his good days. While he revels in wallowing in the Garden of Earthly Delight, he invaribly pays heavily for his sins by winding up at virtually every British military disaster, and a few American ones as well, of the 19th Century, and it appears there were an astonishing number. "Flashman" and the rest of the books are highly accurate historically and heavily footnoted.

This book introduces Mr. Flashman, a character, borrowed or stolen perhaps, from one of Victorian England's most famous boy hero novels, "Tom Brown's School Days" where Flashman appears as one of Rugby's worst villians and greatest bullies of young stalwarts like Tom Brown and projects what he must have become after being tossed out of Rugby for drunkeness in "School Days". After convincing his father to pay for a commission in the calvary, he bounces from one problem to another before winding up in India and eventually in Afghanistan, where he is swept up in Britain's first Afghan war.

In the 1830's, England decided to indulge in a little regime change and set up a new king in Kabul, propping him up with British troops and English gold, before sending out one of its worst generals, Lord Elphinstone, to take command. Eventually, everything crumbles around them and the army decides to retreat out, on foot, in the winter, leading to one of England's greatest disasters, as only one man managed to return to India on his own, while thousands died in the snowy passes. In "Flashman", it turns out there were two. How he survives is a comic delight.

There are legions of Flashman fans across the world, particulary in expat communities. I've never been in a country where I failed to find them. However, be warned that these are among the least PC novels around in many respects, even by current standards, much less Victorian ones. (less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Keith Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

People are always asking authors, "Where do you get your ideas?" The answer is, "We steal from those who have gone before us." My novel SCOUNDREL! grew out of my love for George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman novels, which I cannot praise highly enough. Flashman is the ultimate anti-hero--a coward, bully, liar, cad, and all-around bounder--who nonetheless manages to emerge with fresh laurels after every mis-adventure, eventually retiring as a respected and admired general in the British Army.

The k...more People are always asking authors, "Where do you get your ideas?" The answer is, "We steal from those who have gone before us." My novel SCOUNDREL! grew out of my love for George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman novels, which I cannot praise highly enough. Flashman is the ultimate anti-hero--a coward, bully, liar, cad, and all-around bounder--who nonetheless manages to emerge with fresh laurels after every mis-adventure, eventually retiring as a respected and admired general in the British Army.

The key to any anti-hero is the author’s ability to make the reader like (or at least identify with) a character who is, by definition, a villain. In this, Fraser succeeds in spades. Thanks to his brilliant use of humor, he transforms a character who has no redeeming traits into someone who is so delightfully villainous that the reader can’t help but fall in with Flashman’s malevolent point of view. Flashman is a self-proclaimed scoundrel, opportunist, and coward—and proud of it. And yet, ironically, it is these very character flaws that make him such an insightful observer of the historical figures and events of his time. He doesn’t care a fig for anything but himself, so his views are not colored by patriotism or idealism or heroic myth. Rather, he views it all with a sort of sneering dispassion—the very voice of history itself.

Fraser is a startlingly good writer. His descriptions absolutely transport you back to the good old days of the British Empire—and the bad old days, too. The Flashman books present a surprisingly balanced view of not only what made the Empire great, but of the rotten underpinnings that eventually doomed it. There are no apologies for what transpired. Fraser is a firm believer in the now unpopular doctrine of historical inevitability. “I don’t condone it,” says Flashman, speaking about the mistreatment of native peoples by the white race, “and I don’t condemn it either. It happened . . . (Some will say) it was all the white man’s fault for intruding, but by that logic, Ur of the Chaldees would be a damned crowded place by now.”

The Flashman books have everything a reader could want—humor, adventure, solid history, and great writing, all presented from a uniquely entertaining and enlightening perspective. Books simply don’t get any better than this.
Scoundrel (less)

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May 21, 2010 Célia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: saida-emergencia, 2010, gift, 3-stars, not-own

Flashman – A Odisseia de um Cobarde foi originalmente publicado em 1969 e deu início a uma série de sucesso, com um total de 12 livros, da autoria do escritor inglês George MacDonald Fraser. A personagem que dá título a este livro, e que percorre toda a série, é Henry Flashman, que apareceu no livro Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1857), de Thomas Hughes, no qual Flashman era o bully da personagem principal. Em Flashman – A Odisseia de um Cobarde, o autor utiliza a técnica literária dos falsos documento...more Flashman – A Odisseia de um Cobarde foi originalmente publicado em 1969 e deu início a uma série de sucesso, com um total de 12 livros, da autoria do escritor inglês George MacDonald Fraser. A personagem que dá título a este livro, e que percorre toda a série, é Henry Flashman, que apareceu no livro Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1857), de Thomas Hughes, no qual Flashman era o bully da personagem principal. Em Flashman – A Odisseia de um Cobarde, o autor utiliza a técnica literária dos falsos documentos, que supostamente encontrou numa arca de chá, para contar a história desta peculiar personagem, e podemos assim ler os seus relatos contados na primeira pessoa, com início na altura em que foi expulso do colégio onde andava por embriaguez, em 1839. Após esta peripécia, Flashman revela ao seu pai a vontade de ingressar no exército, sendo esse o ponto de partida para as suas viagens pela Índia e Afeganistão, na época da Primeira Guerra Anglo-Afegã.

A característica que mais marca este livro é, penso eu, o tom humorístico com que é narrado. Henry Flashman é cobarde, interesseiro, mentiroso, mulherengo e cínico e, ao longo da história, tem momentos que, sinceramente, me fizeram detestá-lo. No entanto, estranhamente, dei por mim a torcer para que ele se conseguisse safar das embrulhadas em que se via (inadvertidamente) envolvido. Julgo que a honestidade e a lata com que a própria personagem nos relata os seus pensamentos desarmam o leitor, que acaba por “perdoar” atitudes menos correctas deste anti-herói. A secção inicial do livro, durante a qual tomamos contacto com Flashman e vemos de que é feito é a parte mais humorística do livro, perdendo-se um pouco essa toada a partir do momento em que Flashman viaja para fora de Inglaterra, passando a personagem por uma quase imparável série de situações com muita acção e dinâmica. Confesso que senti essa perda, e fiquei contente com o final que recupera o tom humorístico inicial.

É também um livro rico ao nível dos detalhes históricos da Primeira Guerra Anglo-Afegã, que decorreu entre 1839 e 1842, conflito sobre o qual sabia muito pouco, e que teve origem na luta pelo poder na zona da Ásia Central, entre a Inglaterra e a Rússia.

Duas notas finais em relação à edição portuguesa: pela positiva, destaco a excelente tradução, na qual são incluídas várias expressões idiomáticas portuguesas (“dar às de vilas-diogo” ou “armar ao pingarelho”, por exemplo) que mantêm o espírito da obra original adaptando-a à nossa língua; não tão positiva é a confusão inicial que senti por não haver uma distinção clara entre as notas da tradutora e as notas do autor, sendo que só mais tarde percebi que estas últimas estavam no final do livro.

Gostei e fico curiosa por ler o resto da série!(less)

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Oct 29, 2008 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Flashman is the Victorian anti-hero, a true scoundrel without a shred of morality. In the first book alone, he commits pretty much every sin: drunkenness, lechery, sloth, murder, rape, cowardice, toadyism, and more besides. If he has a single redeeming feature, it is that he is utterly honest with his desires and failings. Truthfully, he is a two-dimensional character in almost every respect. Why, then, is this book so immensely entertaining?

It is because Fraser's masterful and keen descriptions...more

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Sep 09, 2007 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: history fans, people with a sense of humor

Shelves: fiction

I really enjoyed Flashman, but I have mixed feelings about talking about it. Flashman is satire that cuts to the bone, with a protagonist that you don't want to like, but find yourself caught up in his life regardless. I think of Harry Flashman as a kind of anti-Forrest Gump. The books are a first-person narrative, a tell-all memoir by one of England's greatest heroes. The memoirs (fictional, of course) were written in 1910 or so, when Flashman was 80 years old. 'Flashy' as his friends call him,...more I really enjoyed Flashman, but I have mixed feelings about talking about it. Flashman is satire that cuts to the bone, with a protagonist that you don't want to like, but find yourself caught up in his life regardless. I think of Harry Flashman as a kind of anti-Forrest Gump. The books are a first-person narrative, a tell-all memoir by one of England's greatest heroes. The memoirs (fictional, of course) were written in 1910 or so, when Flashman was 80 years old. 'Flashy' as his friends call him, reminisces about his life, and reveals to all his adoring fans the true stories behind his most heroic episodes. Where the public saw a true hero and a gentleman, Flashman reveals his cowardice, his base conduct, and the depths to which he was willing to sink to save his own skin. I compare him to Forrest Gump for two reasons - one, that through very little fault of his own he is caught up in the great events of the world - in this first book, Flashman is part of the fatal Afghanistan Campaign of the early 1840's. In later books, we see him at Little Bighorn and various other military disasters. Of course, where others are defeated and demoralized by the events, Flashman always comes out looking like a hero.

Now, that description might make the books sound fun and funny, and they are - but they are also a bit on the horrifying side. Flashman is a product of his times, and a coward to boot, so his relations with women are sometimes tasteless. The tales are told in the voice of an old man who revels in stripping away the vision the public has of him. So he pulls no punches and goes into great detail about how awful he was.

An example: He sleeps with a rivals mistress. The rival challenges him to a duel. Flashman promises a fellow soldier 10,000 pounds if he'll load the pistols at the duel and palm the ball that would go into the rivals gun. At the dual, Flashman draws second, and his rival's bullet 'misses.' Flashman, instead of shooting his rival, fires off to the side, accidentally shooting the head off a bottle. The result is a story of Flashman's gentlemanly conduct and superior marksmanship. Oh, and later, Flash refuses to pay the 10,000 pounds, and tells the guy he's an idiot for believing that he would.

It's his relationships with women that i think would draw the ire of many modern readers, but there is where the satire bites deepest, for though the memoirs were supposedly written in 1910 by a man who lived his whole life in the 1800's, the books were actually written in the late 1960's and 1970's, when women's and minority rights were huge social and political issues. Flashman represents a member of the 'old guard' in many ways, and for all his absurdism i think he was meant to reflect the feelings many Good Old Boys had at that time, either overtly or behind closed doors. Even now, almost forty years later, we see men like Flashman enjoying the good life in Washington, until one scandal or another reveals what they've really been up to.(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Ben Hinum rated it 5 of 5 stars

Readers disturbed by the misogyny expressed in the Flashman series should reflect on the books' literary, historical context. The first of the Series, Flashman, was published in 1969. At this time, the world was agog with James Bond and the 007 series of books and movies. At the time, the hero-male's role in action stories was to seduce beautiful women and move on. Female protagonists took on names like Pussy Galore (for goodness sake). If seduction did not work, the hero might feel compelled to...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Alan Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Where do I start in listing the virtues of the "Flashman" series?

OK, let's take a deep breath and stay calm here. This first book in a long series tells of an arch cad, seducer, coward, bully and cynic, known as Harry Flashman - yeah, that's right, the bully from "Tom Brown's Schooldays". The thing about Harry, you see, is that nasty, viscous and cowardly as he is, he knows it! And he makes no secret of it.

This book starts with Flashy's expulsion from Rugby school, and his being purchased a co...more Where do I start in listing the virtues of the "Flashman" series?

OK, let's take a deep breath and stay calm here. This first book in a long series tells of an arch cad, seducer, coward, bully and cynic, known as Harry Flashman - yeah, that's right, the bully from "Tom Brown's Schooldays". The thing about Harry, you see, is that nasty, viscous and cowardly as he is, he knows it! And he makes no secret of it.

This book starts with Flashy's expulsion from Rugby school, and his being purchased a commission in Lord Cardigan's famous pink-panted 11th Hussars. And off we go on a wild gallop that didn't end until the author's sad death in 2008. Yes, the same Lord Cardigan that led the Light Brigade on their glorious, futile charge.

That's the thing you see. Only Flashman, his wife and a few other minor characters are actually fictitious - by far the bulk of the people he encounters are real people from the pages of 19th century history. Just about every celebrity from Queen Victoria's gilded age makes their appearance, and there are few wars fought by Britain between the Afghan campaign and the 14-18 war that Flashy doesn't get to observe - admittedly usually reluctantly, with his bowels turning to water, and looking desperately for a means of escape. Yet, somehow, Flashy's luck is always in, and he inevitably ends up with an enhanced reputation, yet more laurels and, usually, plenty of female company with unlaced corsets!

And when he isn't fighting wars, he's taking a hat trick at Lords (by cheating, of course), making Bernard Shaw vomit, spying on Sherlock Holmes, taking part in the '49 Gold Rush, getting scalped at Greasy Grass, or getting involved in European politics, while hiding from Otto Von Bismark - oh, and bedding just about every celebrated woman of his time, including Lola Montez, The Chinese Emperor's concubines, or the savage queen of Madagascar!

If you ever thought history was boring, this series is going to change your mind with a vengeance. There is truly not a bad book in this series! Drop everything and pick up a Flashman work, right now! (less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Durdles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, humour

I don't know what I thought this would be like but "Flashman" certainly exceeded all expectation. Being aware of him as the school bully from Tom Brown's Schooldays (TV version), "Don't put me down there Flashman; it's all spiderwy", and Michael Palin's Ripping Yarn, "Tomkinson's Schooldays", for some reason I thought this would be rather dry fare. Very wrong. And very funny. Rather like Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe, Flashman manages to be present at many of history's infamous "one damn thing after...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Tom Lloyd rated it 4 of 5 stars

A hard one to review actually - I hugely enjoyed it and rattled through it at a time I really needed a fun, light read, but I can't bring myself to give it a five star review.

I know Flashman's not meant to be nice, he's an arsehole and a coward and that's fine, but accurate to the character (and possibly period too) or not, the sexual violence etc leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. He beats up his father's mistress, he sells his sex-slave on, he beats the natives he employs daily to remind them...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Iceman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Um livro delicioso!

Há muito tempo que um livro não me fazia rir tanto como este. As situações são tão hilariantes que é impossível não soltarmos grandes gargalhadas face ao que nos é narrado.

George MacDonald Fraser (1925-2008) foi ele próprio um militar que cumpriu serviço na Índia. Em 1969 deu ao prelo este “Flashman” que viria a ser o primeiro de uma longa série (12 volumes) onde a personagem principal teria sido alguém de carne e osso que teria vivido uma carreira militar fulgurante na segun...more Um livro delicioso!

Há muito tempo que um livro não me fazia rir tanto como este. As situações são tão hilariantes que é impossível não soltarmos grandes gargalhadas face ao que nos é narrado.

George MacDonald Fraser (1925-2008) foi ele próprio um militar que cumpriu serviço na Índia. Em 1969 deu ao prelo este “Flashman” que viria a ser o primeiro de uma longa série (12 volumes) onde a personagem principal teria sido alguém de carne e osso que teria vivido uma carreira militar fulgurante na segunda metade do séc. XIX, estando assim presente na maioria dos conflitos em que o Império Britânico se viu envolvido. Supostamente esse militar, já numa idade avançada, sensivelmente no início do séc. XX, propôs-se a narrar todas as suas aventuras de uma forma como elas de facto sucederam. Os documentos daí nascidos teriam ficado guardados durante 50 anos até serem descobertos acidentalmente. Fraser foi então convidado a organizar os documentos encontrados nascendo daí toda uma narrativa acerca de como um cobarde bajulador chegou a herói.

A premissa é excelente e mais excelente é o que daí nasce.

Flashman é obviamente uma personagem de ficção, mas não são de ficção os acontecimentos históricos e a maioria dos personagens o que, por si só, fazem desta obra um excelente manancial de informação acerca da vida militar, das acções, política e usos e costumes das províncias ultramarinas britânicas (o maior império na altura), neste caso centrando-se na Índia e sobretudo no Afeganistão.

No entanto, para além desses acontecimentos, o que se ressalva é a boa disposição do narrador presente.

Sempre fruto do acaso e tendo uma sorte espantosa, Flashman, que apenas quer ter uma boa vida e dar o maior número de cambalhotas, vê-se destacado como tenente para o Afeganistão. Colónia britânica à altura onde a paz está por um fio, ele consegue aprender rapidamente o idioma nativo o que lhe permite, sem ele fazer qualquer esforço e até querendo o contrário, tomar parte da vida militar ao mais alto nível, servindo de mensageiro entre o alto comando britânico e os chefes afegãos. Depressa se sê envolvido em diversas confusões onde a sorte o acompanha em situações caricatas e hilariantes.

E há de tudo.

Desde rixas a duelos, ajustes de contas por causa de saias, revoltas espontâneas, ataques furiosos de bestas peludas (os afegãos), chega a ficar refém lutando pela vida com um anão defeituoso, enfim, é agredido vezes sem conta, chora baba e ranho e vê-se continuadamente frente a frente com a morte mas acaba por se ir safando à pala da sua imensa cobardia.

O autor é excelente na forma como constrói o enredo. Há momentos de narração de batalhas sangrentas e reais (batalha de Gandamack, imagem acima) que passa de muito sério, com cenas de chacina, a momentos de ir às lágrimas de tanto rir.

No seu jeito gingão, não tendo problemas em admitir a sua cobardia (na altura em que narra os acontecimentos, não na altura dos mesmos), Flashman acaba por ser tornar num herói à força para seu gáudio, galhofando com tudo o que lhe aconteceu e não escusando de gozar a quem enganou, todos.

Foi um livro tão divertido que me trouxe à memória várias cenas da minha banda desenhada preferida. Embora o continente e o povo seja outro, a acção temporal e as confusões retractadas são as mesmas.
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Nov 26, 2012 Doug rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 25, 2012 Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sexually incontinent, self-centred, spineless and shameless - what's not to like about Harry Flashman, George McDonald Fraser's timeless comic character? This is the first book, originally published in 1969, and it began one of the greatest series of historical fiction in the English language. The Hornblowers and Sharpes have their place, but heroic types can be dreadful bores at times. Give me a promiscuous, drunken coward nine times out ten; the tenth time being when it was my hide or Flashman...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Ian Mapp rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, humour

What a find. And there are another 50 years of 19th Century history to go. This should be taught at school, in both English Literature and in History.

This is an hilarious romp, with great set pieces and the world's greatest Anti Hero (well maybe Patrick Bateman would disagree). But the real power is the historical accuracy. The supporting characters and events are real and what a better way to learn, than to learn laughing.

This starter novel is particulary apt, as it is about the first Anglo-Afg...more What a find. And there are another 50 years of 19th Century history to go. This should be taught at school, in both English Literature and in History.

This is an hilarious romp, with great set pieces and the world's greatest Anti Hero (well maybe Patrick Bateman would disagree). But the real power is the historical accuracy. The supporting characters and events are real and what a better way to learn, than to learn laughing.

This starter novel is particulary apt, as it is about the first Anglo-Afgan war. Learn why afganistan is the destroyer of empires, britains inlcuded.

But what of Flashman and how did he get there. Well to start, he is expelled from Rugby School for drunkeness, comes home and seduces his fathers (the guvnor's mistress) and joins the army as a career. After a brief sojurn in Scotland (what descriptions and I will never forget the way his friend described a liason with a local) he is forced to marry the daughter of an industrialist, after (you've guessed it) destroyed her virtue.

The army think he has brought the regiment into disrepute and off he goes to India and then Afganistan - climaxing in a ill-fated retreat where most of the 14,000 army were sacked and destroyed.

Flashman is at the heart of all the major incidents, casting his opinion on the leaders. Some of the set pieces are superbly written and linger after the book. Its a mixture of Flashman trying to save his skin by any measure possible and the way the story is written. A tug of war with a dwarf over a pit of snakes will live in the memory for a long time.

What's so good about the writing is that this is book 1 and there is plenty of foreshadowing to future books in the series. The author must have had it all plotted out.

Of course, at the end of the book Flashman returns as a hero... discovers he is now financially dependent on his wife's finances (Flashman is a 2nd generation rogue) and the book is nicely setup for book 2.

I cannot wait. Think they will be my new holiday book series.

And from now on, when you are in doubt about a course of action, ask yourself "What would Flashman do?".(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Dev rated it 3 of 5 stars

A 19th century version of Forrest Gump turned 180. Unlike Gump's imbecilic passage through history, Flashman is self aware and thoroughly unredeemable. A racist, a coward, a toad, totally w/out honor, and yet his acknowledgement of these limitations makes him an engaging character. His misadventures as a English hussar amongst the Aghan pashtuns is at times gripping, funny, and always unvarnished. One of my gripes w/historical novels is that too often the characters begin to betray a certain 21s...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Goutham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hilarious historical fiction done right. Amongst other things, the titular character is an unscrupulous liar, an unrepenting whining coward , a relentless womanizer and a hugely hugely entertaining scoundrel. Despite all his failings, Flashman finds himself decorated as a war hero by the time we are done with this story. Much of the hilarity stems from how Flashman's cowardly antics are later interpreted as a sign of extra-ordrinary courage and dedication. Flashman is not delusional about his ch...more

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May 03, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published on my blog here in July 1999.

t is odd to look back at Fraser's first Flashman novel, to see the way in which Pan promoted it in the early seventies. Though having considerable intellectual background - based around a famous novel, backed up with meticulous historical research - the novel is advertised by comparing it to the sleazy soft-core porn of the Confessions series, still the object of furtive playground bartering when I was at school but now virtually forgotten. This...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Allen Garvin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

What a cynical, sardonic tale! This novel uses the old conceit of being a memoir by Harry Flashman, a purported 19th century British soldier, "discovered" by the author Fraser from a manuscript in an old trunk. Supposedly written in his elder years, Flashman, an utterly despicable character, cowardly, racist, lazy, utterly selfish, can now indulge in complete honesty about his youthful exploits that made him a hero of the British empire. The notion that Flashman is being completely honest in his...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical

The first of the Flashman Papers, in which our hero joins the army and serves in Afghanistan. This chronicle covers 1839-42: we see Flashy undergoing the pathetic retreat from Kabul under the dithering General Elphinstone, and unwillingly making a last stand at Piper’s Fort.

Although no stranger to Flashy’s exploits, of course, I had never actually read this, the first exploit that cemented his reputation. Here we see a Flashy that is perhaps more cowardly than in the later books; he actually bre...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Sally added it · review of another edition

A magnificent read about an appalling man. You get a good feel for Flashman's character early on. With his unflinching and intelligent take on the people and situations surrounding him. It is extremely well written and a very entertaining book.

Given the current situation in Afghanistan, it's pretty poignant too. I was laughing till I snorted in public at the description of one military leader's incompetence, then very swiftly nearly in tears as the full impact of it was realised.

The voices seem...more

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May 16, 2011 Drush76 rated it 3 of 5 stars

"FLASHMAN" (1969) Book Review

Forty-one years ago, an old literary character was re-introduced to many readers, thanks to a former Scottish journalist named George MacDonald Fraser. The author took a character from a famous Victorian novel and created a series of novels that placed said character in a series of historical events throughout the middle and second half of the 19th century.

The 1857 novel, ”TOM BROWN’S SCHOOLDAYS”, told the story of a young English boy named Tom Brown and his experie...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Noble rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm going to review the whole series here, instead of saying more or less the same thing for each of the books I've read.

Flashman, the character, is an asshole. Really, he doesn't have many redeeming qualities. I shall list those which come to mind:
He seems to genuinely love his wife, in his own way (he cheats on her, or tries to, pretty much constantly, but he also has ample reason to believe she does the same and knows about his own infidelities; still, his thoughts seem to go back to her more...more I'm going to review the whole series here, instead of saying more or less the same thing for each of the books I've read.

Flashman, the character, is an asshole. Really, he doesn't have many redeeming qualities. I shall list those which come to mind:
He seems to genuinely love his wife, in his own way (he cheats on her, or tries to, pretty much constantly, but he also has ample reason to believe she does the same and knows about his own infidelities; still, his thoughts seem to go back to her more often than anything else, aside from saving his own skin at least).
He generally doesn't take joy in meaningless slaughter (if he does take joy in someone dying, they're either also a total asshole or he's just glad he's not the one being killed).
He seems to have more respect for people of color than most people in the setting (he uses the dreaded "N word" a lot, but it's mostly set in the 1800s, so that doesn't mean much; mind you, he doesn't respect anyone all that much, but minorities don't get any more of his disrespect or contempt than anyone else, really - a caveat here is that he usually doesn't have a problem with slavery, but that goes back to his simply not caring about most people other than himself).
That's it. He's a coward, a womanizer, a thief, and a liar. He will readily abandon his allies at the drop of a hat, flee a battle, and revel in the glory afforded him when he is the sole survivor (even if he survived only because he shoved a "friend" into the line of fire and dove into the latrine when the battle started). He's a cad.

That said, he's a cynical bastard whose reflections on how scewed up the world he lived in really was are bloody hilarious. The fact that he so often speaks plainly of his many shortcomings helps.

It is also worth nothing that Fraser did his homework, and includes many people and events that are really rather interesting in their own right (if Flashy mentions a general or monarch, or battle, or artifact, you can spend hours just doing a Wiki-crawl learning about the craziness inherent in all of it).(less)

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Aug 09, 2010 Andy Fanton rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I began writing my own fiction (at www.lordlikely.com), I often received comments that what I was doing was very Flashman-esque. To my shame, I actually had no idea what anyone was talking about, as I hadn't heard of the series, so naturally I had to check it out.

And I was very glad I did! While I understand why comparisons between Flashman and Likely were drawn (Victorian setting, roguish lead character) Flashman is in another league altogether. In fact, it orbits all other leagues from a...more

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Jul 09, 2010 ICPL Staff Picks added it · review of another edition

Shelves: john, staff-picks-blog, historical-fiction, fiction

I’ve been trying for years to interest people in the Flashman books. This probably won’t work either.

Here’s the pitch. They’re adventure novels, reasonably accurate historically (don’t skip the footnotes), and funny as anything I’ve read. Harry Flashman–cad, liar, bully, coward, and, especially, lecher–finds himself, to his dismay, in just about every military disaster of the Nineteenth Century. He flees Afghanistan, fights on both sides of the Civil War, survives Little Big Horn, charges with t...more

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About George MacDonald Fraser

He is best known for his Flashman series of historical novels, purportedly written by Harry Flashman, a fictional coward and bully originally created by Thomas Hughes in Tom Brown's School Days. The novels are presented as "packets" of memoirs written by the nonagenarian Flashman, who looks back on his days as a hero of the British Army during the 19th century. The series begins with Flashman, and...more

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Books by George MacDonald Fraser

Flashman at the Charge (Flashman Papers, #4)

Flash for Freedom! (The Flashman Papers, #3)

Flashman in the Great Game (The Flashman Papers, #5)

Flashman's Lady (The Flashman Papers, #6)

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Quotes from Flashman

“If anything she was a shade too plump, but she knew the ninety-seven ways of making love that the Hindus are supposed to set much store by―though mind you, it is all nonsense, for the seventy-fourth position turns out to be the same as the seventy-third, but with your fingers crossed.” — 13 people liked it

“We stood there for a full half hour, like so many scarecrows, while they jeered at us from a distance, and one or two of us were shot down.” — 3 people liked it

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Flashman (Flashman Papers #1)

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