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Royal Flash (Flashman Papers #2)

by George MacDonald Fraser

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 2,184 ratings · 115 reviews

Paperback, 304 pages

Published April 4th 2005 by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (first published 1970)

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Mar 08, 2010 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-and-biography, well-i-think-its-funny, too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, older-men-younger-women

Last week I finally got around to reading Les Trois Mousquetaires, and this week, more or less by accident, I read Royal Flash. They're both excellent historical thrillers, and it's interesting to compare them. MacDonald Fraser is following very much in Dumas's footsteps. He takes real historical events from the mid-19th century, and recasts them so that history is no longer an inevitable unfolding of grand themes, but rather a haphazard collection of accidents, more often than not turning on wh...more Last week I finally got around to reading Les Trois Mousquetaires, and this week, more or less by accident, I read Royal Flash. They're both excellent historical thrillers, and it's interesting to compare them. MacDonald Fraser is following very much in Dumas's footsteps. He takes real historical events from the mid-19th century, and recasts them so that history is no longer an inevitable unfolding of grand themes, but rather a haphazard collection of accidents, more often than not turning on who happens to be sleeping with whom. The first two paragraphs sum it up brilliantly:

If I had been the hero everyone thought I was, or even a half-decent soldier, Lee would have won the battle of Gettyburg and probably captured Washington. That is another story, which I shall set down in its proper place if brandy and old age don't carry me off first, but I mention the fact here because it shows how great events are decided by trifles.

Scholars, of course, won't have it so. Policies, they say, and the subtly laid schemes of statesment, are what influence the destinies of nations; the opinions of intellectuals, the writings of philosophers, settle the fate of mankind. Well, they may do their share, but in my experience the course of history is as often settled by someone's having a belly-ache, or not sleeping well, or some aristocratic harlot waggling her backside.

Nevertheless, Fraser, like Dumas, simultaneously pays his respects to the Men of Destiny; his portrayal of the young Bismarck has not a little in common with Dumas's treatment of Richelieu.

The most obvious difference, of course, is in the treatment of Honour, and at first sight the two books give diametrically opposing views. D'Artagnan is superficially portrayed as a classical hero, driven by the purest of motives; his courage, his loyalty to his friends, his love for Mme. Bonacieux and his devotion to the Queen. Flashman, in contrast, is by his own admission an utter scoundrel. Given that Les Trois Mousquetaires was apparently written by two people, I do wonder whether D'Artagnan's interesting character is a serendipidous product of creative differences. On several occasions, he behaves every bit as badly as Flashman. He steals money from his landlord, while simultaneously trying to seduce his wife; he more or less rapes Ketty, then uses her to get close to Milady; he intercepts private letters from Milady to de Wardes, and exploits them to turn her against him.

D'Artagnan does all these very bad things, but somehow never really admits to himself what he's up to. He always has some handy excuse available; he's doing it for Mme. Bonacieux or for the Queen, or his victims were evil people who anyway had it coming. The engaging thing about Flashman, in contrast, is his straightforwardness. He never tries to excuse anything, but frankly admits that he's a bully, a heartless exploiter of women, and, when necessary, a cold-blooded killer. But, at the same time, I wonder whether he isn't also distorting the truth, this time in the opposite direction. If he were the snivelling coward he likes to claim he is, could he really have had all these hair-raising adventures, and would he have been quite so magnetically attractive to women? Despite everything, you feel that, somehow, he isn't such a terrible person after all.

The thing that's common to both books, it seems to me, is the way in which they subvert staple characters in the adventure story genre, and turn them into real people. D'Artagnan's a hero, but he could go over to the Dark Side at any moment. Flashman's a villain, but sometimes, to his and the reader's surprise, he finds his heart touched by love and affection. I wonder what would happen if they ever met? Perhaps D'Artagnan would challenge Flashman to a duel, to avenge some slight to a great lady's reputation, or perhaps they'd go off together to the best brothel in Paris and indulge themselves until daybreak. I think it would all turn on some trifle: a dropped handkerchief, or what one of them had for breakfast. Life doesn't make as much sense as we want it to, and both of these authors do a wonderful job of capturing its unpredictability.
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Jul 18, 2008 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Flashman's character is becoming more cohesive in this book. I felt that in the 1st book Fraser didn't quite know how to handle his creation, and Flashman fluctuated between being a cad and an outright unlikeable bastard. This time he's a coward, sure, and a bully if he sees the chance, and of course if you put a skirt on a hay bale then he'd probably sleep with it, but he still never dips below likeable scoundrel.

A few slow points where Fraser dips a bit too far into the history aspect, but mu...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Iceman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Royal Flash é o Segundo pacote dos documentos históricos descobertos numa leiloeira em Leicestershire em 1965 e que continua a “carreira” de Harry Flashman.

Enquanto o primeiro pacote descrevia a expulsão do Colégio de Rugby e a consequente carreira militar em Inglaterra, Índia e no Afeganistão onde veio herói, este segundo pacote cobre dois períodos (1842-43 e 1847-48). Esta lacuna de quatro anos não é aqui explicada mas é de esperar que Flashman o faça mais para a frente.

Independentemente de se...more Royal Flash é o Segundo pacote dos documentos históricos descobertos numa leiloeira em Leicestershire em 1965 e que continua a “carreira” de Harry Flashman.

Enquanto o primeiro pacote descrevia a expulsão do Colégio de Rugby e a consequente carreira militar em Inglaterra, Índia e no Afeganistão onde veio herói, este segundo pacote cobre dois períodos (1842-43 e 1847-48). Esta lacuna de quatro anos não é aqui explicada mas é de esperar que Flashman o faça mais para a frente.

Independentemente de ser ficção, o certo é que Fraser consegue criar um personagem marcante que, no desfilar das suas loucas e cobardes aventuras, vai narrando importantes acontecimentos históricos e isso, na minha opinião, é uma das mais valias da obra.

Neste contexto, e no caso presente, Harry vê-se em convívio com duas personagens que ficaram na História por razões bem diferentes: Lola Montez, a aventureira irlandesa que chegou a governar a Baviera, e Bismarck, todo poderoso chanceler alemão que esteve na origem da Alemanha moderna.

É com estes duas importantes figuras que Flashman se vê novamente em apuros e toma especial influência na importante questão Strackenz-Holstein, que nos anos 40 do séc. XIX, colocaram a Alemanha e a Dinamarca em pé de guerra. E nem imaginam o papel de Flashman em todo esse imbróglio.

É hilariante toda a aventura.

Com a mania que é engatatão, acaba por ser ele o enganado e, como deve tudo à coragem, vê-se sistematicamente metido em apuros, sempre borrado de medo e com único objectivo: safar-se o mais rápido possível.

Mas o mais engraçado é que Flashman admite a sua cobardia e escarnece dele próprio e das figuras que o medo e a cobardia o fazem fazer.

Um excelente livro que não só nos ensina, como nos diverte. Temos assim nas mãos algo que eleva a literatura e lhe dá sentido: entretenimento e cultura.

A escrita é simples, cinematográfica. A investigação histórica do autor é excepcional, tal o pormenor das situações. As personagens bem reais, quase que lhes conseguimos tocar, depressa se tornam nossos compinchas.

Altamente aconselhável para quem faz do livro um amigo, uma companhia que o ensina e entretém. (less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Ian Mapp rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: humour, historical

Of course, you know what you are going to get in series books like this. An exact replica but set in a different location.

Flashman is back from the afgan war a hero. In an escape from a london whorehouse, he take refuge in a police chase by hiding in the carriage of Lola Montez - who is entertaining Otto Von Bismark. You can guess what happens here.

Otto and Flashy meet up again, where flashy gets his revenge on him by organising an exhibition bout against a top puglist and his affair with Lola b...more

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May 05, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in July 1999.

The second of Fraser's Flashman series, Royal Flash is a spoof on Anthony Hope's classic The Prisoner of Zenda. It keeps fairly faithfully to the plot of Hope's novel, with the central part falling to the cowardly Flashman rather than the gallant Rudolf Rassendyll.

The major change made by Fraser is the motivation for the escapade. Flashman has no liking for adventure, and it requires both blackmail and force to get him to imitate Prince Carl Gust...more Originally published on my blog here in July 1999.

The second of Fraser's Flashman series, Royal Flash is a spoof on Anthony Hope's classic The Prisoner of Zenda. It keeps fairly faithfully to the plot of Hope's novel, with the central part falling to the cowardly Flashman rather than the gallant Rudolf Rassendyll.

The major change made by Fraser is the motivation for the escapade. Flashman has no liking for adventure, and it requires both blackmail and force to get him to imitate Prince Carl Gustav. The plot is laid by Bismarck, and is an attempt to destabilise the border region between German states and Denmark, one of the more volatile parts of Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. (The border provinces of Schleswig and Holstein were claimed by both German patriots and the Danish state; the 'Schleswig-Holstein question' was made complicated by the fact that Germany was at the time fragmented into a large number of independent states.) Carl Gustav, a Danish prince, is set to marry Duchess Irma of Strackenz, a fictional, tiny state joining Schleswig and Holstein on the German-Danish border. Bismarck, realising Flashman's uncanny resemblance to Carl Gustav, intends to substitute him for the prince, and then reveal his identity, framing him as an agent of British Prime Minister Palmerston, engaged on some underhanded business. The purpose of this plot is to get both the Danes and Germans in Strackenz up in arms, provoking a general war in the region.

Of course, Flashman goes through the whole adventure quaking with terror. What will happen if someone finds out he isn't Carl Gustav? What will Bismarck do to keep him quiet even if he succeeds? The beginning of a trend which continues throughout the series can be seen in Royal Flash: the bullying unsympathetic side to Flashman begins to be suppressed, the comic element is emphasised. (I like the joke after Flashy, in his guise as the prince, sleeps with a chambermaid, and says to himself that if a child is born of the liaison, and grows up thinking himself closely related to royalty, he would truly be "an ignorant bastard".)(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical

In this sequel, Harry Flashman is lulled into a drama of espionage and political maneuverings by, of
course, a woman. Said woman is Lola Montez, doxy about town and paramour to princes and politicos; and the political plotter is none other than Otto von Bismarck. This is one of the least realistic of the series, as the reader is given to understand that Flashman is the perfect double of Prince Carl Gustaf of Denmark.

Fraser escapes trying his audience’s credulity with this premise by, first and fo...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, history, humor

George MacDonald Fraser picks up in “Royal Flash” where he left off in “Flashman”. Fraser artfully blends historical figures into his stories along with a fictional character he stole, um, I mean pays homage to, in this delightful series. After covering the years 1839 – 1842 and his service in the first Anglo-Afghan War, “Royal Flash” cover 1842 – 1843 and then 1847 – 1848 in this second installment of “The Flashman Papers”.

Fraser inserts Otto von Bismarck as Flashman’s major nemesis in this sto...more George MacDonald Fraser picks up in “Royal Flash” where he left off in “Flashman”. Fraser artfully blends historical figures into his stories along with a fictional character he stole, um, I mean pays homage to, in this delightful series. After covering the years 1839 – 1842 and his service in the first Anglo-Afghan War, “Royal Flash” cover 1842 – 1843 and then 1847 – 1848 in this second installment of “The Flashman Papers”.

Fraser inserts Otto von Bismarck as Flashman’s major nemesis in this story, and as for Flashman’s legendary womanizing, Fraser is kind enough to hook him up with Lola Montez, among others. Fraser also doesn’t mind borrowing heavily from Anthony Hope’s “The Prisoner of Zenda” (1894) either, though in the Flashman universe it was Anthony Hope that borrowed from Flashman’s adventures. At any rate, nothing is out of scope as far as I can tell from being selected for Flashman to have his hand in. There are a host of other historical figures which play minor roles in the novel as well.

In a brief meeting involving Lola Montez, Otto Bismarck takes an immediate dislike to our anti-hero, and from that meeting Bismarck later devises a plot to gain power and get revenge on Flashman all in one go. This plot involves a “Prisoner of Zenda” like plan, though in this case the switch which sees Flashman forced to pretend to be Carl Gustaf, a prince of Denmark. This plot involves the Duchy of Strackenz a fictional place (the only fictional setting for a Flashman novel). Though Strackenz is fictional, Fraser makes it a part of the Schleswig-Holstein Question which was a real situation between Denmark and Germany involving the two duchies.

As with the first book, there are too many references back to “Tom Brown’s Schooldays”. In one case it felt natural and part of the story, but in the other instances it felt forced and certainly was unnecessary considering this is the second book of the series and Flashman’s origin has already been established. It also seems unlikely that Flashman would be so fixated on Tom Brown when one looks at his life since that period.

All things considered I am giving “Royal Flash” 4-stars, as it is almost as good as the first in the series, but at the same time it obviously cannot be as original, and the fictitious setting also takes away from it slightly, as do the unnecessary references to Tom Brown. Nevertheless, it is still very fun to read, and there is even some history to be learned.
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Apr 29, 2011 Julie Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have read a number of Flashman books before this one and usually in a series you get ones that are stellar and ones that just don't have that same spark.

I felt so-so about this one. It just didn't seem to have the same sparkle.

My forever favourite is still Flashman at the Charge. It was also the first one I ever read, and it was a revelation.

I adore the Flashman character even when I dislike him.

He is a character I at once love/hate. He's such a product of his age (Victorian), and has all the...more I have read a number of Flashman books before this one and usually in a series you get ones that are stellar and ones that just don't have that same spark.

I felt so-so about this one. It just didn't seem to have the same sparkle.

My forever favourite is still Flashman at the Charge. It was also the first one I ever read, and it was a revelation.

I adore the Flashman character even when I dislike him.

He is a character I at once love/hate. He's such a product of his age (Victorian), and has all the expected attitudes towards women and other cultures that you would expect from a a man of that era--so much so that he comes across as disgusting and vile at times. And of course he's a coward (though given the situations he often finds himself in, like war, I think I'd be a coward too.) He's also a bully--and there are times when I really dislike him. He also, however, has such moments of understanding, empathy, connection, gratitude--and refreshing honesty, that you connect with him. He's also scathingly funny at times.

The historical approach of these books is brilliant. It's like a 'behind the scenes' look at great moments of the Victorian Age, with Flashman being this 'unwitting' force causing notable events to happen (like the Charge of the Light Brigade in the book Flashman at the Charge). History truly comes alive in these books, some of the best historical writing I have ever read. Flashman is thoroughly embedded in his era, speaks confidently about his times, so that you really believe it. These books often have me looking up things I normally have no interest in (Victorian history is not really my thing). For instance, while reading this book, of course I looked up Bismark!

The use of footnotes in this series is also brilliant and clever. These book are written as though Flashman were an old man, writing down his remembrances and memoirs--and they've been 'discovered' by the author. The author then notes important points in the 'memoirs', explaining certain historical points, or comparing Flashman's version to other (true) versions, and also offering proof for Flashmans account based on these real resources. It's a brilliant amalgamation of truth/fiction--and again makes Flashman, and his historical time, seem alive and real..

So while I didn't like this book as much as other's I've read, it's still a brilliant series. My favourite book would deserve 5 stars, so a lesser book gets 4.

I'm still a big Flashman fan and intend to keep on reading the series til I'm done!(less)

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Nov 09, 2009 Fuzzy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had harsh words for the character of Flashman after I read the first book in George MacDonald Fraser's series. But there was something that compelled me to seek out more of his (mis)adventures and so I picked up Royal Flash from the library. Maybe it's that the novel is a pastiche of one of my childhood favorites, The Prisoner of Zenda, or that Flashman is less a victim of his own worst instincts than of the machinations of others. Regardless, I found him less loathsome and more the likable (t...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Brendon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Flashman novels are my 'go to' books when I want to kick back and have a warm literary bath. Royal Flash, the 2nd in GMcDFraser's excellent series is, as to be expected, a fantastic romp through the mid-19th century. What is different with this novel is that GMcDFraser has used Anthony Hope's The Prisoner Of Zenda as the basis for Frashy's adventure.
Notable 'real' people Flashman meets include Bismarck and Lola Montez. Lola is another of the endless steam of larger than life characters the 19th...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Andrew Breslin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Learn some history, or read exciting tales of derring-do, swashbuckling and Duchess-rogering? Hey, why can't it be both?

Our protagonist is the classic lovable yet utterly self-absorbed rogue and scoundrel, providing pretty much the only opportunity I'm going to have to use the word "Falstaffian" in a sentence.

Guided principally by a brilliant instinct for self-preservation, tempered only by a raging libido, our hero managed to teach me a few things about European history between his capers and...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Zeke Chase rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Rating: 8.1 / 10

The second set of the Flashman Papers and the second set of shenanigans of Harry Flashman, liar, cheat, coward, whoremonger and scoundrel extraordinaire. This one deals with the Schleswig-Holstein Question and the Riots of 1848, with Lola Montez and Otto von Bismarck as key characters.

The book begins in the beginning stages of Victorian England, and the Victorian crackdown on indecency. Flashman, recently back from Afghanistan, narrowly avoids arrest at a brothel, and flees to ta...more Rating: 8.1 / 10

The second set of the Flashman Papers and the second set of shenanigans of Harry Flashman, liar, cheat, coward, whoremonger and scoundrel extraordinaire. This one deals with the Schleswig-Holstein Question and the Riots of 1848, with Lola Montez and Otto von Bismarck as key characters.

The book begins in the beginning stages of Victorian England, and the Victorian crackdown on indecency. Flashman, recently back from Afghanistan, narrowly avoids arrest at a brothel, and flees to take cover in a nearby stagecoach, which just so happens to contain Otto von Bismarck and his lover, Lola Montez. Flashman smoothly steals Lola away, and leaves Bismarck on the side of the road. Later, he makes a fool of Bismarck at a boxing match just because Bismarck is whiny sore loser.

This is the true heart of the Flashman Papers – Flashman is out gambling and whoring, and through his drunken shenanigans, stumbles into the schemes of two of the biggest names of the day. There is some confusion as to where this book should be placed in the series. It is the second to be published, for sure, but takes place primarily in 1848, whereas “Flashman's Lady” takes place in 1843-45, and “Flashman and the Mountain of Light” in 1845-46. I chose to read this second because it was published second, and I'm glad I did. This picks up immediately following “Flashman” in 1842, where Flashman first makes the acquaintance of Montez and Bismarck, and then abruptly jumps ahead a few years to when those characters become important. Flashman himselfs makes comment about how memoirs seldom flow like a novel does, and references further shenanigans in the omitted years that he shall sit down and write later.

Starting in 1848, Flashman is mysteriously called to Munich, where he is framed for molesting a police chief's wife, and ushered away to meet up with Bismarck, and becomes embroiled in a grand scheme to assert German Nationalism over Schleswig and Holstein and Strachenz and suppress liberalism across the continent in those uncertain times.

If you're more of a history buff than I, you'll realise that Strachenz has just been inserted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, and upon a quick Google search, that Strachenz doesn't actually exist. This is the first, and I'm told only, set of Flashman Papers to take place in a fictional location, the Duchy of Strachenz, somewhere near the German-Danish border. The Duchy is meant to supplant the actual locations of Schleswig and Holstein. I'm not sure why Fraser chose to do this – perhaps the story didn't quite jive with the real history of the Schleswig-Holstein Question, perhaps it was historical laziness, or (more likely), it has to do with “The Prisoner of Zenda”.

“Royal Flash”, in addition to being a memoir of Harry Flashman and a historical fiction novel about the Schleswig-Holstein Question, is meant to be a pastiche of 1894 novel “The Prisoner of Zenda” by Anthony Hope. Flashman alludes to the novel briefly towards the end, when he says that he'd only ever told this story once to Hawkins (Hawkins being Hope's real name). Thus, Fraser is having us believe that Flashman lived through these real events in a fictional location, which later inspired Anthony Hope's novel. While, perhaps, a clever way of inserting Flashman into history, I don't think everything quite lines up. For starters, I've never read “The Prisoner of Zenda”, nor heard of it before this book, and secondly, I've never understood the appeal or point of a pastiche.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy this novel, although it was perhaps too absurd even for Flashman. However, there was plenty of incorrigible villainy, drunken debauchery, and he beds every woman he meets (thankfully without the rape of the first book). He's the cowardly James Bond of the nineteenth century, and I look forward to “Flash for Freedom”.(less)

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May 07, 2012 Robin Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

For a long time people had expounded the brilliance of the flashman and the books are damn fine to read, i don't think it needs me or anyone else to write a review saying about the high quality of the writing and characters... but for me the real brilliance comes to the fore when the book is read by the likes of Rupert Penry-Jones.
I love to listen to the Flashman books on audio format when im on holiday, the only issue i have is to make sure i dont start talking like a Victorian cad whilst going...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Strey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I approached this with some trepidation. "It's a pastiche" they said. "Not really a 'Flashy' story at all." "A bit weak." Hmmm. In the end I loved it - up to the mark with typical Harry antics & historical background. The Zenda parallel is there, but only in part & cleverly wound into the overall (almost disturbing!) tale. Read the classic 'Prisoner of Zenda' straight after & in truth, felt it lacked the Flashy touch!! Don't be put off - but as ever suspend your disbelief & keep...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Rhys rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, books-i-own

Oh Flashy.

Fraser's Flashman books have quite a simple concept: it's based in the real world and in real history. When you introduce the character of Flashman: how can he go about messing it up?

This Flashman is based in a fictional country, however. The only Flashman to do so.

Once again Flashman is at his best and thankfully moves on from the rape incident in the first novel. I believe Fraser learned from that mistake and learned more about the limits of his own creation.

The Flashman is this no...more

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Jul 30, 2011 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A splendid confection. The second installment in the purported memoirs of bigoted, cowardly and thoroughly likeable cad Harry Flashman, Royal Flash, like Flashman before it, is highly derivative of Little Big Man, but note-perfect and a ripping yarn. In this installment, the plot of which is lifted wholesale from The Prisoner of Zenda, Flashman becomes embroiled in an elaborate impersonation scheme involving Lola Montez and Otto von Bismarck. There are cameo appearances by Marx, Wagner and Briti...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Girl with her Head in a Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, best-of-british, auto-biography, comedy, comedy-of-manners, edwardian, fiction, funny, historical-fiction, history, laugh-out-loud, life-story, must-love-history, pastiche, victorian, 2013-challenge

Whenever I read Flashman, I always imagine the Flash Gordon theme playing. As always, great fun to be had bashing about through history, thinking with his trousers and being accidentally heroic, even though he tends to incur his injuries in the rear while running away. George Macdonald Fraser has an astounding gift however in being able to summon up the Flashy drawl, whether he's sniggering at someone who has contracted 'Cupid's measles' or pondering whether a new female acquaintance could be pe...more

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May 24, 2012 Our Abiko rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just finished reading this. It's been over a year since Our Man read the first Flashman novel, so forgive him if he fails to compare the two accurately. Perhaps the first was more enjoyable simply because Flashman as a character was a wondrous discovery; this time round he was more of a known entity.

But whatever, this is a great reactionary romp through revolutionary 1848 Europe, and Flashman has his way with the Queen of Bavaria and bests Bismarck at his Realpolitikin' to boot.

Great political...more

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Apr 01, 2012 June Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, humour, best-of-the-best, favorites, suspense, thriller, picaresque_novels

"So when I say that my being rude to a certain foreigner altered the course of European history, it is a considered judgement. If I had dreamed for a moment how important that man was going to be, I'd have been as civil as the devil to him. But in my youth and ignorance I imagined that he was one of those to whom I could be rude with impunity - servants, tarts, bagmen, shopkeepers, and foreigners - and so I gave my unpleasant tongue free rein. In the long run it nearly cost me my neck, quite apa...more "So when I say that my being rude to a certain foreigner altered the course of European history, it is a considered judgement. If I had dreamed for a moment how important that man was going to be, I'd have been as civil as the devil to him. But in my youth and ignorance I imagined that he was one of those to whom I could be rude with impunity - servants, tarts, bagmen, shopkeepers, and foreigners - and so I gave my unpleasant tongue free rein. In the long run it nearly cost me my neck, quite apart from changing the map of the world."

Loved loved LOVED this second instalment in the adventures of the womanising and drunken cad, Harry Flashman. That man has more lives than a cat!

After falling foul in the estimations of Lola Montez, an Irish dancer, and her companion, (who turns out to be Bismarck), who he runs into whilst escaping from a police pub raid at the beginning of the story, Flashy finds himself in Germany in the centre of a very risky, dangerous plot involving duplicity. It appears that Consort Carl Gustaf of Denmark and Flashy bear an extremely striking resemblance to each other - which is handy, as Carl Gustaf is due to marry Duchess Irma of Strackenz, in order for Denmark to keep a political hold on the tiny province. Only problem is, Carl has got himself "a social disease" which means that his wedding will have to be put on hold......unless Flashy could play his part in the drama, until he is well enough again. In a tale that is like an adult's version of The Prince and The Pauper, Flashy has to learn everything about Carl, from voice down to his childhood activities.

Little does Flashy know that the "foolproof" plans thought out so carefully by Bismarck, don't always go the way they are meant to, and shortly he becomes a pawn in a game between warring factions. He has adventures which he is never supposed to survive from. There are coups, there is suspense, and there are brilliant comic sections of the story. And just when Flashy thinks that, for once, things are going his way and he is going to be rich beyond belief, his dreams are snatched away from him by an old acquaintance.

Parallels have been drawn between this book and The Prisoner Of Zenda, which was one of my favourite novels in childhood. After not being totally enamoured after having read Flashman, I am so glad I decided to read the Second Flashman Papers, and will now definitely read the Third. (less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Natacha Martins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

"Royal Flash" é o volume que dá continuação à vida inacreditável de Flashman, uma figura mítica do século XIX londrino. Flashman é um cobarde convicto que, vítima de uma sucessão de mal-entendidos acaba por regressar a casa, depois de combater na guerra do Afeganistão, como um herói nacional, com direito a ser recebido pela rainha e tudo. :) É desta forma que acaba o primeiro volume de memórias de Flashman, intitulado "Flashman, A Odisseia de Um Cobarde" escrito pelo próprio aos oitenta e muitos...more "Royal Flash" é o volume que dá continuação à vida inacreditável de Flashman, uma figura mítica do século XIX londrino. Flashman é um cobarde convicto que, vítima de uma sucessão de mal-entendidos acaba por regressar a casa, depois de combater na guerra do Afeganistão, como um herói nacional, com direito a ser recebido pela rainha e tudo. :) É desta forma que acaba o primeiro volume de memórias de Flashman, intitulado "Flashman, A Odisseia de Um Cobarde" escrito pelo próprio aos oitenta e muitos anos de idade.

Em "Royal Flash" vamos encontrar Flashman ainda a colher os frutos de uma glória que não mereceu mas que, em abono da verdade, também não procurou. Flashman continua sedutor, mulherengo, a viver às custas do sogro, fanfarrão e um desastrado íman de confusão e situações caricatas. :)
Desta vez, não resiste aos encantos de "uma das mais lindas raparigas que alguma vez vira na minha vida. Não - a mais linda." de seu nome Rosanna aka Lola Montez. Por causa desta mulher fatal vê-se envolvido com Otto von Bismarck, conhecido como o Napoleão da Alemanha, que se encontrava na altura a fazer uma viagem por Londres e, era um homem perigosíssimo. Mais uma vez, Flashman não fazia ideia daquilo e com quem se estava a meter...
De peripécia em peripécia, Flashman acaba na Alemanha, como protagonista no plano maquiavélico de Otto, para a unificação da Alemanha. O nosso cobarde de estimação foi peça fundamental na guerra da Prússia contra a Dinamarca, pela conquista de Schleswig-Holstein, na altura território dinamarquês, hoje alemão. Que papel desempenhou? Bem para isso têm de ler o livro. ;) Posso apenas acrescentar que o desempenhou com muita convicção e com a típica capacidade para escapar ileso das mais improváveis situações.

É um livro, à semelhança do primeiro, muito divertido e muito inteligente na forma como mistura factos históricos e personagens importantes da história mundial com a ficção. George MacDonald Fraser constrói toda uma alternativa, improvável é certo mas, imensamente divertida, à versão oficial dos acontecimentos sem deixar de, com isso dar uma lição de história. Gosto muito da escrita deste autor.
Achei Flashman neste livro, menos cobarde embora tudo faça para fugir às responsabilidades e não hesite em vender a mãe se isso fosse necessário. Mas achei-o mais resignado, sabendo que não podia escapar ao que lhe era pedido, pegava "o touro pelos cornos", como se costuma dizer e, lá ia ele tentar safar-se de mais uma armadilha do destino. Desta vez não acaba como um herói, no entanto, sai desta aventura mirabolante e vertiginosa com vida porque, mais uma vez, os acontecimentos desenrolam-se de tal forma que este acaba por salvar uma vida para além da dele. E uma vida importante, por sinal. :)

Flashman continua um filho da mãe de primeira e é neste livro ainda mais sedutor, divertido e irresistível! Não consigo dizer qual dos volumes me agradou mais... Gosto dos dois e tenho pena que, aparentemente, a Saída de Emergência não vá continuar a edição das "memórias" deste cobarde que me deixa tão bem-disposta!

Gostei muito e recomendo!(less)

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Jun 14, 2010 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars

It took me a long while to get into Royal Flash. It's written from the perspective of Harry Flashman, a cowardly, selfish, mysoginistic bully who is perfectly happy to take credit for anything he hasn't earned and driven largely by his lust. A classic anti-hero and not an easy character for me to relate to at all.

However it was highly recommended and I enjoyed the way the tawdry historical references (of the sort you never find in school history books) were woven so intrinsically into the story,...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Aditi rated it 2 of 5 stars

It was really just about ok, and that too because of the writing style. Plot is a bit contrived and unbelievable, and there's very little enjoyment in the whole thing. The political conflict here revolves around a coup of sorts staged by Bismarck and a gang of worthies, but I think the obscurity of the players (for a non-European like me) made the book really boring. The other books have stories of more global import, and are better written and plotted, so don't spend time on this one!

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Aug 16, 2010 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

The bully of Tom Brown's Schooldays grows up (more or less!) to become an absolute rotter who admits to only two talents: the ability to ride anything with hooves and a tail, and the ability to learn any language. He frequently refers to his days with the pansies at school and manages to weave in a number of other well-known tales as well (in this case, the Prisoner of Zenda). Somehow you can't help liking the bastard - and his own special kind of karma comes back to get him in the end.

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Apr 08, 2012 Ben rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: macdonald-fraser-george, historical-fiction

Harry Flashman is everything we are told to dislike.
He's a Liar, cheat, boastful, womaniser & a coward!

But.....but he's marvellous!

Always in the thick of every disaster going & often, (although not recorded in the annuals of history), it's his fault somewhere along the line!

He does manage to make contributions to history positively too but always by accident.

In this tale, 2nd in the series in terms of both release and chronology, we find our (not so) Gallant anti-hero caught in the midst...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

The best of the Flashman books by George MacDonald Fraser, note MacDonald is part of his surname, a total take-off of Prisoner of Zenda as Flashie must deal with having to pretend to be a King of minor pre-German country. And a showgirl called Lola (what else?).

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Jul 31, 2012 Matt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not as good as the first, the style is more consistent and Harry Flashman Esq. is shining through but the premise, the characters and the rest is dull and slow, slow and dull. Bismarck sounds like a tit which he probably was and although the history of continental Europe from 1840 - 1914 is interesting it is not stimulating.

On to the next one methinks as I am not done with Flashman yet, I am hoping to learn more about the dirty colonial things we got up to.

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Jul 23, 2011 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

c1970. Wonderfully fun book. Featuring Lola Montez, and Otto von Bismarck as major characters, and fictionalizes elements of the Schleswig-Holstein Question, 1843, 1847 and 1848. It made great supplementary reading to the boring "true" history that I was studying at the time. From Wikipedia comes the interesting fact that "The map of the Duchy of Strackenz in the book is an inverted outline of the Isle of Man which became the author's residence the year the book was first published."

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May 17, 2009 Smokinjbc rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: booksthatrock

Harry Flashman is still rotten to the core but takes you on quite a trip as he carouses his way through England and Europe. Several laugh out loud moments as he impersonates a Danish prince on his wedding night (the prince's, not Flashman's) and tries to escape the clutches of Bismarck. Especially entertaining was his description of fox hunting and his "education" in how to pull off an impressive scam.

My favorite lines are:

(speaking of Bismarck)

"I also learned that he had a wife in the capital...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Rob Adey rated it 2 of 5 stars

There is a good adventure story in here, but Flashman is just slightly too much of a dick to hook me in to it. And the chunks of history sit awkwardly in the cartoony tone. Some bits were fun when I remembered to imagine them in Rik Mayall's voice.

I'd stick with the original, wondeful, Prisoner of Zenda, or even Doctor Who and the Androids of Tara, which is The Prisoner of Zenda but with robots.

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Oct 13, 2012 Joseph rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Someone, at some point, recommended this series to me, and dutifully, I went out and bought the first two books. I know that I read the first book, but I remember little of it, and now, just a few days after reading the second, I remember almost as little about it.

Flash is an amusing enough scoundrel, I suppose, and despite dealing with a time period and historical events with which I'm not terribly familiar, the book is an easy read, but it's hard to imagine sitting down and reading more than o...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

More about George MacDonald Fraser...

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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“I was sufficiently recovered from my nervous condition – or else the booze was beginning to work – to be able to discuss with Rudi the merits of checked or striped trousers, which had been the great debate among the London nobs that year. I was a check-er myself, having the height and leg for it, but Rudi thought they looked bumpkinish, which only shows what damned queer taste they had in Austria in those days. Of course, if you’ll put up with Metternich you’ll put up with anything.” — 1 person liked it

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Royal Flash (Flashman Papers #2)

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