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Flashman Papers #7
Flashman and the Redskins
George MacDonald Fraser's famous Flashman series appearing for the first time in B-format with an exciting new series style, ready to please his legions of old fans and attract armies of new ones. The Flashman Papers 1849--50 and 1875--1876 Vol. Seven What was Harry Flashman doing on the slopes of the Little Bighorn, caught between the gallant remnant of Custer's 7th Cavalry and the withering attack of Sitting Bull's Braves? He was trying to get out of the line of fire and escape yet again with his life (if not with his honour) intact after setting the American West by its ears. Here is the legendary and authentic West of the Mangas Colorado and Kit Carson, of Custer and Spotted Tail, of Crazy Horse and the Deadwood stage, gunfighters and gamblers, eccentrics, scoundrels and, of course, Indian belles, dusky beauties, enthusiastic widows and mysterious adventuresses; this seventh volume of The Flashman Papers shows the West as it really was. Terrifying!
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
157 people are currently reading
1057 people want to read
About the author
George MacDonald Fraser
113 books684 followersGeorge MacDonald Fraser 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 is notable for the accuracy of the historical settings and praise from critics. P.G. Wodehouse said of Flashman, “If ever there was a time when I felt that ‘watcher-of-the-skies-when-a-new-planet’ stuff, it was when I read the first Flashman.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
April 14, 2025
Fraser's Flashman #7. This time a novel in two parts covering the USA and Flashy's experiences in the 1849/50 gold rush to California (albeit he doesn't reach the destination) and then again in 1875/76.
As always Fraser is able to insert Harry Flashman into accurate history in a faultless way. More than once in this novel alone Flashman and his narrative steps in to resolve aspects of history, albeit in a fictional way - so very clever, Fraser has no equal in this genre.
Flashman continues to be a scoundrel in this novel, and while he remains a self-confessed coward, when his back is to the wall he still show more courage in his self preservation than the average man. But yes, he continues to exhibit some appalling behaviour (particularly towards women) throughout this book, although he is very close to getting his comeuppance (once again)!
As is the case as well as an accurate historical setting Fraser treats us to Flashman interacting with a cast of real people. In the first timespan he travels with Richens 'Uncle Dick' Wooten, to Bent's fort (a renowned frontiersman and guide); becomes entangled with s gang of scalp hunters, led by Grattan (also known as John Glanton); then falls in with the Apache's themselves where he becomes the son-in-law of chief Mangas Coloradas, and befriends the famous Geronimo. Moving on the travels with Kit Carson and Spotted Trail, a Sichangu Lakota tribal chief. At his point Flashman meets Spotted Tails young nephew, who is to grow up to be Crazy Horse.
In the second timespan Flashman again meets up with Spotted Horse, President Ulysses S. Grant, but it is his time with George Custer, his brothers and other soldiers and his presence at the Battle of Little Big Horn, then his relationship with Frank Grouard (Standing Bear) that stands out. As the novel draws to a close he meets up with old friend Wild Bill Hickok.
For a part of the second timespan Flashman's possibly cheating wife Elsbeth travels with him until she heads off to do her own thing, and Harry is left to his own devices. There is a great twist at the end for Harry to deal with, but I don't intend to spoil it for other readers.
Another great read at 4*
------
Other reviews from this series:
Flashman
Royal Flash
Flash for Freedom!
Flashman at the Charge
Flashman in the Great Game
Flashman's Lady
As always Fraser is able to insert Harry Flashman into accurate history in a faultless way. More than once in this novel alone Flashman and his narrative steps in to resolve aspects of history, albeit in a fictional way - so very clever, Fraser has no equal in this genre.
Flashman continues to be a scoundrel in this novel, and while he remains a self-confessed coward, when his back is to the wall he still show more courage in his self preservation than the average man. But yes, he continues to exhibit some appalling behaviour (particularly towards women) throughout this book, although he is very close to getting his comeuppance (once again)!
As is the case as well as an accurate historical setting Fraser treats us to Flashman interacting with a cast of real people. In the first timespan he travels with Richens 'Uncle Dick' Wooten, to Bent's fort (a renowned frontiersman and guide); becomes entangled with s gang of scalp hunters, led by Grattan (also known as John Glanton); then falls in with the Apache's themselves where he becomes the son-in-law of chief Mangas Coloradas, and befriends the famous Geronimo. Moving on the travels with Kit Carson and Spotted Trail, a Sichangu Lakota tribal chief. At his point Flashman meets Spotted Tails young nephew, who is to grow up to be Crazy Horse.
In the second timespan Flashman again meets up with Spotted Horse, President Ulysses S. Grant, but it is his time with George Custer, his brothers and other soldiers and his presence at the Battle of Little Big Horn, then his relationship with Frank Grouard (Standing Bear) that stands out. As the novel draws to a close he meets up with old friend Wild Bill Hickok.
For a part of the second timespan Flashman's possibly cheating wife Elsbeth travels with him until she heads off to do her own thing, and Harry is left to his own devices. There is a great twist at the end for Harry to deal with, but I don't intend to spoil it for other readers.
Another great read at 4*
------
Other reviews from this series:
Flashman
Royal Flash
Flash for Freedom!
Flashman at the Charge
Flashman in the Great Game
Flashman's Lady
November 5, 2016
Laugh out loud brilliance. A grasp of history that amazes. The antihero to end all antiheroes. What's not to fall instantly in love with?
Flashy's opinions of historical figures have to be read. (Then laughed about quite a lot.)
Get your dose of happiness here.
Flashy's opinions of historical figures have to be read. (Then laughed about quite a lot.)
Get your dose of happiness here.
August 27, 2011
I have praised George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series before and I shall probably continue to do so as long as I continue to read them; they are a national treasure and our equivalent of Dumas or Sienkiewicz. Whilst "Flashman and the Redskins" is not about English Victorian history it is still about that amazing era and manages to both amuse and inform us in a wonderfully approachable manner - there are many students of history who would benefit by reading the stuff. Fraser doesn't just tell us a great story but also makes us very aware of how outstanding the opening up of the West really was - and how sudden! He fills his tale with facts, balancing "fiction" with true scholarship and backed up by a long bibliography so that you can go off and really get to grips with the era. I was almost blown apart by the fact that it was possible for a young child to travel west across the "empty" plains in a waggon train surviving Indian attacks, desperate conditions, see oceans of buffalo roll over the landscape and then, in his later years make the same trip in reverse either by train or plane and see the landscape changed utterly, with towns and great cities where once stood a burning waggon and lay only corpses. This is a great book. Our hero Flashman's morals are still a bit questionable at times but he is no coward, merely a survivor surrounded by larger-than-life characters who have no real sense of adventure, fun or their own mortality. This one comes HIGHLY recommended!
September 21, 2010
This is the perfect Flashman novel - hilarious and informative. Full of high adventure (the California Gold Rush, wagon trains, Indians, white scalpers, the Battle of the Little Bighorn) and peppered with Flashy's salacious escapades, with just enough truly horrific behavior on his part to keep you from mistaking Flashman for a lovable rogue.
There's no heart of gold inside this fascinating antihero. Some people can't stomach him, but it's amazing what we can forgive in a handsome, stylish, and in particular an amusing villain.
There's no heart of gold inside this fascinating antihero. Some people can't stomach him, but it's amazing what we can forgive in a handsome, stylish, and in particular an amusing villain.
August 12, 2021
The Flashman books are unabashedly politically incorrect, often hilarious, remarkably accurate historical novels – set in the 19th Century. Our hero – Harry Flashman, an officer in the British military – is a self-admitted scoundrel/rascal/cad/rogue – “his personal character was deplorable, his conduct abandoned, and his talent for mischief apparently inexhaustible.” He is also very likeable. Harry is usually on the run from someone – the law, a jealous husband or some figure of authority – and during his travels meets up with historical figures and stumbles into historical events – usually of the military nature – inadvertently fighting the “good fight”. And as can be surmised, Harry is never short of female companionship.
The stories are told from the fictional “Flashman Papers”, written by Harry in his twilight years, “edited” by the author – including “footnotes” which I encourage you to read – and which were “discovered” in 1966 - The “faux” authenticity only adding to the enjoyment in reading these books.
In this volume, a two-parter, which chronicles Harry’s adventures in 1849-50 and 1875-76, we find our hero in the U.S., mostly in the Wild West, with a few sojourns in New York and Washington, DC. As the title suggests, “Flashy” encounters and becomes embroiled in the Native American “problem”. In the first half of the book he leads a wagon train – actually a bordello on the move - from New Orleans to the west coast. In the second half Harry is enlisted – by President Grant - to aid in the “negotiations” with the Sioux Nation – the story climaxing with Custer’s Last Stand.
In the telling of the story the reader meets a cornucopia of historical figures – U.S. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Crazy Horse, Spotted Tail, Mangas Coloradas, Kit Carson, Wild Bill Hickok and of course Custer – just to name a few. And Flashman – true to form – is not only in the midst of the all the action – he’s the root cause in several instances – and of course he has more than a few romantic liaisons along the way.
If historical novels, with more than a little humor, are your cup of tea, this volume and the Flashman series will suit you perfectly.
The stories are told from the fictional “Flashman Papers”, written by Harry in his twilight years, “edited” by the author – including “footnotes” which I encourage you to read – and which were “discovered” in 1966 - The “faux” authenticity only adding to the enjoyment in reading these books.
In this volume, a two-parter, which chronicles Harry’s adventures in 1849-50 and 1875-76, we find our hero in the U.S., mostly in the Wild West, with a few sojourns in New York and Washington, DC. As the title suggests, “Flashy” encounters and becomes embroiled in the Native American “problem”. In the first half of the book he leads a wagon train – actually a bordello on the move - from New Orleans to the west coast. In the second half Harry is enlisted – by President Grant - to aid in the “negotiations” with the Sioux Nation – the story climaxing with Custer’s Last Stand.
In the telling of the story the reader meets a cornucopia of historical figures – U.S. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Crazy Horse, Spotted Tail, Mangas Coloradas, Kit Carson, Wild Bill Hickok and of course Custer – just to name a few. And Flashman – true to form – is not only in the midst of the all the action – he’s the root cause in several instances – and of course he has more than a few romantic liaisons along the way.
If historical novels, with more than a little humor, are your cup of tea, this volume and the Flashman series will suit you perfectly.
August 27, 2011
It’s quite a while since I’ve read a Flashman book. I’m not sure why since they were always a lot of fun, and Flashman and the Redskins is no exception.
This one follows the adventures of self-confessed coward and scoundrel Colonel Sir Harry Flashman in the Wild West. The structure is interesting - there are two completely separate narratives, one charting Flashman’s adventures in 1849 and the other taking place 27 years later. The two narratives are linked quite ingeniously but the links aren’t really clear until quite late in the book.
As usual Flashman becomes involved in momentous events (such as the Battle of the Little Bighorn) and getting mixed up in the machinations of all manner of famous and powerful people, from Kit Carson to Geronimo, from Wild Bill Hickok to Crazy Horse, and not forgetting a certain George Armstrong Custer. He finds himself escorting a wagon train of expensive prostitutes to California and ends up a captive of both the Apache and the Sioux.
Flashman isn’t noticeable braver or nobler this time around than in his previous books but he does seem marginally more competent, and even shows the odd glimpse of what could almost be taken for morality. It’s still great fun though.
This one follows the adventures of self-confessed coward and scoundrel Colonel Sir Harry Flashman in the Wild West. The structure is interesting - there are two completely separate narratives, one charting Flashman’s adventures in 1849 and the other taking place 27 years later. The two narratives are linked quite ingeniously but the links aren’t really clear until quite late in the book.
As usual Flashman becomes involved in momentous events (such as the Battle of the Little Bighorn) and getting mixed up in the machinations of all manner of famous and powerful people, from Kit Carson to Geronimo, from Wild Bill Hickok to Crazy Horse, and not forgetting a certain George Armstrong Custer. He finds himself escorting a wagon train of expensive prostitutes to California and ends up a captive of both the Apache and the Sioux.
Flashman isn’t noticeable braver or nobler this time around than in his previous books but he does seem marginally more competent, and even shows the odd glimpse of what could almost be taken for morality. It’s still great fun though.
March 11, 2015
-Esta vez es el turno de la conquista del Oeste y de parte de las guerras indias.-
Género. Novela.
Lo que nos cuenta. Harry Flashman, tras su epopeya relacionada con los esclavos en Norteamérica, en lugar de volver a su hogar en Gran Bretaña se queda en el nuevo continente por un encuentro desafortunado con alguna de las personas que conoció en su anterior aventura y, tras nuevas peripecias, termina camino a California en una caravana y topándose con los belicosos indios de la zona, llegando incluso a vivir entre ellos. Sexto tomo de la serie de Harry Flashman.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela.
Lo que nos cuenta. Harry Flashman, tras su epopeya relacionada con los esclavos en Norteamérica, en lugar de volver a su hogar en Gran Bretaña se queda en el nuevo continente por un encuentro desafortunado con alguna de las personas que conoció en su anterior aventura y, tras nuevas peripecias, termina camino a California en una caravana y topándose con los belicosos indios de la zona, llegando incluso a vivir entre ellos. Sexto tomo de la serie de Harry Flashman.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
October 18, 2021
This is two books in one. Or so I thought.
Part 1 (The Forty-Niner) was packed with Flashman's lechery and mischief along the Santa Fe trail and with the Glanton gang (the same gents in Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West).
Picking up 27 years later, Part 2 (The Seventy-Sixer) started off as a fine mixture of boredom and high diversion. Flashy's wisecracks were not enough to keep me awake through all the Sioux War setup and backstory. Then bang, Fraser threw a thunderbolt that tied everything together and led to an exciting finale at the Little Bighorn.
Part 1 (The Forty-Niner) was packed with Flashman's lechery and mischief along the Santa Fe trail and with the Glanton gang (the same gents in Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West).
Picking up 27 years later, Part 2 (The Seventy-Sixer) started off as a fine mixture of boredom and high diversion. Flashy's wisecracks were not enough to keep me awake through all the Sioux War setup and backstory. Then bang, Fraser threw a thunderbolt that tied everything together and led to an exciting finale at the Little Bighorn.
March 30, 2008
Stunning. Go now and buy them all - I certainly am!
September 3, 2025
Esta vez trata el libro sobre la batalla de Custer contra los Siux. Creo que es un tema demasiado trillado y no añade gran cosa sobre Flashman
November 16, 2018
Truly a Flashman epic, covering what feels like a mini-series’ worth of adventures and even skipping forward 20+ years halfway through the novel to continue Flashman’s time in America. As completely enjoyable as all the other Flashman books I’ve read (and also as completely unrecommendable due to some for-adults-only content). Fraser must have loved America because he didn’t seem to want Flashman to leave even though the character himself sure had a different opinion about that!
August 19, 2008
They are all excellent but this is my favouriteof Flashy's adventures. If you haven't read them then damn yer eyes and get started!
March 12, 2015
Without question my favorite Flashman novel yet. No doubt this is due to the Old West milieu (two great tastes that taste GREAT together, indeed), but I think I'm also beginning to realize just how terrific the entire series is, which I suppose I ought to have known since a reader as exacting as
Christopher Hitchens
was a big fan.
Like any other Flashman enthusiast, I enjoy the rollicking adventure, the leering salaciousness, and, most especially, the irredeemable blackguardry. But, this time around, it was the penetrating satire that impressed me. Written fourteen years later, Flashman and the Redskins is derivative of but, for my money, superior to Little Big Man (which I adore). Berger and Fraser both get a lot of mileage from dramatic irony, but, I think, because Harry Flashman is so irredeemably awful, Fraser is able to comment even more pointedly and drily than Berger on the dreadful human consequences of Manifest Destiny without coming off as righteous or heavy-handed. "Out of the mouths of cads," I guess.
I don't think I realized, though, until reading a narrative set in times and places I knew a little about, the extraordinary breadth and depth of Fraser's historical erudition (especially impressive since he was a career soldier and not a historian). The end notes to these novels are an essential element of the reading experience and real monuments of amateur scholarship, and, in the present instance, at any rate, they have pointed me toward some exceptionally promising future reading .
Like any other Flashman enthusiast, I enjoy the rollicking adventure, the leering salaciousness, and, most especially, the irredeemable blackguardry. But, this time around, it was the penetrating satire that impressed me. Written fourteen years later, Flashman and the Redskins is derivative of but, for my money, superior to Little Big Man (which I adore). Berger and Fraser both get a lot of mileage from dramatic irony, but, I think, because Harry Flashman is so irredeemably awful, Fraser is able to comment even more pointedly and drily than Berger on the dreadful human consequences of Manifest Destiny without coming off as righteous or heavy-handed. "Out of the mouths of cads," I guess.
I don't think I realized, though, until reading a narrative set in times and places I knew a little about, the extraordinary breadth and depth of Fraser's historical erudition (especially impressive since he was a career soldier and not a historian). The end notes to these novels are an essential element of the reading experience and real monuments of amateur scholarship, and, in the present instance, at any rate, they have pointed me toward some exceptionally promising future reading .
January 18, 2013
While this is seventh within the series chronology, it is second to none in terms of sheer readability, fast-paced action, and fascinating detail. The first half picks up where Flash for Freedom! left off, in 1849 with the great lily-livered cad wanted for murder in New Orleans and taking shelter in -- where else? -- a brothel where the madam is about to pull stakes and head west to capitalize on the Gold Rush. Flashman quickly finds himself battling Plains Indians, trying to survive among a band of scalp hunters, romancing an Apache chief's daughter, and fleeing for his life along the Jornada del Muerto, along the way encountering Kit Carson, Frank Gallatin, Mangas Colorado, and Geronimo. The second half (set in 1976) finds the aging Brit once again in America, where he is gulled into taking a riverboat up the Missouri River to what he thinks will be a business opportunity in North Dakota, with a chance to seduce a striking woman entrepreneur along the way. Tying the halves together is a jaw-dropping honey of a plot twist that puts Flashman right where he needs to be for a first-hand look at Custer's idiocy at the Little Big Horn, ending up in Deadwood to spend some quality time in the company of Wild Bill Hickock. The author, George MacDonald Fraser, has a penchant for Tory provocation that masks his readiness to give all sides in the Indian wars their due -- though Flashman has all the prejudices one would expect of a Victorian jingo, the Apaches and other tribesmen win Flashman's respect, if not his admiration. This novel showcases Flashman -- and Fraser -- in top form.
October 23, 2018
OK, so for me, it should perhaps have been put out as two books, one from the '49 era, and one for twenty-five years later. Hence four stars instead of five.
Right, critique over. The Flashman books are packaged as humorous fiction set in the past, but that really ignores so many other levels. They are an excellent history lesson, they all deal with what is actually a beautiful and enduring love story between Flashy and Elspeth, but the biggest joke is that while Flashman is portrayed as a coward and general cad, he actually isn't. I'd say he responds to danger just like any other normal person, and while he may play the field with various females that cross his path, so do plenty of other literary heroes, and at least our man has the decency not to adopt the double standard that it's OK for chaps to get up to that sort of thing, but not the fillies. Given the times that these books were written, very refreshing. The scene where he meets his son is very touching, and dealt with in a deceptively light way that still shows real emotion. So, read a Flashman novel and yes, you'll laugh your socks off, but read a little deeper and you'll also get a lot more.
This book covers Flashy's adventures in America, taken up in time from the end of Flash for Freedom. He tries to leave America, but can't and ends up as part of a wagon train heading west. There his adventures begin, and after many hair-raising (and scalping) scrapes, he finally wins through and gets home, only to return twenty-five years later, after being 'persuaded' by his good lady, where he faces another set of traumatic episodes.
Right, critique over. The Flashman books are packaged as humorous fiction set in the past, but that really ignores so many other levels. They are an excellent history lesson, they all deal with what is actually a beautiful and enduring love story between Flashy and Elspeth, but the biggest joke is that while Flashman is portrayed as a coward and general cad, he actually isn't. I'd say he responds to danger just like any other normal person, and while he may play the field with various females that cross his path, so do plenty of other literary heroes, and at least our man has the decency not to adopt the double standard that it's OK for chaps to get up to that sort of thing, but not the fillies. Given the times that these books were written, very refreshing. The scene where he meets his son is very touching, and dealt with in a deceptively light way that still shows real emotion. So, read a Flashman novel and yes, you'll laugh your socks off, but read a little deeper and you'll also get a lot more.
This book covers Flashy's adventures in America, taken up in time from the end of Flash for Freedom. He tries to leave America, but can't and ends up as part of a wagon train heading west. There his adventures begin, and after many hair-raising (and scalping) scrapes, he finally wins through and gets home, only to return twenty-five years later, after being 'persuaded' by his good lady, where he faces another set of traumatic episodes.
August 22, 2009
Flash is a very, very bad person... not evil, but bad in the self-absorbed, impulsive, screw-other-people over sense. I should also add that I haven't laughed so hard while reading a book in the last year. Kudos for creating an anti-hero in the historical fiction genre.
April 16, 2011
Outstanding... and Flashy gets a teeny, tiny bit of a heart somewhere along the way. Great twists (one I should have seen coming!) and loved the development of his relationship with his true love, Elspeth.
March 19, 2018
"FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" (1982) Book Review
Set during the Old West of 1849-50 and the mid 1870s, "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" has the distinction of being the first novel in the Flashman Papers series to begin outside of Great Britain. It will not be the last, but it certainly was the first. Penned by George MacDonald Fraser and published in 1982, the novel also happens to be my favorite in the series.
Since this particular novel happened to be an immediate follow-up to Fraser's third novel, "FLASH FOR FREEDOM!", "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" began where the 1971 novel had ended – on the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana in the early spring of 1849. British Army officer Harry Flashman had just testified at Captain John Charity Spring's trial, enabling the psychotic sea captain to avoid being convicted for slave trading in U.S. waters. In return, Spring agreed to provide Flashman passage back to England. Unfortunately for both men, Fate had a different path in mind when they encountered one of Flashman’s old nemesis at a local saloon – a slave trader/planter named Peter Omohundro, whom young Flashy had encountered on a northbound Mississippi River steamboat several months ago. After Spring killed the aggressively suspicious Omohundro during a brutal saloon fight, he and Flashman ended up seeking refuge with another one of Flashy’s past acquaintances from "FLASH FOR FREEDOM!" - the red-haired Cockney-born madam named Susie Wilnick. Flashman’s reunion with Susie proved to be just as sensuous as their last encounter. After a few bouts of sex, Susie asked him to marry. Lacking in any morals, yet providing a great deal of practicality, Flashman accepted her proposal. And being a steel-minded businesswoman, Susie dealt with the insane Captain Spring in the following manner, during supper.
I have been a fan of the Flashman novels for many years. But there are a few of them I would describe as truly epic. In my opinion, one of those epic novels happened to be "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS". Fraser did a superb job in capturing the breath and scope of the American West in both the late 1840s and mid 1870s. His description of Flashman's wagon train journey from Independence to Santa Fe that included a hair-raising interlude at Bent’s Fort was a masterpiece. I can also say the same for the sequence that featured Flashman’s harrowing escape from the Mimbreno Apaches across the New Mexico desert, featured in the last chapters of Part One.
Fraser wrote this particular saga in two parts. Part One, entitled "The Forty-Niner", covered Flashman’s experiences in the United States and the Far West between 1849 and 1850. In this section, Flashman’s "marriage" to Susie Wilnick (he already had his wife Elspeth waiting for him back home in England) led to him becoming a wagon train emigrant and de facto captain during the period known as the California Gold Rush; the lover of Cleonie, one of Susie's slave whores; manger of Susie's Santa Fe whorehouse; a scalp hunter under the leadership of one John Joel Glanton (known to Flashman as “Gallantin”) in New Mexico's Del Norte Valley; and eventually the son-in-law of the Mimbreno Apache chief, Mangas Colorado; and husband of the latter's precious daughter, Sonsee-Array aka Takes Away Cloud Woman. After six months with his bride and her Apache relatives, which included the famous Geronimo, Flashman finally makes his escape and head northeast. While being chased by Apache warriors through the grueling Jornada Del Muerto desert, he is rescued by the famous Western tracker and guide, Kit Carson.
Part Two – called "The Seventy-Sixer" - was set between 1875 and 1876. It centered on Flashman and his wife Elspeth’s visit to the United for the Centennial celebration. The journey not only led to a series of reunions with acquaintances from the American Civil War, but also with those Flashman had met during his first visit to the West. Flashman's reunion with a Sioux leader named Spotted Tail led directly to one with an old lover out for revenge and his minor participation in the Battle of Little Bighorn with Custer and the Seventh Calvary. Flashman's visit also led to his acquaintance of a young man who managed to – not quite break his heart – but tweak it a bit.
In my review of "FLASH FOR FREEDOM", I had complained of Fraser’s uneven portrayal of antebellum United States. I have no such complaints for this novel. Fraser did a much superior job in describing the antebellum United States and especially the West. In fact, I cannot recall finding any evidence of uneven pacing or historical inaccuracies, as I had done in the 1971 novel. What I really enjoyed about this novel was Fraser's feel for both the novel’s period and landscape. One of his best passages featured his description of Kanzas Landing, Independence, and Westport (now Kansas City) in Missouri during the spring of 1849.
Flashman’s first meeting Sonsee-Array – Mangas Colorado's youngest daughter – struck an interesting note with me. It made me realize how much Flashman's character had matured in the eight to nine years since his adventures in Afghanistan. In the first novel, 1969's "FLASHMAN", the 19 year-old British officer had an encounter with an Afghan dancer named Narameen that led to her being raped by him. Narameen also happened to be the lover of one of his enemies. Eight years later, while in the company of John Joel Glanton and his scalphunters, Flashman met the Apache chief's daughter. First, he managed to save her from being raped by an Irishman he disliked named Grattan Nugent-Hare. When offered to "take her" himself, Flashman handled the situation with a lot more delicacy than he did with Narameen.
I found it ironic that his actions in "FLASHMAN" nearly cost Flashman his life on two separate occasions. Yet, in "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS", his actions ended up saving him and leading him to becoming husband to another, namely Sonsee-Array and son-in-law to Mangas Colorado. One of the novel's funniest passages featured Flashman's conversation with the Apache chief. I would include the conversation if I could, but it is rather long and would be better appreciated in its full glory, if read.
Before one starts thinking that Harry Flashman had learned to treat women with more respect by the age of 27, consider his earlier behavior toward Cleonie – one of Susie Wilnick's mulatto prostitutes. The two had begun an affair during the wagon train journey along the Santa Fe Trail and continued it in Santa Fe. Cleonie, who had the bad luck (and stupidity) to fall in love with Flashy; proposed that they abandon Susie and head for El Paso, Texas. He agreed. Being the complete black-hearted villain, Flashman sold Cleonie to a priest acting as an agent for a Navaho chieftain on the night of their departure for two thousand dollars. It took Cleonie nearly twenty-seven years to seek revenge for his betrayal in Part Two of the novel.
The novel's second half featured some interesting aspects in the story. One of the novel’s funnier moments dealt with Flashman's reunions with Army officers he had met during the American Civil War – including some humorous descriptions of William Sherman and Philip Sheridan. But nothing quite beat Flashman's reunion with the infamous George Armstrong Custer. Fraser best described the American Army officer’s over-the-top personality with the Flashmans' visit to a New York theater with Custer and his family. In fact, during the Flashmans' first dinner with the Custers, the emotional George Armstrong got on Flashy's nerves with his constant complaints about his superiors in Washington and warbling about the Englishman's own military service. Flashman responded by having a little sport with Custer's ego in this hilarious scene at a New York restaurant.
Although Part Two seemed to lack the epic scope of Part One, it did feature some memorable passages. In Part One, Flashman met several Sioux warriors on the journey west, through trail guide Dick Wootton. One of them was a future leader named Spotted Tail. Part Two featured a series of events that began with Flashman's reunion with the Sioux leader Spotted Tail in Chicago, Illinois and one of his braves, Standing Bear. Thanks to that particular reunion, our fearful hero attracted the attention of a businesswoman named Mrs. Arthur B. Candy. She wanted to use Flashman's fame in a land scheme in the Dakota Territories and invited to join her in an excursion to the area.
Flashman and Mrs. Candy's journey to the Dakota Territory was not very interesting, despite accompanying George Custer and the Seventh Calvary. But it did feature a colorful description of cavalry troopers boarding a Powder River steamboat in order to continue their journey to the Greasy Grass country. More importantly, Flashman discovered that he had become a target of revenge. Mrs. Candy turned out to be none other than Cleonie, the former lover he had sold to the Navaho. Through her, he ended up becoming a captive of the Sioux on the eve of the Little Bighorn Battle at Greasy Grass. How Fraser's "intrepid" hero ended up escaping the Sioux and participating in the infamous battle featured an interesting little scene involving him and a real life Sioux woman named Walking Blanket Woman.
Although Flashman managed to survive the battle, he ended up as a prisoner of one Frank Grouard, who was known to the Sioux as Standing Bear. According to Fraser’s novel, Grouard turned out to be Harry and Cleonie's son, who has spent most of his years being raised by the Navaho and later, the Sioux. What Fraser did was take the historical figure of Frank Grouard – the son of a Tahitian woman and an American missionary – and incorporated him into Flashy and Cleonie's illegitimate son. However, Cleonie’s revenge plot fell to pieces, due to her son. Due to his dislike of her (and I do not blame him), Frank decided to spare his black-hearted father. And both father and son not only discovered that they shared similar traits, they also took a shining to each other. "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" featured that rare occasion in which Flashy had ever expressed any kind of emotion or regard for one of his offspring. When Frank decided to reject his offer to be officially recognized as his son, the two parted in one of the most touching scenes written by Fraser.
Although the novel featured a vast array of historical figures that included Dick Wootton, Spotted Tail John Joel Glanton, Mangas Colorado, Geromino, Kit Carson, Ulysses S. Grant, Frank Grouard, Crazy Horse and most memorably, George Armstrong Custer; Fraser did not fail his readers in providing some interesting fictional characters. Since the novel had picked up where "FLASHY FOR FREEDOM!" left off, Fraser allowed his readers to briefly reacquaint themselves with one of his best creations, the infamous Captain John Charity Springs. Another veteran from "FLASHY FOR FREEDOM!" turned out to be the Cockney-born New Orleans madam, Susie Wilnick, who had a larger role in this novel as Flash Harry’s 3rd or 4th wife (I lost count). I adored Susie. She was a sentimental, sensual and hard-headed businesswoman. She knew Harry for the rogue he truly was, but did not care. Even when she suspected him of sleeping around her stable of whores, she managed to pay him back by sleeping with the head of their teamsters – an Irish-born former Army officer named Grattan Nugent-Hare. Nugent-Hare turned out to be another interesting character created by Fraser. Although soft-spoken and practical, he turned out to be another rogue (who had left Santa Fe with some of Susie’s money) – only he lacked Harry's sense of style. Flashman's second bride in the novel turned out to be the Apache princess, Sonsee-Array aka Takes Away Clouds Woman – Mangas Colorado fictional daughter. She was an interesting, yet haughty and demanding thing who fully appreciated Harry’s sexual prowess. The real Mrs. Harry Flashman (namely Elspeth) had a major role in the novel's second half. And she was just as charming, sexy and simple-minded as ever – even in her early fifties. There are times when I suspect that Elspeth might not be as stupid as she appears to be. I really enjoyed reading Harry's suspicions that she may have had a tumble in the grass with Spotted Tail during a conference between the U.S. government and the Sioux and Cheyenne nations.
One last fictional character that played a major role in "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" was Cleonie Grouard, one of Susie's prostitute slaves. She first caught Flashman's attention during the wagon journey from Independence to Santa Fe. Once their affair had caught hold, Flashman ignored Susie's other whores and focused his attention upon her, impressed by her style and looks. It did not take Cleonie very long to put down Flashy's one time tumble with another slave named Aphrodite. While their affair continued in Santa Fe, Cleonie also exposed Flashman's lack of any real love for Susie.
I found it interesting that Cleonie was shrewd and clever enough to spot Flashman's true feelings regarding the other prostitutes he had slept with and Susie . . . and yet, she failed to sense his lack of any love toward her. Had love on her part truly blinded her? Perhaps. I also suspect that Cleonie's own ego and pride made it difficult for her to even consider that Flashy felt the same about her, as he did about Susie, Aphrodite or any of the other whores in Susie's stable. I am not saying that she deserved the fate that Flashman had dished out to her – being sold to the Navahos and enduring five years of captivity. She did not. And Flashman certainly deserved the fright that he had endured from of her vengeance, some 27 years later. But . . . I have never liked Cleonie. Not really. My dislike has nothing to do with some belief that she was a poorly created character. On the contrary. I believe that Fraser did an exceptional job in creating her character. But after reading "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" for the umpteenth time, I cannot help but feel that she was one egotistical bitch.
Do I have any quibbles about "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS"? Well . . . yes. Although well written and with a strong finish, the novel's second half is not as strong or epic as the first half. Flashman's adventures at Bent's Fort in the novel's first half led to the fort’s destruction and his meeting with a group of mountain men. And here is where Fraser nearly grounded the novel to a halt by devoting a page-and-a-half to the mountain men’s dialect, which the author described as "plug-a-plew". I would give more samples of their dialect, but frankly Fraser had provided too much of it, by allowing the mountain men to reminisce about Bent’s Fort in a conversation that nearly lasted two pages. Honestly, I really could have done without it. Also, was it really necessary to use a historical figure like Frank Grouard as the love child of Flashman and Cleonie - two fictional characters? I realize that Fraser must have found his character fascinating, but . . . he could have easily created another fictional character to serve as their son.
I also had a problem with the route Fraser had chosen for Flashman and Susie to take to California. Early in the novel, Susie made it clear that she planned to relocate her establishment to Sacramento, California. And how did Susie plan to move her establishment from New Orleans to Sacramento?
"Why, up to Westport an' across by carriage to – where is it? – Santa Fe, an' then to San Diego."
All I can ask is . . . why? Why did Fraser have Flashman and Susie attempt that convoluted trail from New Orleans to Sacramento? They could have easily traveled by steamboat from New Orleans to the Red River and later, to Texas. From Texas, they could have traveled to Santa Fe in New Mexico. And from Santa Fe, they could have traveled along the Gila River Trail to San Diego, California. All they had to do was travel up the coast to San Francisco and later, Sacramento. Or . . . . a less convoluted route could have taken them upriver to St. Louis, Missouri. From there, they could have taken another steamboat across Missouri River to Westport. From there, all they had to do was following the Oregon Trail to Fort Hall in present-day Idaho and take the California Trail all the way to Sutter's Fort. From there, they would have an easy journey from Sutter's Fort to Sacramento. Instead, Fraser laid out a more convoluted route. And I suspect that he did so in order for Flashman to be captured by the Mimbreno Apaches and spend six months with them.
I could easily consider "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" as my favorite novel in the Flashman Papers series, due to its setting. After all, I have always been a big aficionado of the history of the American West. And I will admit that the novel’s setting is one of the reasons why I have enjoyed it so much. The novel does have its share of small problems. I believe that Fraser got carried away in his description of mountain men following the scene that featured the destruction of Bent’s Fort. If I must be honest, I believe that the author went a bit too far in using a historical figure like Frank Grouard as the son of Flashman and Cleonie – two fictional characters. I thought it was unnecessary. Susie's planned route from New Orleans to Sacramento, via Santa Fe and San Diego, seemed convoluted. And the second half is not as interesting as the first half (a common flaw in many Flashman novels). But "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" is a delicious and well-written saga filled with fascinating historical figures like Mangas Colorado and George Armstrong Custer; as well as interesting and well-written fictional characters such as Susie Wilnick, Grattan Nugent-Hare and Cleonie Grouard. The novel also offered a well-documented look at the United States – especially the American West - before and after the Civil War. Quite frankly, I consider it to be one of George MacDonald Fraser's finest works.
Set during the Old West of 1849-50 and the mid 1870s, "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" has the distinction of being the first novel in the Flashman Papers series to begin outside of Great Britain. It will not be the last, but it certainly was the first. Penned by George MacDonald Fraser and published in 1982, the novel also happens to be my favorite in the series.
Since this particular novel happened to be an immediate follow-up to Fraser's third novel, "FLASH FOR FREEDOM!", "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" began where the 1971 novel had ended – on the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana in the early spring of 1849. British Army officer Harry Flashman had just testified at Captain John Charity Spring's trial, enabling the psychotic sea captain to avoid being convicted for slave trading in U.S. waters. In return, Spring agreed to provide Flashman passage back to England. Unfortunately for both men, Fate had a different path in mind when they encountered one of Flashman’s old nemesis at a local saloon – a slave trader/planter named Peter Omohundro, whom young Flashy had encountered on a northbound Mississippi River steamboat several months ago. After Spring killed the aggressively suspicious Omohundro during a brutal saloon fight, he and Flashman ended up seeking refuge with another one of Flashy’s past acquaintances from "FLASH FOR FREEDOM!" - the red-haired Cockney-born madam named Susie Wilnick. Flashman’s reunion with Susie proved to be just as sensuous as their last encounter. After a few bouts of sex, Susie asked him to marry. Lacking in any morals, yet providing a great deal of practicality, Flashman accepted her proposal. And being a steel-minded businesswoman, Susie dealt with the insane Captain Spring in the following manner, during supper.
I have been a fan of the Flashman novels for many years. But there are a few of them I would describe as truly epic. In my opinion, one of those epic novels happened to be "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS". Fraser did a superb job in capturing the breath and scope of the American West in both the late 1840s and mid 1870s. His description of Flashman's wagon train journey from Independence to Santa Fe that included a hair-raising interlude at Bent’s Fort was a masterpiece. I can also say the same for the sequence that featured Flashman’s harrowing escape from the Mimbreno Apaches across the New Mexico desert, featured in the last chapters of Part One.
Fraser wrote this particular saga in two parts. Part One, entitled "The Forty-Niner", covered Flashman’s experiences in the United States and the Far West between 1849 and 1850. In this section, Flashman’s "marriage" to Susie Wilnick (he already had his wife Elspeth waiting for him back home in England) led to him becoming a wagon train emigrant and de facto captain during the period known as the California Gold Rush; the lover of Cleonie, one of Susie's slave whores; manger of Susie's Santa Fe whorehouse; a scalp hunter under the leadership of one John Joel Glanton (known to Flashman as “Gallantin”) in New Mexico's Del Norte Valley; and eventually the son-in-law of the Mimbreno Apache chief, Mangas Colorado; and husband of the latter's precious daughter, Sonsee-Array aka Takes Away Cloud Woman. After six months with his bride and her Apache relatives, which included the famous Geronimo, Flashman finally makes his escape and head northeast. While being chased by Apache warriors through the grueling Jornada Del Muerto desert, he is rescued by the famous Western tracker and guide, Kit Carson.
Part Two – called "The Seventy-Sixer" - was set between 1875 and 1876. It centered on Flashman and his wife Elspeth’s visit to the United for the Centennial celebration. The journey not only led to a series of reunions with acquaintances from the American Civil War, but also with those Flashman had met during his first visit to the West. Flashman's reunion with a Sioux leader named Spotted Tail led directly to one with an old lover out for revenge and his minor participation in the Battle of Little Bighorn with Custer and the Seventh Calvary. Flashman's visit also led to his acquaintance of a young man who managed to – not quite break his heart – but tweak it a bit.
In my review of "FLASH FOR FREEDOM", I had complained of Fraser’s uneven portrayal of antebellum United States. I have no such complaints for this novel. Fraser did a much superior job in describing the antebellum United States and especially the West. In fact, I cannot recall finding any evidence of uneven pacing or historical inaccuracies, as I had done in the 1971 novel. What I really enjoyed about this novel was Fraser's feel for both the novel’s period and landscape. One of his best passages featured his description of Kanzas Landing, Independence, and Westport (now Kansas City) in Missouri during the spring of 1849.
Flashman’s first meeting Sonsee-Array – Mangas Colorado's youngest daughter – struck an interesting note with me. It made me realize how much Flashman's character had matured in the eight to nine years since his adventures in Afghanistan. In the first novel, 1969's "FLASHMAN", the 19 year-old British officer had an encounter with an Afghan dancer named Narameen that led to her being raped by him. Narameen also happened to be the lover of one of his enemies. Eight years later, while in the company of John Joel Glanton and his scalphunters, Flashman met the Apache chief's daughter. First, he managed to save her from being raped by an Irishman he disliked named Grattan Nugent-Hare. When offered to "take her" himself, Flashman handled the situation with a lot more delicacy than he did with Narameen.
I found it ironic that his actions in "FLASHMAN" nearly cost Flashman his life on two separate occasions. Yet, in "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS", his actions ended up saving him and leading him to becoming husband to another, namely Sonsee-Array and son-in-law to Mangas Colorado. One of the novel's funniest passages featured Flashman's conversation with the Apache chief. I would include the conversation if I could, but it is rather long and would be better appreciated in its full glory, if read.
Before one starts thinking that Harry Flashman had learned to treat women with more respect by the age of 27, consider his earlier behavior toward Cleonie – one of Susie Wilnick's mulatto prostitutes. The two had begun an affair during the wagon train journey along the Santa Fe Trail and continued it in Santa Fe. Cleonie, who had the bad luck (and stupidity) to fall in love with Flashy; proposed that they abandon Susie and head for El Paso, Texas. He agreed. Being the complete black-hearted villain, Flashman sold Cleonie to a priest acting as an agent for a Navaho chieftain on the night of their departure for two thousand dollars. It took Cleonie nearly twenty-seven years to seek revenge for his betrayal in Part Two of the novel.
The novel's second half featured some interesting aspects in the story. One of the novel’s funnier moments dealt with Flashman's reunions with Army officers he had met during the American Civil War – including some humorous descriptions of William Sherman and Philip Sheridan. But nothing quite beat Flashman's reunion with the infamous George Armstrong Custer. Fraser best described the American Army officer’s over-the-top personality with the Flashmans' visit to a New York theater with Custer and his family. In fact, during the Flashmans' first dinner with the Custers, the emotional George Armstrong got on Flashy's nerves with his constant complaints about his superiors in Washington and warbling about the Englishman's own military service. Flashman responded by having a little sport with Custer's ego in this hilarious scene at a New York restaurant.
Although Part Two seemed to lack the epic scope of Part One, it did feature some memorable passages. In Part One, Flashman met several Sioux warriors on the journey west, through trail guide Dick Wootton. One of them was a future leader named Spotted Tail. Part Two featured a series of events that began with Flashman's reunion with the Sioux leader Spotted Tail in Chicago, Illinois and one of his braves, Standing Bear. Thanks to that particular reunion, our fearful hero attracted the attention of a businesswoman named Mrs. Arthur B. Candy. She wanted to use Flashman's fame in a land scheme in the Dakota Territories and invited to join her in an excursion to the area.
Flashman and Mrs. Candy's journey to the Dakota Territory was not very interesting, despite accompanying George Custer and the Seventh Calvary. But it did feature a colorful description of cavalry troopers boarding a Powder River steamboat in order to continue their journey to the Greasy Grass country. More importantly, Flashman discovered that he had become a target of revenge. Mrs. Candy turned out to be none other than Cleonie, the former lover he had sold to the Navaho. Through her, he ended up becoming a captive of the Sioux on the eve of the Little Bighorn Battle at Greasy Grass. How Fraser's "intrepid" hero ended up escaping the Sioux and participating in the infamous battle featured an interesting little scene involving him and a real life Sioux woman named Walking Blanket Woman.
Although Flashman managed to survive the battle, he ended up as a prisoner of one Frank Grouard, who was known to the Sioux as Standing Bear. According to Fraser’s novel, Grouard turned out to be Harry and Cleonie's son, who has spent most of his years being raised by the Navaho and later, the Sioux. What Fraser did was take the historical figure of Frank Grouard – the son of a Tahitian woman and an American missionary – and incorporated him into Flashy and Cleonie's illegitimate son. However, Cleonie’s revenge plot fell to pieces, due to her son. Due to his dislike of her (and I do not blame him), Frank decided to spare his black-hearted father. And both father and son not only discovered that they shared similar traits, they also took a shining to each other. "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" featured that rare occasion in which Flashy had ever expressed any kind of emotion or regard for one of his offspring. When Frank decided to reject his offer to be officially recognized as his son, the two parted in one of the most touching scenes written by Fraser.
Although the novel featured a vast array of historical figures that included Dick Wootton, Spotted Tail John Joel Glanton, Mangas Colorado, Geromino, Kit Carson, Ulysses S. Grant, Frank Grouard, Crazy Horse and most memorably, George Armstrong Custer; Fraser did not fail his readers in providing some interesting fictional characters. Since the novel had picked up where "FLASHY FOR FREEDOM!" left off, Fraser allowed his readers to briefly reacquaint themselves with one of his best creations, the infamous Captain John Charity Springs. Another veteran from "FLASHY FOR FREEDOM!" turned out to be the Cockney-born New Orleans madam, Susie Wilnick, who had a larger role in this novel as Flash Harry’s 3rd or 4th wife (I lost count). I adored Susie. She was a sentimental, sensual and hard-headed businesswoman. She knew Harry for the rogue he truly was, but did not care. Even when she suspected him of sleeping around her stable of whores, she managed to pay him back by sleeping with the head of their teamsters – an Irish-born former Army officer named Grattan Nugent-Hare. Nugent-Hare turned out to be another interesting character created by Fraser. Although soft-spoken and practical, he turned out to be another rogue (who had left Santa Fe with some of Susie’s money) – only he lacked Harry's sense of style. Flashman's second bride in the novel turned out to be the Apache princess, Sonsee-Array aka Takes Away Clouds Woman – Mangas Colorado fictional daughter. She was an interesting, yet haughty and demanding thing who fully appreciated Harry’s sexual prowess. The real Mrs. Harry Flashman (namely Elspeth) had a major role in the novel's second half. And she was just as charming, sexy and simple-minded as ever – even in her early fifties. There are times when I suspect that Elspeth might not be as stupid as she appears to be. I really enjoyed reading Harry's suspicions that she may have had a tumble in the grass with Spotted Tail during a conference between the U.S. government and the Sioux and Cheyenne nations.
One last fictional character that played a major role in "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" was Cleonie Grouard, one of Susie's prostitute slaves. She first caught Flashman's attention during the wagon journey from Independence to Santa Fe. Once their affair had caught hold, Flashman ignored Susie's other whores and focused his attention upon her, impressed by her style and looks. It did not take Cleonie very long to put down Flashy's one time tumble with another slave named Aphrodite. While their affair continued in Santa Fe, Cleonie also exposed Flashman's lack of any real love for Susie.
I found it interesting that Cleonie was shrewd and clever enough to spot Flashman's true feelings regarding the other prostitutes he had slept with and Susie . . . and yet, she failed to sense his lack of any love toward her. Had love on her part truly blinded her? Perhaps. I also suspect that Cleonie's own ego and pride made it difficult for her to even consider that Flashy felt the same about her, as he did about Susie, Aphrodite or any of the other whores in Susie's stable. I am not saying that she deserved the fate that Flashman had dished out to her – being sold to the Navahos and enduring five years of captivity. She did not. And Flashman certainly deserved the fright that he had endured from of her vengeance, some 27 years later. But . . . I have never liked Cleonie. Not really. My dislike has nothing to do with some belief that she was a poorly created character. On the contrary. I believe that Fraser did an exceptional job in creating her character. But after reading "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" for the umpteenth time, I cannot help but feel that she was one egotistical bitch.
Do I have any quibbles about "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS"? Well . . . yes. Although well written and with a strong finish, the novel's second half is not as strong or epic as the first half. Flashman's adventures at Bent's Fort in the novel's first half led to the fort’s destruction and his meeting with a group of mountain men. And here is where Fraser nearly grounded the novel to a halt by devoting a page-and-a-half to the mountain men’s dialect, which the author described as "plug-a-plew". I would give more samples of their dialect, but frankly Fraser had provided too much of it, by allowing the mountain men to reminisce about Bent’s Fort in a conversation that nearly lasted two pages. Honestly, I really could have done without it. Also, was it really necessary to use a historical figure like Frank Grouard as the love child of Flashman and Cleonie - two fictional characters? I realize that Fraser must have found his character fascinating, but . . . he could have easily created another fictional character to serve as their son.
I also had a problem with the route Fraser had chosen for Flashman and Susie to take to California. Early in the novel, Susie made it clear that she planned to relocate her establishment to Sacramento, California. And how did Susie plan to move her establishment from New Orleans to Sacramento?
"Why, up to Westport an' across by carriage to – where is it? – Santa Fe, an' then to San Diego."
All I can ask is . . . why? Why did Fraser have Flashman and Susie attempt that convoluted trail from New Orleans to Sacramento? They could have easily traveled by steamboat from New Orleans to the Red River and later, to Texas. From Texas, they could have traveled to Santa Fe in New Mexico. And from Santa Fe, they could have traveled along the Gila River Trail to San Diego, California. All they had to do was travel up the coast to San Francisco and later, Sacramento. Or . . . . a less convoluted route could have taken them upriver to St. Louis, Missouri. From there, they could have taken another steamboat across Missouri River to Westport. From there, all they had to do was following the Oregon Trail to Fort Hall in present-day Idaho and take the California Trail all the way to Sutter's Fort. From there, they would have an easy journey from Sutter's Fort to Sacramento. Instead, Fraser laid out a more convoluted route. And I suspect that he did so in order for Flashman to be captured by the Mimbreno Apaches and spend six months with them.
I could easily consider "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" as my favorite novel in the Flashman Papers series, due to its setting. After all, I have always been a big aficionado of the history of the American West. And I will admit that the novel’s setting is one of the reasons why I have enjoyed it so much. The novel does have its share of small problems. I believe that Fraser got carried away in his description of mountain men following the scene that featured the destruction of Bent’s Fort. If I must be honest, I believe that the author went a bit too far in using a historical figure like Frank Grouard as the son of Flashman and Cleonie – two fictional characters. I thought it was unnecessary. Susie's planned route from New Orleans to Sacramento, via Santa Fe and San Diego, seemed convoluted. And the second half is not as interesting as the first half (a common flaw in many Flashman novels). But "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" is a delicious and well-written saga filled with fascinating historical figures like Mangas Colorado and George Armstrong Custer; as well as interesting and well-written fictional characters such as Susie Wilnick, Grattan Nugent-Hare and Cleonie Grouard. The novel also offered a well-documented look at the United States – especially the American West - before and after the Civil War. Quite frankly, I consider it to be one of George MacDonald Fraser's finest works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2024
Maybe my favorite Flashman? Or at least up there. Nice how GMF ties in together over 20 years of Flashman's life. The poignancy and fun history tidbits were very good here (which Flashman's Lady missed a little bit)
August 31, 2025
Un libro más de Flashman. Muy ameno y que a pesar de lo canalla que es el protagonista no puedes dejar de leerlo. Esta vez tiene que irse con las caravanas para cruzar el oeste para llegar a California en plena fiebre del oro. Él se va con una madam de prostíbulo que intenta abrir su negocio con un montón de mulatas esclavas en San Francisco. No obstante, al Pasar por Nuevo Méjico, descubre que no es necesario llegar a California para hacerse rico, que en la misma Santa Fe lo pudes conseguir. Me ha gsutado bastante la convivencia con los apaches, tanto con Mangas Coloradas como con Jerónimo
March 12, 2023
Not the best in the series, could easily have been two shorter more engaging books.
March 15, 2013
As splendid as always! I've said it before, but it bears repeating: Harry Flashman is the best-realised antihero ever. This installment details two of his adventures in America's wild west, one set in 1849, and the other in 1876. The events of the first episode do set the stage for the second, but they read like two quite separate stories.
I enjoyed this book immensely: the action is vivid and humorous, the historical anecdotes and name-dropping are liberal, and we're left in no doubt as to Flashman's opinions of the personages and situations in which he finds himself. In both tales, Flashman finds himself captive of different native American groups. I particularly enjoyed his observations of frontier life in the first half, both of the Apache, and of the European frontiersmen and bounty hunters.
In context (these are adventure stories) the disjunction between the two halves of the book didn't bother me, but elsewhere it might. I don't think Flashman and the Redskins holds together as a novel particularly well, but it works just fine as two related novellas. More than fine! This really is Flashman at his best! :)
I enjoyed this book immensely: the action is vivid and humorous, the historical anecdotes and name-dropping are liberal, and we're left in no doubt as to Flashman's opinions of the personages and situations in which he finds himself. In both tales, Flashman finds himself captive of different native American groups. I particularly enjoyed his observations of frontier life in the first half, both of the Apache, and of the European frontiersmen and bounty hunters.
In context (these are adventure stories) the disjunction between the two halves of the book didn't bother me, but elsewhere it might. I don't think Flashman and the Redskins holds together as a novel particularly well, but it works just fine as two related novellas. More than fine! This really is Flashman at his best! :)
January 8, 2015
The irascible Flashman relates two seemingly unrelated adventures in the American West circa 1849 and 1875 which Fraser ties together brilliantly via a well realized connecting thread I didn't see coming. The alternate history of plainsman Frank Grouard was pleasing and the parting of Flashman and Frank got me a little misty eyed. Once again Fraser has a lot of fun letting Flashman be a bastard throughout history, but kicks him in the hind end in the last pages as the fruits this consummate cad has sown come around. Just as Flashman the womanizer suffers the infidelity of his one true love, his wife, he is here denied the simple pleasure of a relationship with a son he feels pride in.
The historicity is as impeccable and well-documented as ever. Flashman continues to bump into every person of note from Caitlin to Kit Carson in his dizzying western adventures, and insinuates himself into the lore of Bent's Fort and The Little Bighorn.
The historicity is as impeccable and well-documented as ever. Flashman continues to bump into every person of note from Caitlin to Kit Carson in his dizzying western adventures, and insinuates himself into the lore of Bent's Fort and The Little Bighorn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2019
The Flashman books are full of racial slurs of every kind, but I believe this is the only entry to have one on the cover. Even in a series whose deliberate project is to be offensive, and to satirize the white supremacist Victorian adventure genre, it seems in poor taste.
Needless to say, I didn't read this one outside the house or leave it lying around when company came by. And it was probably my least favorite of the series so far, despite a few classic Flashy moments. It was a little too disjointed, with too many characters, settings, and time periods, and just isn't as cleverly and tightly plotted as some of the other books.
As always, it's a first-rate history lesson, provided you can think critically about what you're reading, but it becomes overwhelmed at times by the "historical" part of historical novel, to the detriment of the "novel." Fraser is usually a master at balancing the two, but here he slips a bit.
Needless to say, I didn't read this one outside the house or leave it lying around when company came by. And it was probably my least favorite of the series so far, despite a few classic Flashy moments. It was a little too disjointed, with too many characters, settings, and time periods, and just isn't as cleverly and tightly plotted as some of the other books.
As always, it's a first-rate history lesson, provided you can think critically about what you're reading, but it becomes overwhelmed at times by the "historical" part of historical novel, to the detriment of the "novel." Fraser is usually a master at balancing the two, but here he slips a bit.
September 8, 2009
I have been reading the Flashman papers over the past 3 or so years. I got into them as an ex pat and with a lack of english reading material a co worker brought these in. What can I say if you have read one rollicking amoral or is he more immoral Flashman tale you have read them all.
Once again the authour builds on the real history nicely giving a more expanded detail in several pages of appendixes. Flashman has an adventure in the old west from its beginnings of the Indian wars to the end. And strangely once again is an unknown participate in great events.
All in all no different from other books in the series and a nice easy and informative way to spend a couple of hours.
Once again the authour builds on the real history nicely giving a more expanded detail in several pages of appendixes. Flashman has an adventure in the old west from its beginnings of the Indian wars to the end. And strangely once again is an unknown participate in great events.
All in all no different from other books in the series and a nice easy and informative way to spend a couple of hours.
February 25, 2010
In which Flashy (for about ten days) finds he has a heart after all. Fraser's several lovingly-rendered rides through the last of the Old West (plus Susie's remarkable baggage) make the book. Fraser comes closer to answering the core question of all good historical fiction ("But what was it like, to be there?") than many Serious Novelists, His best romps have a bracing rage that lifts them from farce to clear-eyed social commentary, thanks to the most unreliable narrator in modern fiction.
October 13, 2010
I'll let this one stand in for the series. If Huck Finn was an upper-class Brit with a sense of entitlement, a hunger for women and a yellow streak, he'd be Harry Flashman. And if you think that unsavory description can't be the hero of a great series--as well as a guide through a hilariously entertaining trip through the history of the late 1800's, then you haven't read these books. Fraser was a wonder.
April 15, 2024
Flashy pulls Don Quixote’s pants down. This is a book that captures the imagination of absolutely no one, asks a bunch of questions no one ever asked, and runs with a plot that entraps itself in its own stupidity, and then has the audacity to offer you this motivational nonsense:
“Life ain’t a bed of roses, and you must just pluck the thorns out of your rump and get on”
Flashy telling us to ‘soldier on’? GMF middles it once again.
“Life ain’t a bed of roses, and you must just pluck the thorns out of your rump and get on”
Flashy telling us to ‘soldier on’? GMF middles it once again.
May 11, 2021
After seven books, what new things can I say about Flashman? Flashman and the Redskins is the same brilliant mix of laugh-out-loud lecherous comedy, rip-roaring adventure, prime historical fiction and just darn good storytelling as the previous six books.
Redskins is not up there with the best of the series, but my love for the books grows with every page; perhaps it's because I know there's only five more to go, or perhaps it's just because Fraser's quality of writing is so consistently high. His writing skill is tested here, as Redskins is, in contrast to previous books, two separate stories set decades apart (think of it, in a way, as two novellas rather than a novel, though the stories are linked). This means there is a bit of a disconnect on the reader's part: no sooner has the first part ended (and it does end rather abruptly) than we are thrust into another twenty-odd years later. By this time, Flashman has gained (note I did not say earned) great fame and has the ear of many bigwigs (Lincoln – dead by this time, Ulysses S. Grant, Sheridan, etc.). Unfortunately, we don't know how he earned these American laurels; Fraser never got around to writing Flashman's American Civil War adventures before his death. All we are left with is this tantalising passage from Redskins:
"… now, in 1875, I was Sir Harry Flashman, V.C., K.C.B., with all the supposed heroics of the Crimea, [Indian] Mutiny and China behind me, to say nothing of distinguished service to the Union in the Civil War. No one had been too clear what that service was, since it had seen me engaged on both sides, but I'd come out of it with their Medal of Honour and immense, if mysterious, credit, and the only man who knew the whole truth had got a bullet in the back at Ford's Theatre, so he wasn't telling. Neither was I – although I will some day, all about Jeb Stuart, and Libby Prison, and my mission for Lincoln (God rest him for a genial blackmailer), and my renewed bouts with the elfin Mrs Mandeville, among others. But that ain't to the point just now; all that signifies is that I'd gained the acquaintance of such notables as Grant (now President) and Sherman and Sheridan – as well as such lesser lights as young Custer, whom I'd met briefly and informally, and Wild Bill Hickok, whom I'd known well (but the story of my deputy marshal's badge must wait for another day, too)." (pg. 260)
Consequently, we have to take a lot of Flashman's circumstances in this second story on faith. But it is useless pining over what we will never have, and we must be grateful for all the (amazing) Flashman we have. It took me a while to warm to Redskins; it seemed longer (not so much in page length as in prosing) and, as it picks up directly from events of the third book, Flash for Freedom!, to be thrust directly into this one is a bit disorienting. (As a sidenote, the publisher also changed the font from the more engaging and historical-looking one of previous books to a rather bland Times New Roman. A minor point, I know, but it did disappoint me.) But soon enough Flashy is up to his same old tricks - he is at his roguish best here. (But I seem to say that about all the books; I think 'shameless rogue' is his default – perhaps his only – mode.) Redskins is interesting in that this behaviour actually comes back to bite him; usually he just wins clear. Elspeth's prolonged appearance in the second story is also very welcome; her interactions with dearest Harry are pure gold and I'm starting to think that perhaps she's just as great a comedic creation as Flashman himself.
Fraser's clear enthusiasm for the Western setting also shines through, not only in the adventuring and the borderline misty-eyed descriptions of the Old West (Flashman remarks on how rapid Western expansion was; in passing through by steam train you could still see the ruts your frontier wagon made fifty years before (pg. 75)) but in his historical research. The differences between the Indian tribes – their appearance and their mannerisms, their social customs and their dispositions to the white man – are all accounted for; these are not offensive Hollywood 'Indians' of one indistinguishable Red mass. (For all the false claims of Fraser being bigoted in his Flashman books, he takes great care in crafting fully-realised and often sympathetic personalities out of his dark-skinned – and white-skinned – characters.)
His first story is incredibly accurate and detailed about the fledgling frontier (I noted, with some interest, that the scalp-hunter 'Gallantin' that Flashman has the misfortune to meet was the same historical figure that Cormac McCarthy would use for his 'Glanton' character in Blood Meridian just a few years after Fraser), although I confess I did get lost geographically as Flashy flits about the Old West. In the second story, Fraser will not be drawn on his opinions of Little Bighorn (in general, he sides with the majority views on the battle) but he does have a lot to say on the plight of the American Indians in general, and there is certainly a lot to ponder for those readers so inclined. But even for those who aren't, damn your eyes, it is still another great, ripping Flashman yarn to devour.
Redskins is not up there with the best of the series, but my love for the books grows with every page; perhaps it's because I know there's only five more to go, or perhaps it's just because Fraser's quality of writing is so consistently high. His writing skill is tested here, as Redskins is, in contrast to previous books, two separate stories set decades apart (think of it, in a way, as two novellas rather than a novel, though the stories are linked). This means there is a bit of a disconnect on the reader's part: no sooner has the first part ended (and it does end rather abruptly) than we are thrust into another twenty-odd years later. By this time, Flashman has gained (note I did not say earned) great fame and has the ear of many bigwigs (Lincoln – dead by this time, Ulysses S. Grant, Sheridan, etc.). Unfortunately, we don't know how he earned these American laurels; Fraser never got around to writing Flashman's American Civil War adventures before his death. All we are left with is this tantalising passage from Redskins:
"… now, in 1875, I was Sir Harry Flashman, V.C., K.C.B., with all the supposed heroics of the Crimea, [Indian] Mutiny and China behind me, to say nothing of distinguished service to the Union in the Civil War. No one had been too clear what that service was, since it had seen me engaged on both sides, but I'd come out of it with their Medal of Honour and immense, if mysterious, credit, and the only man who knew the whole truth had got a bullet in the back at Ford's Theatre, so he wasn't telling. Neither was I – although I will some day, all about Jeb Stuart, and Libby Prison, and my mission for Lincoln (God rest him for a genial blackmailer), and my renewed bouts with the elfin Mrs Mandeville, among others. But that ain't to the point just now; all that signifies is that I'd gained the acquaintance of such notables as Grant (now President) and Sherman and Sheridan – as well as such lesser lights as young Custer, whom I'd met briefly and informally, and Wild Bill Hickok, whom I'd known well (but the story of my deputy marshal's badge must wait for another day, too)." (pg. 260)
Consequently, we have to take a lot of Flashman's circumstances in this second story on faith. But it is useless pining over what we will never have, and we must be grateful for all the (amazing) Flashman we have. It took me a while to warm to Redskins; it seemed longer (not so much in page length as in prosing) and, as it picks up directly from events of the third book, Flash for Freedom!, to be thrust directly into this one is a bit disorienting. (As a sidenote, the publisher also changed the font from the more engaging and historical-looking one of previous books to a rather bland Times New Roman. A minor point, I know, but it did disappoint me.) But soon enough Flashy is up to his same old tricks - he is at his roguish best here. (But I seem to say that about all the books; I think 'shameless rogue' is his default – perhaps his only – mode.) Redskins is interesting in that this behaviour actually comes back to bite him; usually he just wins clear. Elspeth's prolonged appearance in the second story is also very welcome; her interactions with dearest Harry are pure gold and I'm starting to think that perhaps she's just as great a comedic creation as Flashman himself.
Fraser's clear enthusiasm for the Western setting also shines through, not only in the adventuring and the borderline misty-eyed descriptions of the Old West (Flashman remarks on how rapid Western expansion was; in passing through by steam train you could still see the ruts your frontier wagon made fifty years before (pg. 75)) but in his historical research. The differences between the Indian tribes – their appearance and their mannerisms, their social customs and their dispositions to the white man – are all accounted for; these are not offensive Hollywood 'Indians' of one indistinguishable Red mass. (For all the false claims of Fraser being bigoted in his Flashman books, he takes great care in crafting fully-realised and often sympathetic personalities out of his dark-skinned – and white-skinned – characters.)
His first story is incredibly accurate and detailed about the fledgling frontier (I noted, with some interest, that the scalp-hunter 'Gallantin' that Flashman has the misfortune to meet was the same historical figure that Cormac McCarthy would use for his 'Glanton' character in Blood Meridian just a few years after Fraser), although I confess I did get lost geographically as Flashy flits about the Old West. In the second story, Fraser will not be drawn on his opinions of Little Bighorn (in general, he sides with the majority views on the battle) but he does have a lot to say on the plight of the American Indians in general, and there is certainly a lot to ponder for those readers so inclined. But even for those who aren't, damn your eyes, it is still another great, ripping Flashman yarn to devour.
September 19, 2007
This was my favourite of the series so far. It starts off with him in his 20's or 30's and the little adventure he goes on, I love that he's a scoundral and knows it and makes no apologies. The it comes back to bite him in the ass when he's 50 & in America on a vacation.
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