Flashman at the Charge

Harry Flashman is one of the great characters in historical fiction, and I have to say that this is one of those series you keep up on the bookshelves as it never fails to disappoint you on a rainy day. The cadence of the text takes a little while to get used to, but Fraser has created a wonder in Flashman - bold, cunning, and resourceful, a rake who's always looking to save his own skin in the course of a series of difficult assignments, a fan of the ladies and they of him, and always willing to have another medal pinned on his chest in the course of his adventures. he's a caricature and yet a deep character study all at the same time. I love the tale and the setting here, with Flashman caught up in the Crimean War with a bunch of doltish aristocrats in charge of the British forces in Lords Raglan and Cardigan. Long story short, despite his best attempts to stay out of harm's way Flashman finds himself bounding down the valley with the rest of the charge of the light brigade. To me, it was the parts in Russia and Central Asia that were the most fun - the escape across the snows in a sledge, the charge with the Kirghiz hordes. Never a dull moment in this one, and full of the battlefields and boudoirs that you've come to expect in the series. Couple of pieces of advice for the reader. 1) Read these books in the chronological order of Flashman's career, which is not necessarily the order they were written. You'll really need to be well versed in the earlier books so you can catch all of the references to his previous adventures. 2) Make sure you read the footnotes. Fraser does such an excellent job of weaving the history into these works, that it's well worth your time to flip to the back and get the full details on the person, place, or thing being referenced. Makes you feel like you've learned a little bit more about history in the reading! Heartily recommend to other readers!

If you ever wondered what the opposite of James Bond might look like, George MacDonald Fraser's Harry Flashman might be a good character to look at: while superficially a heroic individual of great charm, Flashman is actually a coward and a cad and is unrepentant about these qualities. In the fourth volume of the series, Flashman at the Charge, Flashy is his same old self. The title refers to the Charge of the Light Brigade, the famed fiasco for the British that was a highlight (or lowlight) of the Crimean War. As with the other Flashman books, this is a historical novel, and Flashman is right in the middle of history. As usual, as the book begins, he is trying to actually avoid fighting; with a clamor in England for a war with Russia, he knows that soon he will be pressed into battle due to his (undeserved) reputation as a military hero. Flashman doesn't mind being a coward; he just doesn't want other people to know it. All his maneuvering actually just brings Flashman closer to the actual war and a series of wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time events will land him in the ill-fated Charge. It's no spoiler to say that he survives this battle (after all, he wouldn't be narrating the tale otherwise), but he does wind up a prisoner-of-war deep in Russia. This isn't so bad: as an officer, he is treated quite well at a palatial estate, and there's the owner's beautiful daughter to be considered. Unfortunately, he's not the only prisoner, and his fellow officer is intent on escape, especially after learning critical military intelligence. Of course, escape entails risk, putting Flashman in a pickle. Going from England to Turkey to Russia to Afghanistan, Flashman at the Charge is another witty tale in a genre not known for its humor. Flashman may be a bad individual: cowardly, sexist and racist, but he is still a somehow likeable character, probably because he is not truly malicious. Indeed, compared to his military superiors, Flashman is almost a man of virtue. Almost. If you've enjoyed the other books in the series, this is another fine work to be enjoyed.

FLASHMAN AT THE CHARGE REVIEW George MacDonald Fraser (2 April 1925 – 2 January 2008) was a prolific Scottish author who wrote historical novels, nonfiction books, and numerous screenplays. His notorious Flashman series was based on the antics of the protagonist Tom Brown in “Tom Brown’s School Days,” created by Thomas Hughes in 1857, where a coward and a bully becomes a hero. The series, “The Flashman Papers,” became a popular sensation, and the bawdy, and often socially incorrect adventures of Harry Flashman, a British soldier during the 19th century, is perhaps Fraser’s best-known works. “Flashman at the Charge,” published in 1973, is the fourth in the 12-book series centers on Flashman’s escapades during the Crimean War, including the famous Charge of the Light Brigade, where Flashman always prevails in spite of trembling fear and loose bowels. He is not a brave man and tends towards constant self-disparagement, but the circumstances he finds himself in seem to always turn in his favor. A similar theme forms most of the Flashman storylines, and if it were not for Fraser’s historical knowledge and hilarious writing skills, the Flashman line would probably die the death of monotony. But, I have always enjoyed the irreverent series, as apparently do many others, and enjoy reading about an anti-hero who prevails in spite of himself. The dialogue is authentic, uproarious, and filled with dry wit. The battle scenes are intricate and well presented, with heroic antics that are not intended to be noble. Fraser keeps a close hand on the intended character of Flashman, making his deeds notable, if not fearless. His boudoir escapades are more amusing than licentious. Yes, I enjoy Harry Flashman. I think many people associate his tentative approach to life with their own, hoping to achieve much honor without a lot of heroic effort. If that fits your secret personality, Flashman is your savant. Schuyler T Wallace Author of TIN LIZARD TALES

Read this books some years ago. It's a fictional novel loosely based on historic facts. It's a humorous account of a cad and coward who always ends up smelling like roses. Some of the terms and language would not be politically acceptable these days.

I read all twelve Flashman novels by George Macdonald Fraser many years ago, and I so enjoyed the experience that I have recently started to read them again. As you may know, Flashman was the school bully in Tom Brown's Scool Days. Fraser has taken this fictitious character and traced his career after he was expelled from Rugby School and joined the army - after which he fights and rogers his way through many countries/women and famous events and battles of the mid- to late- nineteenth century. It's a brilliant idea, and his adventures are so funny and politically incorrect that you will find yourself laughing out loud the whole way through. In the first book (Flashman) which sets the scene for the whole series, he gets involved in the Afghan wars and emerges a somewhat dubious hero. From there he goes on to take part in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava (Flashman at the Charge), the Indian Mutiny (Flashman in the Great Game), the Taiping Rebellion (Flashman and the Dragon) - in which he is shagged by the future Empress of China while he and his arms are helplessly strapped to a bench, prior to which she tickles his privates with a peacock feather before straddling him) - to name but a few. Dulce et Decorum est pro Patria Rogeri says Flashman as he prepares to roger the Rani of Jhansi in Flashman in the Great Game.The stories are extremely well written and researched, and Fraser adds copious notes at the back to describe the actual historical events. Between your guffaws you will find that these books provide a fascinating way to learn about some curious and little-known aspects of history, and I strongly recommend them.

Superb romp through the most important events of the Crimean war and beyond. Flashman's voice is clear and true to himself, the joy is how closely we can associate with him, and especially with all his vices.

This book is full of humor, emotions, love and courage. it loads you with good humor and if i talk about Flashman series this one is the best of all.

If you like a good, rip roaring yarn you can't go wrong with Flashman. A humorous, far from politically correct adventure based on real events.