Flashman on the March
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Product Description
Barry Forshaw
There are certain authors whose very names are an absolute guarantee of quality, and George Macdonald Fraser has long been one of those. His Flashman books are much loved, and the exploits of his engaging rogue have been delighted readers for years. But is Flashman on the March up to the customary Fraser standard? After all, the number of Flashman books is now legion, and even the author’s most dedicated admirers would admit that some Flashman outings (while diverting enough) have lacked the freshness of the early books. It's good to report, therefore, that Flashman on the March is almost vintage Fraser, with all the elements that have won him an ironclad following largely in place. There are, of course, two elements that make these books such fun: the vivid and pungent historical detail (always effortlessly integrated, and never self-consciously laid on as in so many historical novels, serious or otherwise); the author's refusal to be politically correct (the Flashman books have always played fast and loose with the accepted views of morality and society, and their bawdy, amoral charms are refreshing in an age in which such things are looked at askance -- even if Fraser, like Frederick Forsyth, is far better encountered in his entertaining books rather than in his more splenetic role as pundit).
Here, that least heroic possessor of a Victoria Cross, Sir Harry Flashman, finds himself catapulted into a highly dangerous assignment in Abyssinia: he is to rescue British prisoners from a demented emperor. Abyssinia (as seen through Fraser's highly colourful imagination) is a land of lethal seductresses, terrifying warriors and a jawdropping female monarch whose idea of what she should feed her lions is… unorthodox. It's up to Flashman (as so often before) to triumph over insuperable odds by the most unlikely methods. Needless to say, untrammelled sexual activity is firmly on the menu. If you're a George Macdonald Fraser fan, or a Flashman fan, what are you waiting for? --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Review
'The Flashman Papers do what all great sagas do – winning new admirers along the way but never, ever betraying old ones. It is an immense achievement.' Sunday Telegraph
‘Not so much a march as a full-blooded charge, fortified by the usual lashings of salty sex, meticulously choreographed battle scenes and hilariously spineless acts of self preservation by Flashman.’ Sunday Times
‘Not only are the Flashman books extremely funny, but they give meticulous care to authenticity. You can, between the guffaws, learn from them.’ Washington Post
‘A first-rate historical novelist’ Kingsley Amis
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Flashy has been around for nearly 40 years now, but with only a dozen packets of his memoirs released, new Flashman's are few and far between and as such there's immense excitement whenever Mr Fraser releases a new book.
While its fair to say that "Flashman on the March" is not up to the standard of some of the previous episodes, a book that only rates "average" in comparision to, say "Flash for Freedom" or "Flashman in the Great Game" still wipes away the competition. It follows directly on from Flashmans (still unwritten) Mexican & US Civil War misadventures. To escape (among others) Mexican revolutionaries & the French Foreign Legion Gendamerie Flashman passes himself off as the executed emperor Maximillian's best friend and escapes the America's on an Austrian warship. Unfortuanately there's a 16 year old Austrian princess on board whom Flashy "educates" prior to her wedding. This requires an even faster escape from Trieste pursued by the Austrian authorities.
"Escape" this time comes in the form of Rugby companion Speedicut who entrusts Flash with £500,000 in silver to fund General Napier's invasion of Abysinia. Napier, not believing his luck sends the "heroic" Flashy in disguise on a suicide mission into the heart of Africa with the predictable amount of genocidal African kings and equally murderous (but volumptious) women after him. What follows is typical Flashman.
As we've come to expect from George MacDonald Fraser, the historical research is second to none. What lets this books down is the obscurity of the Abysinia campaign of 1867, which was little more than a quick skirmish resulting in a handful of British casualties. Whereas the Crimean war featured in "Flashman at the charge" allowed Flashman to fight among the thin red line, the charge of the heavy brigade AND the charge of the light brigade all in one day, this particular campaign lacks these opportunities. The real strength of Flashman is his almost "Forest Gump" like ability to plausibly change the course of history. History has ignored the fate of the British in Abysinia.
This is vastly superior to the previous chapter in Flashman's memoirs (Flashman & the Tiger), however I'm still hopeful that two of his oft-refered to unwritten memoirs will be published soon, namely the full account of his civil war memoirs and a more detailed account of his actions in the Zulu wars. Both have far more potential than some of the recent releases.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I suppose it is obvious that I'm a big fan. I wouldn't give 5 stars to all the Flashman volumes, but this one deserves it - the story of Napier's expeditionary force in Abyssinia is so extraordinary, as the country of Abyssinia itself is, that I thoroughly enjoyed this. I accept that avid Flashman readers would recognise similar elements from previous volumes, but in my opinion that doesn't detract from the quality and sheer enjoyment of Flashman on the March.
Fraser depicts an intriguing country with people as vicious as they are beautiful. The notes he provides are comprehensive and very amusing at times, including plenty of fruity observations about Abyssinia. We have seen mad monarchs before, but they can never be boring with Flashman involved with them, copulating, drinking, fighting, being tortured, and running for his life. King Theodore is even more ghastly than Queen Ranavalona in Flashman's Lady, and his character even more inexplicable. I was shocked by the way he alternated between sincere affection and appalling violence. Queen Masteeat and her Gallas people (not to mention Masteeat's sister Uliba Wark!) are just as interesting - Flashman's observations and first-hand experience left me in awe.
Then there's Napier's campaign to subdue Theodore and free the European hostages, which unbelievably goes like clockwork with very few casualties thanks to the utter professionalism of the expeditionary force, which Theodore hadn't counted on. Fraser points out at the end that Napier and the British army, and by extension any invading Western army, were damned if they did and damned if they didn't - they would have been branded imperialists if they had stayed to govern the country, or blamed for deserting a country in need if they left. Flashy tells Napier at the end that the British goverment could have avoided the whole saga if they had afforded Theodore the respect that a king deserves, simply by responding to his letters. How apt.
This is a superb Flashman story - it has all the exotica so lacking in his US adventures, in my opinion, and a lesson for arrogant, powerful imperialists everywhere. Great stuff.
Fraser depicts an intriguing country with people as vicious as they are beautiful. The notes he provides are comprehensive and very amusing at times, including plenty of fruity observations about Abyssinia. We have seen mad monarchs before, but they can never be boring with Flashman involved with them, copulating, drinking, fighting, being tortured, and running for his life. King Theodore is even more ghastly than Queen Ranavalona in Flashman's Lady, and his character even more inexplicable. I was shocked by the way he alternated between sincere affection and appalling violence. Queen Masteeat and her Gallas people (not to mention Masteeat's sister Uliba Wark!) are just as interesting - Flashman's observations and first-hand experience left me in awe.
Then there's Napier's campaign to subdue Theodore and free the European hostages, which unbelievably goes like clockwork with very few casualties thanks to the utter professionalism of the expeditionary force, which Theodore hadn't counted on. Fraser points out at the end that Napier and the British army, and by extension any invading Western army, were damned if they did and damned if they didn't - they would have been branded imperialists if they had stayed to govern the country, or blamed for deserting a country in need if they left. Flashy tells Napier at the end that the British goverment could have avoided the whole saga if they had afforded Theodore the respect that a king deserves, simply by responding to his letters. How apt.
This is a superb Flashman story - it has all the exotica so lacking in his US adventures, in my opinion, and a lesson for arrogant, powerful imperialists everywhere. Great stuff.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The latest adventurer in the fascinating career of Victorian "hero", blackguard, and all-round character Sir Harry Flashman takes him into one of the lesser-known by-ways of empire, a British military expedition into Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia). Were it not for the fact that is in the history books, this expedition with its highly-professional British general, its mad Abyssinian emperor, and its brilliant success would all be a but far-fetched - and that's before the Flashman adventure comes in.
Sir Harry is on good form - getting dragooned into taking part when all he wants to do is get home and enjoy his money, position, and his wife Elspeth; having the usual encounters with exotic and lusty women and exotic and dangerous men; almost getting killed; doing his craven and unsuccessful best to avoid risk to himself; and coming out on top with his spurious reputation further enhanced.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for George McDonald Fraser. The author seems to be getting tired, and we have quite long passages where very little happens and what does is not very interesting. One can only wish that rather than dealing with this episode the author had given us something of the long-awaited (and loudly-demanded by the fans) account of Flashman's "service" (on both sides) in the American Civil War. We get a teaser here with a little back story of what he got up to in its aftermath but how long must we wait for the real thing?
Still it's a Flashman, and not really the worst, so three-and-a-half stars are in order.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Well up to standard!
This is Flashman acting as undercover agent for General Robert Napier, going ahead of the punitive expedition against the Emperor Theodore of Abyssinia in 1868. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Eternal Student
Boring
I came to the Flashman books because of the many positive reviews. Perhaps I picked the wrong one to start - "Flashman on the March" is so boring I can barely read two pages and... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Ross Maynard
Audio Heaven
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... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Parm
March To Respectability
This, the twelfth and final instalment of the long running and much loved series of historical novels, is as well researched as ever, and is as much an enjoyable history lesson as... Read more
Published on 22 May 2010 by Rotgut
Flashman on the March - wonderful!
A fan of Flashman for many years, I'd not even realised that 'On the March' existed. I'd tired of the last couple as being a little drawn-out and too full of historical (though... Read more
Published on 23 April 2010 by I. R. Kippen
deja vu
Once again one has to admire the amount of research that has gone into 'Flashman on the march' and GMF's flowing writing style. Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by H. Rogers
Flashman's final adventure!
Barring a miracle find which is almost assuredly not going to happen, this is the final novel from the great George Macdonald Fraser, who died in 2008. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2009 by Brian H. Crist
Minor book on minor campaign
The book is quite interesting, the campaign a bit of a footnote. The crying shame is that this could and should have been the long awaited American Civil War novel. Read more
Published on 27 May 2009 by blackbour
laugh-out-loud funny
Harry Flashman is most definitely a liar, bounder and a cad... but that won't stop you loving him all the same. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2009 by Oldevers
Nearly, but not quite...
The story, history & style are all interesting & very well done - as one would expect from George Macdonald Fraser. But... Read more
Published on 19 Dec 2007 by G. Cowley
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