His language skills get him sent into various places as a spy or diplomat, then political and sexual complications usually get him into trouble. He ends up as General Sir Harry Flashman with medals from many countries, including the highest that Britain, the US and France give: the Victoria Cross, the Medal of Honor and the Légion d'honneur.įlashy claims his only talents are with languages, horses and women. Despite that, through a combination of luck and knavery, he comes out of each adventure looking like a hero. Worst of all for a military officer, he is an utter coward. He is a rake who pursues women from prostitute to princess, a bully who thoroughly enjoys beating servants, and distinctly racist. Important characters like Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi have biographies as appendices.įlashman is a thoroughly despicable character Fraser describes him as "a scoundrel, a drunk, a liar, a cheat a braggart" and "an unrepentant old cad". All the books have extensive "editor's notes" giving historical background, and some have appendices for longer background essays. The tales are written in the first person, with Fraser claiming to be just Flashman's editor. The military history is generally quite accurate, except for having Flashy inserted. 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.įlashman participates in all of Britain's major wars of the late 19th century, plus other conflicts.
Fraser takes up the tale from there, having him join the army. The character first appears as a bully in Thomas Hughe's Tom Brown's Schooldays toward the end of that novel he is expelled from Rugby school at 17 for drunkenness.
Harry Flashman is a fictional character in a series of comic historical novels and short stories by George MacDonald Fraser.
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