Customer Reviews (1)

From beginning to end, a love story.
MacDonald presents the story of the Barclay and Gordon families in such a manner as to readily and plainly contrast the path of those who follow the ways of the world with the pilgrimage of God's beloved children.

Kirsty Barclay, daughter of David and Marion Barclay, is, in the eyes of the world, an uneducated, ill-bred peasant, while her older brother, Steenie, is judged as "not quite right," or "not all here." But the world is a poor judge, indeed, when it comes to the things of God. For in Kirsty is to be found far more of value and worth than the entire Gordon family-the local 'Laird' and his mother-who reside midst the faded splendor of Castle Weelset.

This is, first and foremost, a tender and heartwarming love story through which is woven various subplots, all of which eventually arrive at the same point-the love of God. Kirsty, although uneducated and, no doubt, unacceptable to the aristocracy, loves God, loves nature, loves her simple parents, and dearly loves her brother, Steenie, for in these people and these things she sees God through His children and His creation. For his part, Steenie does not begin to understand, and acknowledges as much, the theology of the institutionalized church. Yet Steenie also loves God, for he spends his days and nightssearching the hills and dales as well as the heavens for He whom Steenie knows as the "Bonny Man."

Heather and Snow is not a love story in the fleshly sense, and is not without its pathos, its sadness, its sorrows, and its disappointments. Although Francis Gordon proclaims his love for Kirsty, it is not until he begins to know God that he can truly know love, for true love is born of God and must be lived through Him.

I invite you to join Kirsty and walk amidst the hills of Scottish heather as she strives to learn the lesson's taught in God's classroom. Nature is an unparalleled teacher if one will but, in solitude, be attentive to her sights, sounds, and silences.

Sit aside Steenie, whose heart is so filled with love that it may burst, as he, in quiet isolation and softly embraced by the deepening night, gazes enraptured into the heavens from which he expects, at any moment, to see the "Bonny Man" return to claim His own. Steenie is enthralled by the very prospect of encountering the Son of God, and spends very waking moment in this sacred quest; while, in slumber, his dreams transport him to the place where he will no longer be considered "abnormal."

Struggle with Francis Gordon as he strives to learn that most valuable of lessons-that to know God is to love God is to obey God. If he is unable or unwilling to grasp this most basic of truths, he will never know love, nor will he ever make Kirsty his wife, for Kirsty is neither enticed nor enchanted by wealth, position, intellect, or possessions, but the heart of God shining through the eyes of another. ... Read more

Product Description
More than a century after it was written, George MacDonald's At the Back of the North Wind continues to intrigue readers with its allegorical treatment of life and death. The story of the young boy Diamond who meets the mysterious and beautiful North Wind explores, in the words of one reviewer, ""the possibility of trusting cooperation with this awesome but benevolent force."" The great Christian writer C. S. Lewis, working a generation later, called MacDonald ""the greatest genius of his kind."" Find out for yourself what so impressed Lewis and countless readers over the last 130 years! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND BY GEORGE MACDONALD
This is a beautful allegory of a frail young boy's near death experience as he struggles with illness, told in a way children can understand and not fear, and of his eventual death, as he is taken home to heaven. It is bittersweet, but it really gives children (and adults) a good perspective on the Christian view of life, death, and what happens after death. Note, it is written by C.S. Lewis's favorite author, and I highly recommend it for ages 10 to adult.

BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!!!!!!!
BUY IT you will love it if you have a kid that likes fiction books or you like them yourself you will love it. it does not have a boring part in it the whole thing is so magical and the writer knows his cliff hangers no wonder he inspired C.S. Lewis [who is also one of my favorite writers] and it is a three hundred and seventeen page book that you wish would never endit is probably one of the best books I have ever read and you probably will trust me i really really like this book and you just read read read andLIKE IT!!! buy it trust me.

Nice but too long
The book starts well, very interestingly it dwells with the life of this little fellow Diamond whose father is a poor coachman in London. He has a mysterious relation with the North Wind. And this is the best part of the book, this relationship, the travels and conversations between the lady wind and the angelic child. When the text parts from these vehicles it complicates too much, not much happens and gets lost in too much talking.


Still worth a try, the mystery is there if one hangs on to the end.

"The Meaning Will Come with the Thing Itself..."
George MacDonald wrote hundreds of stories throughout his lifetime (not surprising considering he had eleven kids!), most of which were fantasies that drew on a rich variety of sources: mythology, fairytales and Biblical mysticism. Credited by C.S. Lewis as the main inspiration behind The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set, MacDonald's dreamy little tales (especially this one) are a strange blend of frustrating ramblings and sublime imagery. Love it or hate it, "At the Back of the North Wind" encompasses the best and worst about MacDonald, the Victorian Era, and even children's literature itself.

Named after his father's favourite horse, Diamond is the son of a coachman, and lives above the stable in the hayloft. As the story begins, Diamond is visited by a mysterious but beautiful woman who introduces herself as the North Wind. Inviting him to join her on her night-time journeys, Diamond soon becomes intimately acquainted with the being, unraveling certain aspects of her enigmatic characteristics and even visiting the land that exists behind her back - a place that she herself is barred from.

The visit endows Diamond with an unearthly quality of goodness and innocence (MacDonald is constantly defending Diamond's angelic conduct with the fact that he's been to the back of the North Wind), allowing his mere presence to positively improve and enrich the lives of those around him, including his family, his employers, and acquaintances from both the upper and lower classes. Although most tend to think that Diamond is touched in the head, the young boy has utter faith in the North Wind and her claims that everything will eventually turn out for the best. As a Congregationalist minister, MacDonald truly believes in this theology, and ensures that whatever seems like misfortune or tragedy in the plot is eventually revealed to be unexpectedly fortuitous in one way or another.

"At the Back of the North Wind" was originally written in serialized form, with each chapter published periodically in magazines, and so the story can feel a little choppy at times. There is no clear sense of a structured plot or story-arc, instead it is quite episodic - one chapter can be about Diamond's virtuous deeds in London, another can be fully devoted to a fairytale that a character is telling, or a dream that a person has had. At times you can tell that MacDonald is just making it up as he goes along, which makes for a fresh, but sometimes frustrating read. I like to have the sense that an author has a clear sense of where they're going with their plot and characters, and often parts of MacDonald's work can appear random or meaningless.

Of course, this is almost certainly due to the time period in which it is written. MacDonald was a contemporary of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Signet Classics), the first children's book to be written for pure entertainment purposes (in fact, it was MacDonald's children who were among the first to read Carroll's manuscript and encourage him to publish it). If there are any kinks in MacDonald's storytelling, it was probably because he was one of the forerunners in writing children's fiction - there were few prototypes on which to model his own work. Understandable, but still a little annoying when slugging through several long and not-very-good poems inserted needlessly into the text (you have my permission to skip them).

There are other aspects of Victorian culture at work in the story: a fascination with the poor and the sick (both encompassed in the character of Nanny, a young sweeper), the growing trend of philanthropy at work amongst the upper-classes (as seen in the frequent visits to the children's hospital), a preference for country life than that of the city, and a sense of mysticism and spirituality throughout. And then of course there's Diamond himself. The Victorians were in love with the idea of the Child as a God-Like Being (witness any one of Wordsworth's poems) and Diamond is no exception. He is, quite simply, perfect. This means that some readers will find him endearing, enlightening and inspirational, and others will find him sanctimonious, irritating and totally unbelievable as a character. For what it's worth, I like Diamond, even when MacDonald takes his character to its inevitable end - Diamond is too good for this earth, and the Victorians loved a good death scene (see Little Nell in Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop (Penguin Classics)).

Although most children will be put off by the strange, dreamy pacing of the novel (better to start them off with MacDonald's most popular children's book The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection)), older readers will be fascinated by MacDonald's creation of the North Wind and the theology that he delicately works into the story - a theology that only occasionally slips into preaching. There's plenty here to be intrigued by, certainly enough to make it worth the reading, but be prepared for some randomness, shaky plotlines and Victorian melodrama (though on second thought, that last one just may be a bonus feature!)

The Magic of MacDonald's Fairy Tale
I am quite ready to add At the Back of the North Wind to my collection of masterpieces that shall remain close to me, I suspect, my entire life. While a collection of favorite books by C. S. Lewis' site largest on that shelf, At the Back of the North Wind will be the second book by George MacDonald to join them. This seems quite appropriate as Lewis himself held MacDonald in such high esteem, even calling him his `master.' While more childish than Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind manages to enchant my imagination in the same way that Narnia always has, while upon first inspection the tale may seem to be of little substance to a more mature audience I think there is subtle depth hidden within the deceptively simple child whom the story centers upon.

Diamond is the young boy of a poor coach driver and his wife living in England during the late 1800's. The story begins in the hayloft above the horse stalls where Diamond sleeps, as the wind blows, but it is not a simple wind, it is the North Wind, the romantic and enchanting idea of a grand lady who is the north wind. Diamond, the infinitely innocent and pure child is beckoned into the air and weaved into many journeys with the north wind where he learns goodness, truth and beauty. Throughout the story, other people see him as quietly wise or as one of `God's Babies.' As the story progresses Diamond becomes week and ill and while being taken to the enchanted country at the back of the North Wind he lapses into unconsciousness. Diamond returns, and with what strength he has, blesses everyone whom he meets; helping his family by driving his father's cab while he is ill, saving an orphaned friend off the streets, even quieting the drunken man's baby who lives next to him, whom even mistakes him for an angel. Finally touching the heart of the rich, but generous and altruistic man who looks after Diamond's orphaned friend and gives Diamond's father a job and lodgings in the countryside.

Yet, it is not these heroic acts, if one might call them that, resound so thoroughly, he is not doing good deeds, doing good deeds seems almost insincere when considered next to his genuine good nature. Like Narnia and Phantastes, there is a longing for something we may never fulfill here in our daily lives, a longing for something we have only hints of, Lewis defines this as Joy, for Diamond it is the longing for the country at the back of the North Wind, of which his first journey there is only a hint of the true country. As for me, I too feel this longing and it is an experience likely to be found in a quite forest and in the embrace of this extraordinary book. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Good, But Not As Good As Its Predecessors
Perhaps I have just come to expect too much of George MacDonald Fraser based on the excellence of his Flashman novels, his first two collections of stories, and his autobiographical Quartered Safe Out Here, but I found this collection of stories to be short of Fraser's usual standard.They aren't bad; I don't think Fraser is capable of producing a bad story or novel.They just don't merit the praise that The General Danced at Dawn and McAuslan In the Rough do.

There are a few excellent stories here:The Gordon Women is plotted with a skill worthy of Wodehouse, The Constipation of O'Brien shows McAuslan at his comic best, and Extraduction (not really a story, but one of the offerings here) is a touching remembrance of the battalion's colonel.On the other hand, Captain Errol relies in large part on a "surprise" ending which I was anticipating an entire page (in a thirty-one-page story) earlier than it was revealed.Ye Mind Jie Dee, Fletcher? is not about Fraser's outfit in northern Africa circa 1945, but, rather, Scotland's 1978 national soccer team.McAuslan narrates it in his usual dialect - for eight unbroken pages, and McAuslan isn't nearly as funny out of uniform.

Those who have enjoyed The General Danced at Dawn and McAuslan In the Rough (two of my very favorite collections of stories) will most probably find this worth the read, as I did.They may also find, as I did, that it suffers by comparison with the two earlier collections.

Chaos in a grungy kilt
It is time that you hear "the sub-muckin', the whole cheese, the hail clanjamfry, the lot' about the Scottish Highland Regiment that served in Africa after World War II.

George MacDonald Fraser has written the stories of this regiment and its most infamous soldier, Private McAuslan, in three collections: The General Danced at Dawn, McAuslan in the Rough, and The Sheikh and the Dustbin.

Through the narration by platoon commander Dand McNeil, McAuslan comes alive as the dirtiest soldier in the world, "wan o' nature's blunders; he cannae help bein' horrible.It's a gift."

Yet McAuslan is one of the most loveable creatures in all of literature.He may be grungy, filthy, clumsy, and disreputable, but he tries to do his best.Through his many misadventures, McAuslan marches into the heart of the reader, right leg and right arm swinging in unison, of course.

McAuslan, outcast that he is, experiences some infamous moments in his career: court martial defendant, ghost-catcher, star-crossed lover, golf caddie, expert map reader, and champion of the regimental quiz game (!).His tales, and the tales of his comrades-in-arms, are poignant at times, hilarious at others. These tales are so memorable because they are based on true stories.

The reader basks in all things Scottish in the stories.The language of the soldiers is written in Scottish brogue, although Fraser says in his introduction, "Incidentally, most of this volume is, I hope, written in English." Don't fret - a glossary is provided.(Reading the glossary alone causes some serious belly laughs.

If you read only one book this year, read this one.And if you know any veterans, give them a copy.It's a volume that the reader will not soon forget.

"Peace" in Egypt as experienced by a British Army subaltern
Young Dan'd MacNiell trys to keep his copybook clean and his upper lipstiff while dealing with the absurdities and dangers of being an occupyingpower in postwar Egypt. He and his men muddle through bravely, sometimeshilariously.One of their biggest muddles, of course, being the notoriousPrivate MacAuslan, "The Dirtiest Soldier in the Army."The namesand some facts were changed (probably on legal advice), but the storiesring true as a sword blade. Hilarious, sometimes touching.

A great Read!
This book should "hit home" with any Army veteran, young or old, British or American, that was ever garrisoned overseas in peacetime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very powerful story
This book is marketed as if it is a romance, but it is much more than that.It makes a powerful case for a simple Christianity where doctrine is important, but much more important is recognizing God in everything around us and loving him for it.

As I read it, my heart burned with desire for more of a relationship with God like that.

In my view, good literature lifts ones sights to "see" and understand ever more and beautiful things.This book definitely did that for me. ... Read more

Book Description
It’s 1868 and Sir Harry Flashman, V.C., arch-cad, amorist, cold-headed soldier, and reluctant hero, is back!Fleeing a chain of vengeful pursuers that includes Mexican bandits, the French Foreign Legion, and the relatives of an infatuated Austrian beauty, Flashy is desperate for somewhere to take cover. So desperate, in fact, that he embarks on a perilous secret intelligence-gathering mission to help free a group of Britons being held captive by a tyrannical Abyssinian king. Along the way, of course, are nightmare castles, brigands, massacres, rebellions, orgies, and the loveliest and most lethal women in Africa, all of which will test the limits of the great bounder’s talents for knavery, amorous intrigue, and survival.

Flashman on the March—the twelfth book in George MacDonald Fraser’s ever-beloved, always scandalous Flashman Papers series--is Flashman and Fraser at their best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Flashman on the March
As with the other Flashman books, this one is highly entertaining. This guy has gotten himself in more fixes then anyone I have ever read about, and..., as usual, always comes out smelling like a rose. I would recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a personal, as well a first hand account of history from one who has lived it.

Fred P

Flashman- the end of the road?
A final addition to my Flashman collection.It is a little different from his other adventures but lots of fun! I guess this is the end {so dont miss it} The author, George MacDonald Fraser, died some weeks ago. I will miss his Flashman adventures very much. God rest him.

Going through the motions
This was a disappointing entry in this series, as most of the earlier books have been quite entertaining. The author seemed to be going through the motions of writing his style of book, but he was basically cutting and pasting a scene here and a scene there from previous novels. You had Flashy with the lovely but dangerous women; Flashy in mortal peril; fearful Flashy abandoning others to save himself; Flashy looking bluff and manly but inwardly quaking; and Flashy's presence at crucial events being misinterpreted to his favor. It was all very rote and leads you to believe that the author is getting tired of it all. The historical wrapping was different from the other books, of course, but it came across as generically Foreign and Exotic; it seemed as if the author had run out of interesting adventures to slot into Flashy's timeline and so chose this one as a second-best option.

Bloody Hell - Where's the NEXT one?
If you have read even one of the Flashman Papers, this review very likely is irrelevant: You're already reading one of the previously published works recounting the adventures of Sir Harry.

On top of that, what can you say about General Flashman that has not been said already, and by those better with the Queen's English than Your Humble Narrator?Sufficient to say that "Flashman on the March" is a suitable continuation of The Saga of the Greatest Hero of the Victorian Age.

As always, when finishing the latest installment of the Flashman Papers, one hungers for the next installment, while wondering what that will involve.The rest of the story about Our Hero's involvment in the Civil War? The French intervention in Mexico?Australia?

But in the midst of such pleasant reveries, a very unpleasant thought creeps in:George MacDonald Fraser, Sir Harrys' biographer, is getting along in years, and -- alas! -- is unlikely to live forever. Gad! The very thought sends a chill down the spine.

Neil

P.S.If you have not read Fraser's WWII biography, "Quartered Safe Out Here" -- do so. Now.Immediately.You'll thank me.

Excellent, informative and engrossing
Flashman On The March is by no means the best book of the series, but Fraser is in his 80s, doesn't need the money, and we must be grateful for any new Flashman material at all.It is better than his previous, Flashman & The Tiger, a collection of three shorter stories, was.

In this case, Flashman finds himself once again in trouble over a woman, and consequently exposed to what appear to be convenient plans to get him out of town when offered by his friend Speedicut; and of course thus unwittingly puts his head into yet another noose, this time finding himself on the expedition to Magdala in what became the Abyssinian War.

Fraser's absolutely meticulous research, as usual, brings what is to us a very remote and little known campaign to technicolor life.Fraser's notes and commentary refer to all the primary sources then extant, newspapers and magazines of the time, official publications, memoirs, and the like, transforming his work from standard historical fiction into something a good deal better, more reliable, and instructive.Combine this with Fraser's excellent characterizations, his pitch-perfect dialogue, his ironic, sarcastic, and often bawdy humor, and you have what is simply the best such series in print.Every novel has been an absolute joy to read and reread over the years.

The story and the events make for great reading and do not need to be reviewed here; every Flashman reader knows what he will get, and that he will love it.(In that sense, Fraser is every bit as dependable as Ian Fleming was; give the public what it wants.)More interesting to me is Fraser's long-standing political incorrectness, and I am not talking about his use of 'the n-word' (which can be rationalized on grounds of historical accuracy in speech) or the jumping of every woman in the book (which is fact is completely PC), which is what the NY Times seems to think makes this stuff racy, but rather of his observations of actual conditions and actual events around the world.Fraser pulls no punches, and never has, in describing in cold hard brutal documented facts the almost unbelievable cruelty, the shocking crimes, and bestial behavior, of homicidal maniacs masquerading as kings, chieftains, advisors to the great, and so on, throughout the Victorian world, and while the British are far from faultless (see destruction of the Summer Palace after the Chinese expedition) there is a clear contrast between the civilized and the uncivilized, and both Flashman and Fraser (in his notes) leave us with no doubt as to which they prefer.The concept of the 'noble savage' is one with which Fraser deals again and again - perhaps best at the beginning of Flashman & The Redskins, which finds Flashy dealing with Political Correctness of the time at a London Club, but throughout most of the other books as well - and which he demolishes simply through accumulation of documented evidence. In 2006, however, as it was in 1969 when Fraser first began this epic romp through history, this remains an uphill fight. Even the last page of this book, where Flashman, Napier and Speed discuss the benefits of leaving Abyssinia now that the mission is done, or staying and colonizing the place, makes clear the dilemma is a no-win situation: if they leave they will be characterized as irresponsible, and if they stay as imperialistic.The New York Times won't touch that in their review; they seem to think the whole series is just about fornicating Flashy on a tour through the brothels of the world.It is, in part - but if there weren't quite a bit more to it than that, Fraser would not still be providing his readers with the best and most enjoyable historical fiction in print.

The brilliant covers by Arthur Barbosa are a thing of the past, and time moves on for Fraser as for the rest of us.For my part, I selfishly hope Mr Fraser lives to be 150 year old and cranks out many, many more Flashman novels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

One of my favorite MacDonald books!
I've read a lot of MacDonald books; I love the spiritual aspects that come into the story and plot.This book, coupled with The Gentlewoman's Choice (as mine was), are two of my favorite MacDonald books.The spiritual journeys that the protagonists travel are personally applicable; the questions raised should be asked of the reader, as well.And the simple (clean!) "romantic" novel side of the story is pulling, as well.

I love MacDonald, and haven't read a book of his I didn't like; but this is one of my favorites.

Brilliant
MacDonald was C.S. Lewis' favourite author and for good reason. Few men ever wrote with the passion and insight of MacDonald.

This book is enjoyable and intellectually challenging. It would make a great gift for university lecturers as it challenges many of today's views about land rights, culture and religion.

I cannot praise this book too much. If I had the money I'd by a million of them and give one to every influental person in the western world.

Great deep read
I couldn't put this one down.It makes one feel wonderful and free, closer to God and joyful.

Issues when Scotlands poor cast out + romance & adventure
Love of the homeland, insights into the clans relationships, Christian ethics lived in life, wonderful action and unexpected plot twists, FUN! and it made us feel like we wanted to be truer to the truth of Christ ourselves from reading of others experiences. You'll love it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Confusing title
When I first saw this book in the store, I thought it was about Flash Gordon. It wasn't until half-way through the book, that I realized this book had nothing to do with the eighties film I saw as a kid. So uh, I dunno, it's not that bad. Flashman is not very nice, but he scores a lot with the ladies, and that's pretty cool.

Flashman Does it again!
Wonderful story as usual.A 19th Century Forest Gump (a little brighter but more cowardly and more lecherous) finds himself at the center of history's most important events hobnobbing with the memorable charcters and real life men of greatness. Don't miss it!

A great series
For those of you who aren't familiar with his exploits, please allow me to introduce you to Sir Harry Flashman, literature's most unrepentant scoundrel.Flashman (whom some may remember as the bully from Tom Brown's Schooldays), is the hero of twelve (as of 2007) novels by the literate and witty George MacDonald Fraser. The setting for these novels is the Nineteenth Century, a time filled with countless skirmishes and disasters, with Flashman seemingly involved in most of them.Fraser, in an explanatory note, says it best:

"From the day of his expulsion from Rugby School in the late 1830s, Flashman the man fulfilled the disgraceful promise of Flashman the boy;toadying bounder and bully matured into the cowardly profligate and scoundrel, who, by chance and shameless opportunism, became one of the most renowned heroes of the Victorian age, unwilling leader of the Light Brigade, fleeing survivorof Afghanistan and Little Big Horn, tarnished paladin of Crimea and the Mutiny, and cringing chronicler of many another conflict, disaster, and intrigue in which he bore an inglorious but seldom unprofitable part."

Flashman's memoirs werepurportedly discovered in an attic in Leicestershire in 1965, half a century after his death at the age of 93.Flashman and the Angel of the Lord, the tenth packet of the "Flashman Papers" to have been edited and published by Fraser, chronicles Sir Harry's second trip to America.The last time around, he was sold as a slave, worked as a plantation foreman, met a young congressman named Abraham Lincoln and smuggled an escaped slave via the Underground Railroad.This time, through misadventure, coincidence, and the consequences of his own cowardice and womanizing, he is forced into acting as John Brown's right hand man, training Brown's followers for their disastrous 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry, the kickoff to the Civil War.Flashman, incidentally, served on both sides during that conflict, the details of which I can only hope will be revealed in a forthcoming volume.

In this age of political correctness, Flashman's bawdy adventures are a breath of fresh air.These books deserve every ounce of the praise they've received over the years---the only drawback of being a Flash-fan is enduring the long intervals between installments.Each novel stands by itself, but if you read one, you'll want to read them all.Sample one and join the ranks of rabid Flashmaniacs all around the world.

Disappointing
I enjoy this series and have had many enjoyable hours laughing at the 19th century's most outrageous cad.But this one is a bit thin and takes a lifetime to finally get to Harper's Ferry.When Harry and Co. finally make it there, even then it drags a bit.Not Flashman's best by any means.

FLASH HARRY IS BACK! But not in this book.
I wanted to write a brief review about the twelfth packet of papers in the Sir Harry Paget Flashmen series, but it hasn't been printed in the US, as yet, so I'll write about them here. I purchased the latest novel FLASHMAN ON THE MARCH from amazon.co.uk a few weeks ago. I am very happy to say that the old Harry is back. This time he finds himself escaping the anger of his Austrian companions from aboard a ship after dallying with a 16-yr-old princess enroute to her wedding to a man she has never met. He stumbles into an old Rugby chum and right into plans to carry a large sum of money to Sir Robert Napier prior to the British Army's expedition into Abyssinia. This is the opportunity he was looking for to get out of Trieste ASAP.

It seems mad Emperor Theodore has imprisoned some of Her Majesty's subjects and Sir Robert needs Harry's "talents" to help locate and free the captives. Using the money, he must secure an alliance with rival Queen Masteeat of the Gallas. Harry is reluctant, of course, and tries to talk his way out of going until he discovers that he is to have a very beautiful guide to help him travel the treacherous and very dangerous landscape of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during a civil war. True to form, Harry gets into all sorts of life-threatening situations. In one, he manages to save his own skin by kicking his lover guide over a waterfall as she clings to him for aid. He finally meets up with Queen Masteeat and her pet lions, gets drunk on tej the local alcoholic beverage, is seduced by her,kidnapped by some very bad fellows (friends of the ex-guide) intent on "unmanning" him, and rescued by the malevolent Emperor Theodore himself, all in less than 48 hours...and then the adventure really begins. Those of you out there who are true "Flashmaniacs" will be very happy to hear that our anti-hero is back...the same laughable liar, lecher, cad, poltroon, coward he has been for decades. Huzzah for Sir 'Arry!

I have to admit to being disappointed in FLASHMAN AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. It wasn't up to the usual high standards of the late writer George MacDonald Fraser. This is the weakest book in that superb series, I feel. ... Read more

Book Description

Irene is still a very young princess, but she must grow up quickly when she and her mountain home are threatened by the goblins who dwell below it.

Customer Reviews (5)

loved it
some books are timeless-----this one written over a hundred years ago!just sent a copy to my niece who is 12. plus a necklace was attached(which i was unaware of when ordering).

Wonderful Children's Story
My grandfather used to read this to us (one of the first copies...darn I wish I knew what happened to that book!) when I was a child and years later I read it as an adult and found it was just as good.It's a wonderful book to read to children in the evening (even better if by the fire!).

The Princess and the Goblin
I was very disapointed in this book; maybe it was just me but there was really nothing there for me. I could not get into the characters, and the story was not very exciting. It also seemed to go by very slow...

some people will praise anything . . .
Father of fantasy, my foot. I gave this ridiculous "story" sixty pages and am still waiting for something to happen. The epic tradition of Tolkien and (arguably) Lewis hails from the Mabinogion and (also arguably) the Kalevala, not from some pathetic effort by Macdonald to pen a "fantasy" that my twin four-year-olds could outdo.

Pretty "Princess"
It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

"There Were Some Damned Odd Fellows About in the Earlies"
In George MacDonald Fraser's 'Flashman and the Mountain of Light', our man Flashy sees Queen Vicky holding the Koh-I-Noor diamond and flashes back to India - more precisely, the Punjab where he arrives just in time for the first Anglo Sikh War (1845-46), not to suggest that Flashman had a hand in the war or anything.

The reader meets some of the most colorful figures ever to occupy the historical stage - as Flashman says "there were some damned odd fellows about in the earlies" - many of whom have just about slipped into the obscuring mists of time before Frasser rescued them. There's the White Mughal Alexander Haughton Campbell Gardner, the Queen Mother Maharani Jeendan (ohh, what a mother!), British 'agent' George Broadfoot and more. Flashman even meets up with a couple of fellows who are bigger cowards than he - Lal Singh and Tej Singh.

Fraser also takes the reader through the war in some detail, especially the battles at Ferozeshah and Sobraon. If anything the battle scenes last too long, but that will be a matter of taste for the individual reader.

Along the way, Harry engages in some rather disturbing behavior, which other reviewers have suggested indicate a degree of bravery heretofore undetected. Bosh! While Flashy isn't always the quivering mass of jelly we have come to expect, any actions suggestive of courage are simply acts of self-preservation. And anyway, Flashy gets his just reward for such behavior in the end.

Highest Flashman recommendation.

Another great adventure of Flashman
After reading Royal Flash and Flashman's Lady, I was beginning to think that I as over Flashy, as those books didnt move me in quite the same way the Flashman Papers and the Dragon did.

However, this tale of debauchery and adventure redeemed good ole Flashy in my eyes.Actually, I have been beginning to suspect that Flashy isnt as big a coward as he plays himself to be.His aim appears steady and his sword arm sure when ever he is in a pinch.

The only draw back is that if you are not careful to remember the meanings of all the native lingo, you'll bound to get lost.

Say it isn't so!Flashman shows some courage?!?
In the fourth installment of the Flashman papers, our intrepid hero is in India, helping the Empire expand into the Punjab.And yes, there are instances where Flashman does seem to demonstrate a little spine - but perhaps this is more a result of his working along side equally manipulative and underhanded schemers that Flash looks downright heroic in comparison.

As Flashman fans would expect, the history behind the story is meticulously documented.The tale is set a few years before the crown assumes control of the sub-continent from the East India Company, as India makes is greatest (but ultimately failed) attempt to drive the English out of the region by force. The history alone makes a fascinating read.With the addition of Harry Flashman's escapades to "liven up" the byzantine plotting of real -life theives, turncoats, cowards and liars you have the best Flashman book to date.

History has never been more enjoyable
Neither has historical fiction.Harry Flashman is both.By now you are probably joining me in wishing Harry Flashman was here today.I'd vote for him to President.

Flashman's fourth, and best so far.
I read this book as part four of my chronological survey of the life and times of the greatest jewel in the British crown. After greatly enjoying the original Flashman papers and the two following edited packages, I consider this installment the best so far.

Fraser not only gives us the expected portion of ribaldry, but puts our hero in an accurately described historic situation in which some of the players are so spineless that they make look Flashy rather virtuous, by comparison.
The result is a well-documented narrative, describing the first series of big battles of the British in the Punjab in which the local powers did not have any scruples about plotting a defeat resulting in thousands of deaths of their own people, just to hold on to power a little longer.

In style, Flashman, who looks rather upstanding through it all, gets none of the credit that he for once deserved. ...

This book was a great read and I can't wait to devour the next volume in the series. ... Read more

Book Description
George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer a household name, his works (particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels) have inspired deep admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L'Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his "master". Even Mark Twain, who initially despised MacDonald, became friends with him. MacDonald grew up influenced by his Congregational Church, with an atmosphere of Calvinism. But MacDonald never felt comfortable with some aspects of Calvinist doctrine. Later novels, such as Robert Falconer (1868) and Lilith (1895), show a distaste for the Calvinist idea that God's electing love is limited to some and denied to others. Especially in his Unspoken Sermons (1867-89) he shows a highly developed theology. His best-known works are Phantastes (1858), At the Back of the North Wind (1871) and The Princess and the Goblin (1872), all fantasy novels, and fairy tales such as - The Light Princess (1867), The Golden Key (1867), and The Wise Woman (1875).Download Description
But although he was no coxcomb, neither had fed himself on romances, as Lady Florimel had been doing of late, and although the laugh was quite honestly laughed at himself, it was nevertheless a bitter one. For again came the question: Why should an absurdity be a possibility? It was absurd, and yet possible: there was the point. In mathematics it was not so: there, of two opposites to prove one an absurdity, was to prove the other a fact. Neither in metaphysics was it so: there also an impossibility and an absurdity were one and the same thing. But here, in a region of infinitely more import to the human life than an eternity of mathematical truth, there was at least one absurdity which was yet inevitable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

"There Were Some Damned Odd Fellows About in the Earlies"
In George MacDonald Fraser's 'Flashman and the Mountain of Light', our man Flashy sees Queen Vicky holding the Koh-I-Noor diamond and flashes back to India - more precisely, the Punjab where he arrives just in time for the first Anglo Sikh War (1845-46), not to suggest that Flashman had a hand in the war or anything.

The reader meets some of the most colorful figures ever to occupy the historical stage - as Flashman says "there were some damned odd fellows about in the earlies" - many of whom have just about slipped into the obscuring mists of time before Frasser rescued them. There's the White Mughal Alexander Haughton Campbell Gardner, the Queen Mother Maharani Jeendan (ohh, what a mother!), British 'agent' George Broadfoot and more. Flashman even meets up with a couple of fellows who are bigger cowards than he - Lal Singh and Tej Singh.

Fraser also takes the reader through the war in some detail, especially the battles at Ferozeshah and Sobraon. If anything the battle scenes last too long, but that will be a matter of taste for the individual reader.

Along the way, Harry engages in some rather disturbing behavior, which other reviewers have suggested indicate a degree of bravery heretofore undetected. Bosh! While Flashy isn't always the quivering mass of jelly we have come to expect, any actions suggestive of courage are simply acts of self-preservation. And anyway, Flashy gets his just reward for such behavior in the end.

Highest Flashman recommendation.

Another great adventure of Flashman
After reading Royal Flash and Flashman's Lady, I was beginning to think that I as over Flashy, as those books didnt move me in quite the same way the Flashman Papers and the Dragon did.

However, this tale of debauchery and adventure redeemed good ole Flashy in my eyes.Actually, I have been beginning to suspect that Flashy isnt as big a coward as he plays himself to be.His aim appears steady and his sword arm sure when ever he is in a pinch.

The only draw back is that if you are not careful to remember the meanings of all the native lingo, you'll bound to get lost.

Say it isn't so!Flashman shows some courage?!?
In the fourth installment of the Flashman papers, our intrepid hero is in India, helping the Empire expand into the Punjab.And yes, there are instances where Flashman does seem to demonstrate a little spine - but perhaps this is more a result of his working along side equally manipulative and underhanded schemers that Flash looks downright heroic in comparison.

As Flashman fans would expect, the history behind the story is meticulously documented.The tale is set a few years before the crown assumes control of the sub-continent from the East India Company, as India makes is greatest (but ultimately failed) attempt to drive the English out of the region by force. The history alone makes a fascinating read.With the addition of Harry Flashman's escapades to "liven up" the byzantine plotting of real -life theives, turncoats, cowards and liars you have the best Flashman book to date.

History has never been more enjoyable
Neither has historical fiction.Harry Flashman is both.By now you are probably joining me in wishing Harry Flashman was here today.I'd vote for him to President.

Flashman's fourth, and best so far.
I read this book as part four of my chronological survey of the life and times of the greatest jewel in the British crown. After greatly enjoying the original Flashman papers and the two following edited packages, I consider this installment the best so far.

Fraser not only gives us the expected portion of ribaldry, but puts our hero in an accurately described historic situation in which some of the players are so spineless that they make look Flashy rather virtuous, by comparison.
The result is a well-documented narrative, describing the first series of big battles of the British in the Punjab in which the local powers did not have any scruples about plotting a defeat resulting in thousands of deaths of their own people, just to hold on to power a little longer.

In style, Flashman, who looks rather upstanding through it all, gets none of the credit that he for once deserved. ...

This book was a great read and I can't wait to devour the next volume in the series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A charming tale with lessons for children of all ages.
The 'Wise Woman' is my favorite fairy tale of all time.George MacDonald is wonderfully creative, pulls in just enough 'magic' to be interesting but not confusing, and builds strong characters.The tale has a very strong moral content which goes almost unnoticed by the strength of the story and its characters.I certainly recommend this for young people but I am a 'Senior Citizen' and still find it delightful and a bit thought provoking.

Richard Pendleton

Parenting Guidelines
I loved this story about the Wise Woman.In a fairytale format, it depicted the consequences of bad behavior while at the same time, showed the positive side of doing the right thing. Great story for kids and parents.

CLASSIC--SUPERB
The standout of this collection is the title story, "The Wise Woman, or, The Obstinate Princess." The princess in question is Rosamund, whose royal parents have spoiled her absolutely rotten. In fact, they aresick of her, she's so disgustingly violent and selfish (thanks largely totheir 'care'). Enter the Wise Woman, who steals Rosamund away underneathher voluminous cloak and takes Rosamund to her cottage, which is miles awayfrom nowhere--and bigger on the inside than the outside. Here, for thefirst time, Rosamund begins to learn that her wishes are not what the worldrevolves around. Very slowly. Before that happens, however, she entersanother world through a picture and takes the place of another spoiledbrat, Agnes, daughter of a shepherd and shepherdess. Agnes takes Rosamund'splace. The Wise Woman does her best to save both girls, whose (toparaphrase Burke) intemperate minds mean that they cannot be free; theirpassions have forged their fetters. I can't tell you how the story ends,however. You'll have to find out for yourself.

MacDonald writes in anelegant, leisurely style (he takes three pages to describe a rainstorm atthe beginning), and the story is rather long for a story--a 100 pages, giveor take a few. But these are not really drawbacks. To adult readers, thestory is a rather obvious, but effective, allegory of God's offer ofredemption to humanity. To child readers, it is simply a good story; theywill probably miss the parallel, but get the message. The story is filledwith memorable scenes and images: the little cottage, the Wise Woman'seerie song, Agnes in her bubble (in more ways than one), Rosamund losingher temper with the little child in the boat. These make as much of animpression as the ideas, especially the recurring one that it is not enoughto good; that's easily done when one's in a good mood. The goodness thatcounts is that done against one's inclinations--a hard doctrine thatnegates most of my good deeds, if nobody else's.

In short, this is ahaunting book. It is well-written, it is thoughtful, it stands up both as astrong story and as a sermon, it entertains, it rebukes; it rewardsrepeated reading with additional meaning.

The Wise Woman is a profound and superb allegory
Next to the Bible, this book has impacted my life more than any other. If one would truly enjoy taking a good, honest look at one's character, this is the book!It is a frightening mirror of our own humanity, yet one thatwill inspire change!

Something for everyone, the cream of the crop of fairy tales
The Wise Woman, while being a wonderful story alsoshows amazing insights that the child care specilists seem to just be getting, and it helps parents and the child themselves see cause and effects of different parenting! If you don't have the money to buy it, borrow it from someone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

In the Days When Hollywood Tried to Get It Right
This was a very entertaining and unstuffy book to read comparing actual history and historical figures with Hollywood's interpretation of them. Surprisingly, Hollywood did a pretty good job of it, most of the time. It also contains over 200 pictorial comparisons of paintings of historical figures with photos of their Hollywood look-a-likes (or not), e.g. Charlton Heston as Cardinal Richelieu; Charles Boyer as Napoleon; Henry Fonda as a young Abraham Lincoln; and a truly remarkable photo of Ben Kingsley as Ghandi. (On the other hand, cute and perky Doris Day looked nothing like the coarse, drunken, manish Martha Jane Canarray - aka "Calamity Jane.") the author, George MacDonald Fraser, best known for his series of comic novels about the misadventures of the Victorian era rogue Harry Flashman, writes in his usual, easy going and humorous style that is guaranteed to keep the reader's interest high. This is a difficult book to put down. I recommend it to movie and history buffs alike.

How does Hollywood do history?
In "The Hollywood History of the World", George MacDonald Fraser provides an enjoyable survey of Hollywood's treatment of historical subjects. This is no scholarly dissertation, enumerating all of the factual errors in each film and grading them on accuracy. Indeed, there's very little scholarship at all. Although there is some judgement on historical matters, most of Mr. MacDonald Fraser's commentary is made up observations about actors, sets, dialogue and drama. This book is really the reminiscences of a movie lover who happens to be a history buff. The author adeptly conveys the wonder one must have felt watching movies during Hollywood's Golden Age, and makes one realize how incredible it is that we are able to actually see history resurrected before our eyes, while all previous generations before the early 20th century had to resort to dusty manuscripts and pictures. The movies are the closest process we have to time travel and George MacDonald Fraser concludes that Hollywood has done a pretty job of it.

A Must for Lovers of Costume Drama
I bought this book when it first came out in the '80s, and it has gained that most honored spot for a book -- the bookcase right next to my bed.It's an old friend; I've read it over and over.It's hugely entertaining, and remarkably informative as well.I joined Netflix largely to get access to many of the wonderful old movies I'd read about in Fraser's book, and I've learned all sorts of tidbits of history.

Also fascinating are the many illustrations showing contemporary portraits of the historical characters portrayed and the actors who played them.Much of the casting and costuming has been remarkably good -- in particular, in The Private Life of Henry VIII, Merle Oberon's costume as Anne Boleyn is a dead-on copy of the clothes Anne wore in a portrait.Read this book and you'll have a new respect for how much history Hollywood has gotten right.

One of the best& drollest history books I have read
A brillantly conceived foundation with combines GMF love of history and Films. It also allows him to poniticated on all of the issues and ideas that claim his fancy. It was a very fun read for me!

a joyous and witty book.
This is not a dry scholarly study but a witty, droll, and entertaining book in its own right. Fraser has apparently seen every historical film ever made; it goes without saying that films set in Regency England andMary Stuart's reign in Scotland are throughly scrutinized by Mr. Fraser,along with "One Million Years B.C." and "Ben Hur."Fraser peppers the book throughout with his own knowledge of historywithout ever getting pedantic. A real treat for movie buffs and fans ofFraser's novels. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (23)

A tale that must be told
A brilliant book by one of my favorite authors.I stumbled on it by accident, while looking for Flashman.In a sense, this is even better:Flashie can sometimes get repetitive, but Fraser keeps this one moving.Virtually everyone and everything plays out in strict accordance with Pirate Cliche, with the exception of the cliffhanger ending.Walls between the narrator and the audience are broken down, so that Fraser can explain, for instance, what the background music or camera-eye view would be if this were a movie (and it should be-think of "Airplane","M.P. and the Holy Grail" and a solid Errol Flynn movie rolled into one.)I could say a lot more, but why bother?You should be reading the book.Trust me.

The pleasures of laughing out loud
Now that I've read all of the Flashman series, I went searching for something else written by George MacDonald Fraser. I came upon a book that he wrote some time ago entitled "Pyrates" (yes, that's the way he spells it).

This book is a hilarious spoof on all the pirate movies of the late 1930s...Errol Flynn, John Barrymore, et al. Our heroes are handsome down to their chins, our heroines are "real" blondes, at least according to Fraser (taking after Mickey Spillane's "I, The Jury"). Our villains are so evil that one even keeps losing his dentures.

But, as always, Fraser's writing has me guffawing as he (writing from the vantage of the 1980s) portrays things happening in the 1600s in current terms; ie, castaway sailors in the Indian Ocean were arrested by the Burmese Coast Guard and found guilty by a Burmese court for "fishing without a license".

This is one heck of a read.

Get Ready To Buckle Your Swash!
This has long been one of my favorite books. I've read it over and over so that I need to replace the copy that is falling apart. One does need to be familiar with the old pirate movies of the 1940s and 1950s to appreciate some of the jokes, but it is definitely in a class with the sort of antics that occur in Disney's Captain Jack Sparrow movies. Plus it has the added bonus of telling you what is real history and what is pure fancy on Fraser's part. My favorite character is the anti-hero, Col. Blood, who really did exist, no doubt with the same personality traits that Fraser has given him. I not only am ready to replace my copy but prepared to buy others as holiday gifts for the Captain Jack fanciers on my list.

The funniest book you'll read in years
Imagine the fantasy and imagination of The Princess Bride;take the joie de vivre of Pirates Of The Caribbean;mix it a little with the eccentricity of Carry On Don't Lose Your Head(leaving out the tackier parts of the humour)and then take each of your favourite pirate stereotypes(bad guys, good guys, black spots, needlessly evil Spaniards, sword fights and derring-do)and turn it into one of the most joyous and hilarious books you'll ever read.Oh, and some of the characters really existed, too, just to add a slight historical edge.

The Pyrates is perhaps the funniest book you'll read all year, perhaps it's the funniest book you'll read in many years.For a long, long time I thought it was the funniest book I was ever going to read.

One gets the clear impression while reading this book that GM Fraser, the author, has thrown caution to the wind.Normally his books are considered, paced and quite recognisably scholarly, for all their adventure and humour.With Pyrates, however, we get a writer having the most fun he's had in years, and sharing it with his readers.

Reviews can be used for many purposes;the purpose of a review may be to critique a novel from a particular standpoint, or it may be to throw interesting light on it by placing it in a broad context.The possibilities are almost endless.In this case, I'm going to nail my colours to the crow's nest:

I'm writing this review simply to tell you how much I loved this book, pass on some of the happiness it gave me, and thoroughly recommend that you get a copy of it as soon as you can.I hope it makes you laugh out loud as often, and as heartily, as I did!

Almost too funny
The Pyrates is a loving and over-the-top parody of pirate adventures, both cinematic (i.e. Errol Flynn) and literary (i.e. Rafael Sabatini and Jeffery Farnol) -- indeed, Fraser includes a long list of "influences" at the end of the book. It's told in a post-modern fashion, with plenty of deliberate anachronisms and direct addresses to the reader, reminding us of what is sure to happen, the book being fiction and all. It's very funny, in a way that is at times almost distracting, or perhaps tiring. Which seems an odd complaint -- that a purposely funny book might be too funny -- but at times I put it down simply because I was tired of the constant jokes.

The story concerns a valuable crown, with six jeweled sections, entrusted (by Samuel Pepys) to Our Hero, Captain Ben Avery, for safe delivery to the King of Madagascar. But unfortunately Avery's ship, in the charge of one Admiral Rooke, is secretly manned by a crew of pirates, who wish to free their comradess, the beautiful and bloodthirsty woman pirate Sheba, who is being transported to prison (or a slave camp or something) on the same ship. They free Sheba, and also steal the crown, which conveniently splits six ways. In the mean time they also kidnap the beautiful daughter of Admiral Rooke, Vanity, who has fallen in love with Ben. And Ben is accused of the theft of the crown. So he must attempt to recover the six pieces of the crown, as well as rescuing Vanity, and also restoring his good name. And his only help is in the dubious person of the rascally Captain Thomas Blood, who ended up on the same ship, and who also has his eye on Vanity.

Naturally Ben will ultimately be successful, but not before facing the attentions of numerous women who fall in love with him, such as Sheba, Anne Bonney, and a lovely young Spanish woman; and also dealing with the evil and sadistic designs of the Spanish governor in the New World; and also dealing with Captain Blood's various betrayals, most of which actually end up helping things, if only by accident; and also dealing with cannibals and religiously zealous natives and his own agent. And so on. It's intricately but of course not plausibly plotted, wickedly funny, all in all a good read if as I implied somehow less than a true masterwork.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (85)

Gentlemen, Meet Your Inner Swine!
Harry Flashman is an unspeakable cad, an insufferable liar, an arrant boaster, an odious racist, a craven shirker, a narcissist, and an unrepentant BRIT! He's the sort of man, if you met him, you'd be compelled to thrash him if you could or else toady to him as he would to you if your situations were reversed. There is, in fact, nothing to him but "flash", at least as he presents himself.
When I finished reading the Aubrey/Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian, my daydreams cast me as recombining the two, Aubrey's body, Maturin's mind; we can be honest about our daydreams, can't we, gents? Now I'll have to imagine myself as a Trinity, with the soul of Harry Flashman, nasty as original sin.
There are already 87 reviews of this book, and I fancy I'm the last male bookworm in the English world who'd never heard of Flashman until recently, so I don't feel obliged to summarize the plot or certify the accuracy of the historical context of this first book in the series. Anyway, the pleasure is in the language, sentence by sentence, not in the action.
I can hardly tell you with what shame-faced glee I look forward to reading the further adventures of this despicable grifter! I plan to order all of them as soon as this review is processed.

The Trouble with Harry
The Brits have come up with some brillant book series. Above all others: Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey & Maturin.
Harry Flashman is next in line of excellence. Satirical historiography, serving well as quick guide through the Empire's history. Just choose any trouble spot that English soldiers were remotely related to in the 19th century, and Harry was there. Think of the English Afghanistan desaster, the Indian Mutiny, the Crimea War, the Taiping rebellion, the Mahdi rebellion, even the civil war in the US is in Harry's range. Drinking, cheating, fornicating, lying, betraying, bullying his way into and out of trouble and up the army career ladder.
The author just died recently, which reminded me of Harry. Try him!
Let me make a simplistic statement: had the Russians read Flashman, they might have reconsidered their stupid invasion of Afghanistan. That wouldhave kept the CIA idiots from supplying arms and training to Taliban. That then might have kept ObL out of Afghanistan and away from 9-11 ideas.
It might have kept arms and drugs smuggling in Pakistan on smaller levels and might have kept Pakistan a safer country. It might have reduced trouble in Kashmir and between India and Pakistan. Benazir might still be alife, as might her father.
See how easy history could be?
(This is meant as an obituary for George MacDonald Fraser.)

Very enjoyable read.What a cad!
If you are willing to put aside twenty-first century political correctness, you will find an humorous romp through an episode in British history that has surprising overtones for today's adventures in Afghanistan.I intend to read the next in the series.

I'm glad I discovered this serise
Some of the best military fiction I have ever read absolutely amazing and stunning.Great author too, no one else except Fraser could make a bunch of hardened military history buffs care about a self confessed amoral coward.

Flashy is also funny, witty and really has a way with the ladies which makes up for a lot.A rare thing for military fiction is also the incredible attention to historical accuracy in these books.

It is also with great sadness that I read of the recent death of George MacDonald Fraser but as long as his books exist a part of him will always remain.

Here's To George MacDonald Fraser...
Well, he's finally gone.George MacDonald Fraser died a couple of days ago at 82.Like the good trooper he was, he kept cranking 'em out right 'til the end, concluding his stellar writing career with FLASHMAN ON THE MARCH and THE REAVERS.No longer will we fans be able to look forward to yet one more tour-de-force from this master craftsman.Aye, well...as Flashy would say.Not only was GMF a master of the written English word, he was a master storyteller in the old tradition--unmatched when it came to entrancing his readership with his eloquence, humor, irreverence, brilliant characterizations, and meticulous historical research.He hit one out of the park the first time he stepped up to the plate with FLASHMAN back in 1969.This is still one of the very best of the twelve Flashman novels, though the least of these is ten times better than the best effort of nearly every other author I can think of.I'll greatly miss GMF's writing, particularly Flashman, but he left a wealth of fine books in his wake (including what I think may the best, most perceptive and heartfelt personal memoir of World War Two combat ever written: QUARTERED SAFE OUT HERE), all which we can still enjoy and learn from.So I'll have glass of brandy tilted up to George MacDonald Fraser tonight--with a wary nod to Flashy, who's apt to be lurking around on the periphery somewhere--and take comfort that after he claps arms with Foshie and Grandarse and the rest of Nine Section, he'll probably spend the rest of the winter comparing notes with Thomas Hughes and Raphael Sabatini...not to mention Palmerston, Grant, Lincoln, Lakshmibai, Spotted Tail, Bismarck, and Yakub Beg--just to name a few.Godspeed, Mr. Fraser, and thanks. ... Read more