Flash for Freedom". British Library Catalogue. London: British Library . Retrieved 3 February 2013. The plot is as you would expect: Elspeth, Flashman’s apparently alluring and less intellectually endowed wife is kidnapped by ‘Don’ Solomon, a brigand, who lures her first into South East Asia, and then to Madagascar with Flashy and some notable historical cameos (James Brooke) pursue her doggedly.

Selina Flashman - She is Flashman's nineteen-year-old granddaughter. With uncharacteristic sentimentality Flashman is prepared to spend much of his fortune in preserving "Selly's" innocence from the licentious Moran. This proves to be wasted effort when he discovers that she has become one of the Prince of Wales' mistresses. A coup is attempted, Flashy and Elspeth make a narrow escape, and manage to get rescued by a handily deployed salvo of British and French warships at just the last second. It is hard now, with Flashman recognised as an international comic classic, to believe that Fraser had difficulty getting the book published. Flashman was turned down a dozen times before Herbert Jenkins, the small independent house best known for publishing PG Wodehouse, brought it out. I loved the first Flashman, so decided to give this a try since it is supposedly the second in the chronology, even if it is #6.

He is survived by his wife Kathleen Hetherington whom he married in 1949, their two sons and one daughter.

An editorial piece in the 14 May 2011 edition of The Guardian newspaper on the subject of British Prime Minister David Cameron being labelled a "Flashman" was given a Harry Flashman by-line and was written in the style of Flashman's narrative. [20] Flashman on the March". British Library Catalogue. London: British Library . Retrieved 3 February 2013. Mueller, Andrew (6 July 2002). "Crusty Old Codger". The Weekend Australian. Surry Hills, NSW. p.R10. Flashman is 6feet 2inches (1.88m) tall, weighs 13 stone (180lb; 83kg) (12½ stone in the first book, fourteen stone in the last), has broad shoulders and is attractive to women. [15] [c] He was forced into marriage in the first book, after he "caddishly deflowered" Elspeth Morrison, [3] the daughter of a wealthy Scottish textile manufacturer with whom he had been billeted. [15] Despite being married—and the fact he deeply loves his wife—Flashman is "a compulsive womaniser" [10] who has bedded 480 women by the tenth book in the series, which was set in 1859. [20] Elspeth is also probably unfaithful to him on several occasions. [15] Flashman notes that he has three "prime talents, for horses, languages, and fornication"; [21] he was also described by the master-at-arms of the 11th Hussars as a strong swordsman [22] and was skilled with a lance, particularly at tent pegging. [23] When it is necessary for him to control his fear, he will perform bravely, although is more adept at saving his own skin at the expense of others. [10]

Success!

The plot as I’ve mentioned is average at best, and contrived and derivative at worst. It follows the typical destabilising event, terrible villain, enchanting woman, cliffhanging denouement formula which is par for the course in this type of yarn. Yes, GMF has had to shoehorn his character into historical happenings, but they weren’t that interesting isn the first place. I will say that I now know more about Indonesia and Madagascar than I did at the start. However, At the end there are a bunch of open threads. Whatever happens to Don Solomon? What happened to the plotters of the attempted Coup of Queen Ranavlona? We want answers and we won’t get them