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Flashman at the Charge by George MacDonald Fraser
Book Summary InformationAuthor: George MacDonald Fraser Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published) Published: 1986-10-01 ISBN: 0452264138 Number of pages: 288 Publisher: Plume
Book Reviews of Flashman at the ChargeBook Review: Charge of the Light Brigade, Flashman style Summary: 5 StarsIf 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.
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