[FDN]≡ Libro Free Royal Flash From the Flashman Papers 184243 and 184748 Edited and Arranged by George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser 9780006511267 Books

Royal Flash From the Flashman Papers 184243 and 184748 Edited and Arranged by George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser 9780006511267 Books

Download As PDF : Royal Flash From the Flashman Papers 184243 and 184748 Edited and Arranged by George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser 9780006511267 Books

Royal Flash From the Flashman Papers 184243 and 184748 Edited and Arranged by George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser 9780006511267 Books

Our intrepid hero, Harry Flashman, is back for volume two of the Flashman Papers, a narrative of the life and times of one of the most ne'er-do-well wastrels to ever grace the pages of a published autobiography.

This installment picks up where the first volume left off; Harry returns from his Afghan adventures, quite the conquering hero and the toast of London. Soon, however, the bloom is off the rose and further adventures await, this time among the nobility of the continent. Soon, Flash matches wits with one of the greatest statesmen of the 19th century, Otto von Bismarck, and changes the course of European history as a result.

As in the original Flashman novel, our Harry is revealed as the premier coward and opportunist of his era; faults which he quite willingly admits and even boasts of. This passage, relating to his beautiful, vacuous wife Elspeth gives a glimpse into the Flashman psyche:

"At that moment I was overcome again with that yearning affection for her that I sometimes felt, in spite of her infidelities; I can't explain it, beyond saying that she must have had some magical quality, something to do with the childlike thoughtful look she wore, and the pure, helpless stupidity in her eyes. It is very difficult not to like a lovely idiot."

Uproariously funny and entertaining, this sequel is every bit the equal of the original.


Tags : Royal Flash: From the Flashman Papers, 1842-43 and 1847-48. Edited and Arranged by George MacDonald Fraser [George MacDonald Fraser] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In Volume II of the Flashman Papers, Flashman tangles with femme fatale Lola Montez and the dastardly Otto Von Bismarck in a battle of wits which will decide the destiny of a continent. Did Flashman's adventures in the Duchy of Strackenz provide the inspiration for The Prisoner of Zenda? The similarities are certainly there as Flash Harry becomes embroiled in a desperate succession of escapes,George MacDonald Fraser,Royal Flash: From the Flashman Papers, 1842-43 and 1847-48. Edited and Arranged by George MacDonald Fraser,HarperCollins,0006511260,Fiction - General,General,Fiction

Royal Flash From the Flashman Papers 184243 and 184748 Edited and Arranged by George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser 9780006511267 Books Reviews

Flashman gets roped/coerced into masquerading as a Danish prince and the action gets furious from there. Written in the first person, Flashman is brutally honest about himself and others, and waxes philosophical more often than he should, but then this is part of his "autobiography," take it or leave it. A good deal of human nature can be learned from him.

I think many of us will live vicariously in Flashman's reluctant adventures, especially the erotic episodes. Being a 19th Century Anglophile, I enjoy the History, phrases and terms used then, as accurately described by Fraser. I am most impressed at his research for the background and settings used. For a while, I wasn't sure whether Flashman had been a real person.

Strongly suggest that the reader read the Flashman series in order, starting with the first one, Flashman 1839-1842, to get the most out of the series. If you are really into it, read "Tom Brown's Schooldays" first.
In this Flashman novel, G.M. Fraser takes a while to get Flashy, our cynical and salacious anti-hero, into motion. But once he does, the book zips along, giving us an adventure that Flashy claims Anthony Hope ripped off to write "The Prisoner of Zenda," as well as the scoundrel's view of the European revolutions in 1848.
As usual with the Flashman books, there are patches of wonderful descriptive writing. For example "We were rolling slowly up a long avenue of trees towards a huge, bleak house, half mansion, half castle; in the fading light, with the wintry sky behind it, it looked in silhouette like the setting for some gothic novel, all towers and spires and rugged stonework. There were some lights in some of the windows, and a great lantern shone yellow above the pointed archway of its main door, but they served only to exaggerate the ancient gloom of the place. Childe Flashy to the Dark Tower came, thinks I, and tried not to imagine what lay within." A fast, light, fun read.
Just finished reading this. It's been over a year since Our Man read the first Flashman novel, so forgive him if he fails to compare the two accurately. Perhaps the first was more enjoyable simply because Flashman as a character was a wondrous discovery; this time round he was more of a known entity.

But whatever, this is a great reactionary romp through revolutionary 1848 Europe, and Flashman has his way with the Queen of Bavaria and bests Bismarck at his Realpolitikin' to boot.

Great politically-incorrect fun and a parody of The Prisoner of Zenda too. Just love the character and the liberties Fraser takes with history and his refusal to take himself, the character or the genre too seriously.

So glad he wrote a dozen more.
The blurb in the front of George MacDonald Fraser's Royal Flash - the second book in the Flashman Papers - is a New York Times quote that says "If anyone is looking for a successor to James Bond, Flashy is the one." This is inaccurate; if anything, Harry Flashman is the anti-Bond cowardly where Bond is courageous, self-serving where Bond is selfless, but human where Bond is superheroic (although the literary Bond is considerably less so than the cinematic one). Flashman, in short, is one of the great cads in fiction, and gleefully unrepentant in his roguishness.

Royal Flash starts where the first volume (Flashman) ended, with the narrator resting on his laurels from his campaigns in Afghanistan. Of course, readers of the first volume are well aware that his heroics are essentially pure fiction, but the British public of 1842 is not onto him. For around 70 pages, Harry is relishing his status while antagonizing various historical figures, most particular, a young Bismarck. This will come back to haunt him years later, when he receives a mysterious summons to come to Germany.

Harry smells a trap, but the scent of money is stronger, so he goes, only to be forced into a scheme of Bismarck's. As it turns out, Flashman is a virtual twin for Prince Carl Gustaf, who is soon to marry a princess that will solidify certain political alliances that Bismarck wants. Unfortunately, Gustaf has taken ill with a sexually transmitted disease and the cure will take too long; the wedding would be threatened and with it, Bismark's plans. Enter Flashman, who will impersonate Gustaf temporarily. Harry suspects there's more to this than what he's been told, but he has little choice to go along with the plot.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I like this one even more. The book Flashman is a bit more episodic, while Royal Flash has more of a single plot, allowing a better narrative flow. A wonderful blend of history and satire, Royal Flash will continue to entertain those who found the first book a pleasure.
Our intrepid hero, Harry Flashman, is back for volume two of the Flashman Papers, a narrative of the life and times of one of the most ne'er-do-well wastrels to ever grace the pages of a published autobiography.

This installment picks up where the first volume left off; Harry returns from his Afghan adventures, quite the conquering hero and the toast of London. Soon, however, the bloom is off the rose and further adventures await, this time among the nobility of the continent. Soon, Flash matches wits with one of the greatest statesmen of the 19th century, Otto von Bismarck, and changes the course of European history as a result.

As in the original Flashman novel, our Harry is revealed as the premier coward and opportunist of his era; faults which he quite willingly admits and even boasts of. This passage, relating to his beautiful, vacuous wife Elspeth gives a glimpse into the Flashman psyche

"At that moment I was overcome again with that yearning affection for her that I sometimes felt, in spite of her infidelities; I can't explain it, beyond saying that she must have had some magical quality, something to do with the childlike thoughtful look she wore, and the pure, helpless stupidity in her eyes. It is very difficult not to like a lovely idiot."

Uproariously funny and entertaining, this sequel is every bit the equal of the original.