Rating: 
Summary: One of Flashman's Best Ever
Review: Anyone who enjoys Flashman's tales of cowardly adventure and history of America's old west will love this tale. This one is full of suspense and the character's he runs across reads right off the who's who list of the old West.
Rating: 
Summary: Flashman in America
Review: Harry Flashman, Victorian England's unlikely hero, the unknown "ace of cads," is up to his old tricks. He travels to the American west with a traveling bordello, goes on a scalp-hunting party, marries an Apache chief's daughter and rides out with Kit Carson in '49. Then it's back to the West in '79 so he can attend the massacre at Little Bighorn and almost be scalped by Frank Standing Bear, who turns out to have a very reasonable grudge against our anti-hero. Whew! As always, Fraser is a raconteur of humor and wit and a historian of astonishing erudition. His depth of research is commendable, and would be even if he didn't use it to make every nuance of historical events more human and understandable. This book, while light reading, is hilarious and instructive: it's a towering achievement.
Rating:
Summary: It's difficult to do serious reviews on Flashman
Review: He's good history submerged in laughter. By now you are hooked. Buy it. You can't fight it.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the bunch
Review: I have read this book over fifty times and each time I find something new and interesting. The author writes with real understanding and love of his material, particularly the Indians and both their views and how they were viewed, his characters especially the female ones, seem to have real personalities and insights, and his hero, Harry Flashman, while cynical and manipulative, starts to develop into maturity, and becomes less a "pantaloon" himself .
Rating:
Summary: The best of the bunch
Review: I have read this book over fifty times and each time I find something new and interesting. The author writes with real understanding and love of his material, particularly the Indians and both their views and how they were viewed, his characters especially the female ones, seem to have real personalities and insights, and his hero, Harry Flashman, while cynical and manipulative, starts to develop into maturity, and becomes less a "pantaloon" himself .
Rating:
Summary: #2 on my All-Time Top 10
Review: I usually enjoy the Flashman books more or less depending on my engagement with their historical content, and generally I'm not big on westerns. But this was like one of the great Hollywood films in the way it captured the majesty and adventure of the West, with humor and satire sprinkled throughout. In 1849, Flashy participates in the Gold Rush; 27 years later, he returns in time to become the sole white survivor of Custer's Last Stand. The greatest chase of the entire Flashman series occurs about halfway through, with a murderous Apache war party pursuing Sir Harry across the New Mexican desert. Reading it, I literally couldn't breathe; when it was over, I choked up over Fraser's sheer storytelling brilliance. What a writer!
Rating:
Summary: A lovable rogue
Review: Meet Harry Flashman, one of the most lovable,
despicable rogues you'll ever encounter, a man who
has absolutely no virtues or conscience. This is a
man who would betray his friends at the drop of a
hat, provided that the betrayal it was useful, a
man who invented the "love them and leave them"
philosophy, a man who will say or do anything to
escape with his own hide.But he is also a man who is destined to be where
the action is - so in his various adventures, he
meets Abraham Lincoln, is involved in the famous
charge of the light brigade, becomes friends (of a
sort) with Bismarck. But through his eyes, we see
history just a bit different. There are seven volumes so far in George Frasier's
series, but the one I think you'll enjoy best is
Flashman and the Redskins. Set in the old West,
the novel tells of Flashman's encounters with men
like Will Bill Hickock, Geronomo, Kit Carson,
Crazy Horse, and George Custer. The culmination of
his adventures is the most famous of the Western
battles - Custer's defeat at the Little Big Horn. But Flashman doesn't spend all his time fighting
Indians. He would much rather be in the arms of a
beautiful woman. And he succeeds in this endeavor,
not once, but several times during the course of
the novel. First, we meet Susie, the madam of a
brothel he happens to encounter on his way west.
Of course, he can't remain faithful to her for
long, not with all those other women (the "sluts"
as he calls them) that are so available. Finally
he must abandon his new "family" to continue his
journey, but that doesn't end his womanizing. When
he is captured by the Apaches, he saves his life
by seducing the chief's daughter! And we don't
want to miss the mysterious Mrs. Candy who takes
him on his last journey west. But the joy of this book is not just the marvelous
adventures Flashman has, nor is it the great character Fraser
has created (a man you love to hate). This is a book where the
language is equal to the story. As Flashman describes his near
brushes with death, we can feel his fear, fear that he is able
to cover up when others are around. This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but
you'd best hold on tight, or you'll fall off laughing. (NOTE: Since one of Flashman's characteristics is his amorous
nature, there are several rather ribald passages. They are not
pornographic or vulgar, but they are suggestive. I found them
quite funny, but if they bother you, just skip a few paragraphs
and you'll be in safe territory again.)
Rating:
Summary: Flashman in America; among the better Flashman books
Review: The Flashman series is certainly a hit-and-miss affair. Harry Flashman, this mythical "Forrest Gump on the 19th century", by George MacDonald Fraser is the kind of character you love to hate. He gets all the women, gets in and out of all sorts of trouble, etc - he's certainly larger than life. The author cleverly uses Flashman as a vehicle to re-tell (not re-write) history for the masses. In 'Flashman and the Redskins' he succeeds admirably. 'Flashman and the Redskins' is a actually two distinct books sewn together. The first half has Flashman on a wagon train from New Orleans to San Francisco. Of course impossible mishaps occur en route. But this gives the author the excellent opportunity to capture the essence of American expansion and Indian/Mexican/Amercian hostilities - I actually learned a lot. The second half takes place 25 years later at Custer's last stand. Again, a very educational exercise. And the link between these two stories is understood at the very end. It's unexpected and amusing. 'Flashman and the Redskins' fortunately has little of the toilet humour found in other Flashman books. So instead of being grossed out by adolescent humour I was given a history lesson wrapped in an enjoyable story. Great deal!! As with the rest of the Flashman books, it is strongly advised to read the first of the Flashman series before proceeding to any of the others.
Rating:
Summary: Flashman in America; among the better Flashman books
Review: The Flashman series is certainly a hit-and-miss affair. Harry Flashman, this mythical "Forrest Gump on the 19th century", by George MacDonald Fraser is the kind of character you love to hate. He gets all the women, gets in and out of all sorts of trouble, etc - he's certainly larger than life. The author cleverly uses Flashman as a vehicle to re-tell (not re-write) history for the masses. In 'Flashman and the Redskins' he succeeds admirably. 'Flashman and the Redskins' is a actually two distinct books sewn together. The first half has Flashman on a wagon train from New Orleans to San Francisco. Of course impossible mishaps occur en route. But this gives the author the excellent opportunity to capture the essence of American expansion and Indian/Mexican/Amercian hostilities - I actually learned a lot. The second half takes place 25 years later at Custer's last stand. Again, a very educational exercise. And the link between these two stories is understood at the very end. It's unexpected and amusing. 'Flashman and the Redskins' fortunately has little of the toilet humour found in other Flashman books. So instead of being grossed out by adolescent humour I was given a history lesson wrapped in an enjoyable story. Great deal!! As with the rest of the Flashman books, it is strongly advised to read the first of the Flashman series before proceeding to any of the others.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional extension of Flashman into American History
Review: This book is one of Fraser's best in the Flashman series, especially for American readers. It is superbly crafted, moving from where the story ended in Royal Flash, with Flashman in America, through his travels to the American West in 1840's, then jumping several decades to Custer's ill fated Souix campaign. Fraser's research of the West is typically perfect, and the story is tight, fun and suspenseful. In typical Fraser fashion, Flashman mentions past and future adventures, spicing the true Flashman fans' craving for other books in the series.
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