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Flashman Papers #11
Flashman and the Tiger, and Other Extracts from the Flashman Papers
First edition hardcover with plastic covered unclipped dust jacket, in very good condition. Page block is lightly tanned. LW
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
George MacDonald Fraser
115 books687 followersGeorge MacDonald Fraser is best known for his Flashman series of historical novels, purportedly written by Harry Flashman, a fictional coward and bully originally created by Thomas Hughes in Tom Brown's School Days. The novels are presented as "packets" of memoirs written by the nonagenarian Flashman, who looks back on his days as a hero of the British Army during the 19th century. The series begins with Flashman, and is notable for the accuracy of the historical settings and praise from critics. P.G. Wodehouse said of Flashman, “If ever there was a time when I felt that ‘watcher-of-the-skies-when-a-new-planet’ stuff, it was when I read the first Flashman.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
January 25, 2025
FINAL UPDATE: Hadn't planned on returning to this so soon, but am just finishing DK's new and excellent The World War I Book, and the final story here - The Road to Charing Cross - ties in rather neatly, as it involves a (wholly fictional, I think?) assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph by Hungarian separatists, leading "yada-yada-yada"-style to an earlier First World War. The story itself if fine - good even, with a few neat plot twists - but what really got me thinking was: what if such an 1883 assassination of Franz Joseph rather than Franz Ferdinand in 1914 had indeed led to war thirty years earlier? Would the technology and leadership then in place have led to a shorter and less devastating war - say, less machine guns and heavy artillery, more American involvement - or an even longer and more horrific one?
Anyway - interesting thought experiment; rest of my original review and rating stands as is.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I can't review this book without thinking of Ian Fleming's Octopussy - in part because I can now never think of Fraser at all without making that connection, as I only recently learned that he wrote the screenplay for that dreadful film. But it's also because this book is very similar to Fleming's in that both are unusual late-career entries to long-running series that consists of several short stories/novellas (three for Frasier; four for Fleming) rather than their usual full-length novels. (Oh yeah, and also because much like Flashman himself, Roger Moore's Bond character is also a ridiculous servant of the queen with a grossly over-inflated reputation and self-image, while in fact he is mainly a lecherous idiot whose main skill involves frequently getting captured and then escaping).
Anyway - in reverse order:
FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER: The best of the bunch, although spoiler - there are no tigers; the title merely refers to the fictional John Sebastian "Tiger Jack" Moran, who is not only the villain here but also in several Sherlock Holmes stories, where he is Professor Moriarty's right-hand man. As a result, Fraser sets up a hilarious third-act cameo and takedown of the famous detective, which alone is worth the price of admission, (which in my case was just $0.49 from the peerless McKay Used Books in Manassas).
The story begins (misleadingly) with an action-packed set piece featuring a typical Flashy attempt to outrun the Zulus at Isandlwana…but then jumps ahead fifteen years to boring old England where an elderly Flashman re-encounters Moran and has his brief run-in with Holmes. Decent if not memorable story; but more fun here are the Easter eggs. Aside from the Sherlock/Watson cameos, Flashman finally alludes to his presence at both Gettysburg and Omdurman - two glaring omissions in his otherwise omnipresent mid-19th Century history that many readers have long wondered about. Frasier also makes mention of a "Captain Younghusband" in his notes on Isandlwana - but to my surprise this was neither the famous Francis nor his lesser known brother George, but a Capt. Reginald Younghusband who I'd never heard of before, (likely because he did not survive the battle). And finally, the odd cover illustration: Flashman generally appears as a heroic if often pompous figure on his book jackets. But here? He's in fact the drunken old man being poked by Holmes…although you'll have to read to understand why.
THE SUBTLETIES OF BACCARAT: An ironic title, since as Flashman correctly notes "baccarat is the most imbecile of card games, in which half-wits sit around a large table…Endless fun, assuming you can count to nine." And as far as I can tell, it really is a stupid game - God knows why Fleming had Bond play it so often; but luckily they changed it to Texas Hold'em in Daniel Craig's "Casino Royale," (although I'm sure if that had been a Roger Moore movie, he'd have been playing "Go Fish").
THE ROAD TO CHARING CROSS: Nope; haven't read it - longest of the three and takes place in Europe; my least favorite setting for the Flashman stories (other than England itself). Will probably return to it at some point; but as I've noted elsewhere, having gotten through most of the "interesting" (to me) Flashman's, I'm probably done with him for a while - it was really only the low-low price that attracted me to this one.
Anyway - interesting thought experiment; rest of my original review and rating stands as is.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I can't review this book without thinking of Ian Fleming's Octopussy - in part because I can now never think of Fraser at all without making that connection, as I only recently learned that he wrote the screenplay for that dreadful film. But it's also because this book is very similar to Fleming's in that both are unusual late-career entries to long-running series that consists of several short stories/novellas (three for Frasier; four for Fleming) rather than their usual full-length novels. (Oh yeah, and also because much like Flashman himself, Roger Moore's Bond character is also a ridiculous servant of the queen with a grossly over-inflated reputation and self-image, while in fact he is mainly a lecherous idiot whose main skill involves frequently getting captured and then escaping).
Anyway - in reverse order:
FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER: The best of the bunch, although spoiler - there are no tigers; the title merely refers to the fictional John Sebastian "Tiger Jack" Moran, who is not only the villain here but also in several Sherlock Holmes stories, where he is Professor Moriarty's right-hand man. As a result, Fraser sets up a hilarious third-act cameo and takedown of the famous detective, which alone is worth the price of admission, (which in my case was just $0.49 from the peerless McKay Used Books in Manassas).
The story begins (misleadingly) with an action-packed set piece featuring a typical Flashy attempt to outrun the Zulus at Isandlwana…but then jumps ahead fifteen years to boring old England where an elderly Flashman re-encounters Moran and has his brief run-in with Holmes. Decent if not memorable story; but more fun here are the Easter eggs. Aside from the Sherlock/Watson cameos, Flashman finally alludes to his presence at both Gettysburg and Omdurman - two glaring omissions in his otherwise omnipresent mid-19th Century history that many readers have long wondered about. Frasier also makes mention of a "Captain Younghusband" in his notes on Isandlwana - but to my surprise this was neither the famous Francis nor his lesser known brother George, but a Capt. Reginald Younghusband who I'd never heard of before, (likely because he did not survive the battle). And finally, the odd cover illustration: Flashman generally appears as a heroic if often pompous figure on his book jackets. But here? He's in fact the drunken old man being poked by Holmes…although you'll have to read to understand why.
THE SUBTLETIES OF BACCARAT: An ironic title, since as Flashman correctly notes "baccarat is the most imbecile of card games, in which half-wits sit around a large table…Endless fun, assuming you can count to nine." And as far as I can tell, it really is a stupid game - God knows why Fleming had Bond play it so often; but luckily they changed it to Texas Hold'em in Daniel Craig's "Casino Royale," (although I'm sure if that had been a Roger Moore movie, he'd have been playing "Go Fish").
THE ROAD TO CHARING CROSS: Nope; haven't read it - longest of the three and takes place in Europe; my least favorite setting for the Flashman stories (other than England itself). Will probably return to it at some point; but as I've noted elsewhere, having gotten through most of the "interesting" (to me) Flashman's, I'm probably done with him for a while - it was really only the low-low price that attracted me to this one.
May 16, 2013
Fans of the intrepid poltroon, Sir Harry Flashman, will need no introduction to the scandal and intrigue laced comedies of the late George MacDonald Fraser. Fraser was an advocate who contended that even Hollywood history with its inevitable bowdlerizing (or scandalizing, depending on the director/studio), synthesizing, and mythologizing for purposes of box office formula was better than no history at all (see The Hollywood History of the World: From One Million Years B.C. to Apocalypse Now). The truth is that I revel in the alleged memoirs of Sir Harry Flashman (first introduced to us as a public school (in the English, not U.S. sense) bully in Tom Brown’s School Days by Thomas Hughes) as he draws misadventure like an electro-magnet and experiences more undeserved luck than an overpowered role-playing game character.
To those who do not know Flashman, you should be aware that there is absolutely no redeeming value to this cowardly scoundrel except for the fact that he makes no bones about the fact (at least in these purported memoirs) that he is an irredeemable cowardly scoundrel. The fact that he blunders into success and heroic stature in spite of being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees opposite to said stature is part of the comedic nature of the novels. He is such a bald-faced liar and patented coward that he becomes ironically charming. Don’t get me wrong. Flashman is no 19th (and early 20th) century Maxwell Smart. The blunders are usually well-conceived plans that twist against him through fate, misunderstanding, and the egregiously poor decisions of others. His “risk management” strategies are as ill-fated as the battle plans which von Clauswitz proclaims will never survive contact with the enemy.
And therein lies the humor. Flashman is amoral, lascivious, and as self-interested as an Ayn Rand protagonist, but somehow circumstances and those flashes of his humanity come together to make things interesting. In general, Fraser gets to put a dig in at historical figures such as Otto von Bismarck and Lord Asquith. Fraser, at least in the nominal words of Flashman, cannot abide the heroic reputations of those who won their reputation through utter folly—often at the expense of those they commanded.
Flashman and the Tiger is a rather different novel. It is loosely strung together with one large pearl adorned by two smaller ones. It is rather like a tenuously redacted set of novella plus two short stories to make a work that Flashman would have composed and compiled hurriedly before he passed on to his expected judgment and hoped for, yet undeserved, reprieve. Normally, I would have glanced over the early pages in the bookstore and copped to the fact that it was a loose compilation of shorter works and avoided it. I’m glad I avoided my usual inclination because the three stories have been placed in such a way that they make perfect sense as somewhat disjointed memoirs that somehow close gaps in Flashman’s checkered (or, considering his nationality, should that be chequered) autobiography.
In the first, and longer, story, Flashman is a victim of poetic justice as he is trapped between his latest amorous conquest and the offspring of a former foe. It turns out, these two are in league with each other in order to leverage Flashman into saving Austria-Hungary’s Franz-Joseph from involuntary abdication via regicide. One senses that Flashman is being dragged along into this counter-plot involuntarily himself. Yet, the story turns on one character being rather to true to his/her nature to Flashman’s disadvantage and another character being rather true to his/her nature to Flashman’s distinct advantage. This first story has some rather vivid action in it, but readers will have to patient for the pay-off. One scene is almost as vivid as the dueling scene beside the cliff in The Princess Bride, if actually more exciting than the other is funny.
The second turns off a mixture of revenge and misunderstanding. The misdirection in this piece is delightful and hinges upon the sexist attitude of Harry. Prince Albert (not “in the can”) plays a prominent role in this story and it clearly involves a crisis that would be highly unlikely to evoke royal consternation today. Bertie has presided over the bank in a game of baccarat during a society weekend. One of the players may have cheated and, should the crisis not be resolved satisfactorily, the future King Edward may end up as “Having Something in his Sling, Edward.” For me, the reveal was tipped too early, but it was still risible when it happened.
Indeed, Bertie (Prince Albert) has a rather important cameo in the final story, as well. This one turns out quite differently than I anticipated. This one had elements of vintage Flashman involved in an extortion/revenge plot with the added bonus of Flashman forcing himself against character, only to discover that…well…”blood will out.” It was a perfect jewel of a story.
My favorite terms and phrases in the book included a caustic indictment of Jesuits, “Crooked as a Jesuit’s conscience…” (p.68), and Harry’s dismissal of Oscar Wilde’s sycophants (toadies) as “harumphrodites” (p. 314). At one point, Harry argues, “Some clever ass has said that ‘if’ is the biggest word in the language, but I say it is the most useless.” (p. 198) At another point, Harry proclaims, “Show me melodrama, and I’ll show you truth, every time.” (p. 320) Of course, in a Flashman novel, even what Harry believes to be true may be held against him. And, being a fan of the Inspector Lestrade series by M. J. Trow, I rather enjoyed the quite erroneous deductions of the unnamed great one as the presumed Holmes and Watson find Harry looking rather disheveled and indisposed.
But there is certainly nothing to be held against this book. Unlike many “forced” compilations of shorter works, Flashman and the Tiger works—every time. The fact that I still prefer novels with a central plot which is resolved will account for the loss of a star. Otherwise, vintage Flashman in the best (or should that be worst) sense of the word.
To those who do not know Flashman, you should be aware that there is absolutely no redeeming value to this cowardly scoundrel except for the fact that he makes no bones about the fact (at least in these purported memoirs) that he is an irredeemable cowardly scoundrel. The fact that he blunders into success and heroic stature in spite of being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees opposite to said stature is part of the comedic nature of the novels. He is such a bald-faced liar and patented coward that he becomes ironically charming. Don’t get me wrong. Flashman is no 19th (and early 20th) century Maxwell Smart. The blunders are usually well-conceived plans that twist against him through fate, misunderstanding, and the egregiously poor decisions of others. His “risk management” strategies are as ill-fated as the battle plans which von Clauswitz proclaims will never survive contact with the enemy.
And therein lies the humor. Flashman is amoral, lascivious, and as self-interested as an Ayn Rand protagonist, but somehow circumstances and those flashes of his humanity come together to make things interesting. In general, Fraser gets to put a dig in at historical figures such as Otto von Bismarck and Lord Asquith. Fraser, at least in the nominal words of Flashman, cannot abide the heroic reputations of those who won their reputation through utter folly—often at the expense of those they commanded.
Flashman and the Tiger is a rather different novel. It is loosely strung together with one large pearl adorned by two smaller ones. It is rather like a tenuously redacted set of novella plus two short stories to make a work that Flashman would have composed and compiled hurriedly before he passed on to his expected judgment and hoped for, yet undeserved, reprieve. Normally, I would have glanced over the early pages in the bookstore and copped to the fact that it was a loose compilation of shorter works and avoided it. I’m glad I avoided my usual inclination because the three stories have been placed in such a way that they make perfect sense as somewhat disjointed memoirs that somehow close gaps in Flashman’s checkered (or, considering his nationality, should that be chequered) autobiography.
In the first, and longer, story, Flashman is a victim of poetic justice as he is trapped between his latest amorous conquest and the offspring of a former foe. It turns out, these two are in league with each other in order to leverage Flashman into saving Austria-Hungary’s Franz-Joseph from involuntary abdication via regicide. One senses that Flashman is being dragged along into this counter-plot involuntarily himself. Yet, the story turns on one character being rather to true to his/her nature to Flashman’s disadvantage and another character being rather true to his/her nature to Flashman’s distinct advantage. This first story has some rather vivid action in it, but readers will have to patient for the pay-off. One scene is almost as vivid as the dueling scene beside the cliff in The Princess Bride, if actually more exciting than the other is funny.
The second turns off a mixture of revenge and misunderstanding. The misdirection in this piece is delightful and hinges upon the sexist attitude of Harry. Prince Albert (not “in the can”) plays a prominent role in this story and it clearly involves a crisis that would be highly unlikely to evoke royal consternation today. Bertie has presided over the bank in a game of baccarat during a society weekend. One of the players may have cheated and, should the crisis not be resolved satisfactorily, the future King Edward may end up as “Having Something in his Sling, Edward.” For me, the reveal was tipped too early, but it was still risible when it happened.
Indeed, Bertie (Prince Albert) has a rather important cameo in the final story, as well. This one turns out quite differently than I anticipated. This one had elements of vintage Flashman involved in an extortion/revenge plot with the added bonus of Flashman forcing himself against character, only to discover that…well…”blood will out.” It was a perfect jewel of a story.
My favorite terms and phrases in the book included a caustic indictment of Jesuits, “Crooked as a Jesuit’s conscience…” (p.68), and Harry’s dismissal of Oscar Wilde’s sycophants (toadies) as “harumphrodites” (p. 314). At one point, Harry argues, “Some clever ass has said that ‘if’ is the biggest word in the language, but I say it is the most useless.” (p. 198) At another point, Harry proclaims, “Show me melodrama, and I’ll show you truth, every time.” (p. 320) Of course, in a Flashman novel, even what Harry believes to be true may be held against him. And, being a fan of the Inspector Lestrade series by M. J. Trow, I rather enjoyed the quite erroneous deductions of the unnamed great one as the presumed Holmes and Watson find Harry looking rather disheveled and indisposed.
But there is certainly nothing to be held against this book. Unlike many “forced” compilations of shorter works, Flashman and the Tiger works—every time. The fact that I still prefer novels with a central plot which is resolved will account for the loss of a star. Otherwise, vintage Flashman in the best (or should that be worst) sense of the word.
October 25, 2025
Las novelas de este antihéroe, para mi gusto, cuando no tiene alguna guerra o batalla de su país a lo largo del mundo en el siglo XIX, pierde bastante. Quizás es que son bastantes libros y ya empiezo a hartarme, Me quedan un título más y por fin, espero acabar. aunque Flashman habla de aventuras en la legión extranjera, en el México del emperador Maximiliano o durante la guerra de Secesión estaunidense que no deben de haber sido traducidas al español y lo considero una suerte porque no creo que entonces habría dejado sus lecturas mucho antes
October 13, 2016
Normally you'd have to force me to spend any amount of time with a man who is a coward, bully, misogynist and has, by modern standards, rather unthinkable opinions on race but by God I'm sad now my time with Flashman is up.
This was my last Flashman book, I've read the lot and a more entertaining world it's rarely been my pleasure to enter.
I never cease to be amazed by the ability George MacDonald Fraser had for weaving Flashy into actual events so seamlessly. Sometimes I begin to think that Flashman must really have been there!
This volume contains three stories, The Road to Charing Cross, The Subtleties of Baccarat and the title story.
The Road to Charing cross is the longest of the 3 and while it's not up there with Flashy's best adventures it's still excellent stuff just a slightly rushed Flashman novel.
The Second story is the slightest of the three focusing on the Tranby Croft scandal in which Flashman apparently played a small part and Elspeth a somewhat larger part.
Last up Flashman and the Tiger which features Tiger Jack Moran of Sherlock Holmes fame as well as a fleeting appearance by Holmes himself along with Watson. This one is the best featuring classic Flashman action at Rorke's Drift along with a brilliant interweaving with the Holmes story The Adventure of the Empty House.
So all in all very good but not one to start, or even perhaps finish with.
This was my last Flashman book, I've read the lot and a more entertaining world it's rarely been my pleasure to enter.
I never cease to be amazed by the ability George MacDonald Fraser had for weaving Flashy into actual events so seamlessly. Sometimes I begin to think that Flashman must really have been there!
This volume contains three stories, The Road to Charing Cross, The Subtleties of Baccarat and the title story.
The Road to Charing cross is the longest of the 3 and while it's not up there with Flashy's best adventures it's still excellent stuff just a slightly rushed Flashman novel.
The Second story is the slightest of the three focusing on the Tranby Croft scandal in which Flashman apparently played a small part and Elspeth a somewhat larger part.
Last up Flashman and the Tiger which features Tiger Jack Moran of Sherlock Holmes fame as well as a fleeting appearance by Holmes himself along with Watson. This one is the best featuring classic Flashman action at Rorke's Drift along with a brilliant interweaving with the Holmes story The Adventure of the Empty House.
So all in all very good but not one to start, or even perhaps finish with.
February 15, 2017
Law if diminishing returns continues in this, the penultimate title in the series. Just the one to go for me.
Here we have a novella and two short stories. The first probably would have been enough.
Dealing with Harry in his later years - he hasn't changed much. There is involvement in a Austro/Hungarian assassination attempt that could have started WWI twenty years earlier. There is a dull story about the Prince of Wales cheating at cards (although it's always good to hear Elspeth having a voice). Finally, there's a story that starts at Rourke's Drift and ends with Flashman attempting to murder his granddaughters murderer in London.
Usual themes, style is all present and correct. Actions scenes - especially in Book 1 - are superbly written. Few master action like GMF.
Just get the feeling the series has run out of steam.
Here we have a novella and two short stories. The first probably would have been enough.
Dealing with Harry in his later years - he hasn't changed much. There is involvement in a Austro/Hungarian assassination attempt that could have started WWI twenty years earlier. There is a dull story about the Prince of Wales cheating at cards (although it's always good to hear Elspeth having a voice). Finally, there's a story that starts at Rourke's Drift and ends with Flashman attempting to murder his granddaughters murderer in London.
Usual themes, style is all present and correct. Actions scenes - especially in Book 1 - are superbly written. Few master action like GMF.
Just get the feeling the series has run out of steam.
November 4, 2021
This one is something of an oddball in the Flashman series. It’s still pretty entertaining, but isn’t as educational or exotic from a 19th century history perspective as many of the earlier books. The primary story is surprisingly short—more of a novella, really. And then there are 2 more novelettes curiously buried in the appendices (at least in my Kindle version). In the first of these, Flashy gets to puzzle out a mystery a la Sherlock Holmes, and in the next, which finally references the titular tiger, Sherlock himself actually shows up as a character and is spoofed mercilessly and hilariously.
I’m saddened to realize that there is only one more Flashy book left to read. It has been such a fun ride so far! Thanks Michael!
I’m saddened to realize that there is only one more Flashy book left to read. It has been such a fun ride so far! Thanks Michael!
May 11, 2021
As much as I love the Flashman Papers, including Flashman and the Tiger, I'd have no hesitation in describing this instalment as the worst of the series. I should stress that I mean 'worst' in relative terms, for it is still a great read – it's just not on par with the rest.
Unlike the other eleven books in the Papers – all novels – Flashman and the Tiger is a collection of three short stories, or, more accurately, one novella and two short stories. The first, 'The Road to Charing Cross', is the novella and runs for about 200 pages. Set largely in Austria, it is reminiscent of Royal Flash, the second book in the series, as Bismarck again shanghaies a reluctant Flashman into averting an international crisis. I've always loved Flashman's Little Englander summaries of history; witness his following appraisal of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on page 88:
"He began by asking what I knew of the Austrian Empire. I retorted that they seemed to be good at losing wars and territory, having been licked lately by France, Prussia, and Italy, for heaven's sake, and that the whole concern was pretty ramshackle. Beyond that I knew nothing and cared less."
This story is a lot of fun, even if it does build slowly (though don't all Flashman books do that?), and even ends with a ripping swordfight. As Hutton says on page 166: "sabres, bigad!" That said, at times it felt like I was re-reading Royal Flash – but I suppose that's no bad thing, if we're honest.
The second story, running at about 60 pages, is 'The Subtleties of Baccarat'. This initially seemed less promising, focusing on the little-known Tranby Croft affair of 1890-1, when an associate of the Prince of Wales was accused of cheating at cards. Not the same as Flashman running for his life from crazed Afghan cut-throats, I'm sure you'll agree, but it does pick up markedly once that darling inscrutable idiot Elspeth, Lady Flashman, enters the fray. The story is perhaps the closest that author George MacDonald Fraser ever got to providing a definitive answer on that eternal question: "Elspeth, true or false?" (pg. 278). It's very amusing to watch Flashman and his wife trading blows in their old age.
The third and final story is the titular 'Flashman and the Tiger', at a mere 40 or so pages. It sketchily runs through Flashman's adventures in Zululand at Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift and ends with Flashman, 15 years later, back in London and being given the once over by Sherlock Holmes. The latter part of this story is excellent: Fraser apes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's dialogue perfectly, and Flashman's appraisal of the 'arrogant, prying bastard' Holmes and the 'oaf' Watson is entirely in keeping with his own character. As a fan of both the Sherlock Holmes and the Harry Flashman stories, reading the detective's erroneous deductions of our lovable poltroon (who is in disguise as a beggar) was an absolute treat. However, it was the first part of the story, in Zululand, which leads me onto my one main criticism of the book as a whole.
You see, the first and third stories at least could have been expanded upon (and, whisper it, improved upon) to novel length. That Fraser did not do so smacks of lack of time or will on his part – which is understandable, given he was 74 years old at the time of Tiger's publication in 1999 and only managed one more instalment, 2005's Flashman on the March, before his death in 2008. It seems likely that Fraser was aware that he wouldn't be able to give us complete accounts of all of Flashman's escapades and so tried to give us a few sketches as a sort of consolation prize.
Consequently, 'Charing Cross', alongside the Austria adventure, briefly summarises Flashman's adventures in Mexico (pg. 86), Egypt (pp47-8) and hints at his involvement in Gordon's ill-fated expedition at Khartoum (pg. 204). Even more surprisingly and disappointingly, 'Tiger' sketches quickly over Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift – a campaign which I would have bet my life on Fraser being willing to indulge us with a novel. The Zulu story in particular feels rushed; not least because it starts already in the midst of the Isandhlwana rout – without any preliminary - and because one prominent figure in the 'Baccarat' story, Cumming, is mentioned as being in the campaign, yet does not appear in 'Tiger'. The Zulu campaign could have been a classic Flashman novel – British military debacle, bloodthirsty natives, and so on – yet was dealt with as merely the first half of a 40-page short story.
It is because of decisions like this – understandable decisions, from an aging writer's point of view – that I have no hesitation in describing Flashman and the Tiger as the least of the Flashman Papers. It doesn't always feel like Flashman – the second story doesn't even have the obligatory footnotes! – but it is still greater than the sum of its parts. My disappointment was not so much in what Fraser wrote as what he didn't write: I wanted more, more, more. Like the persistent lament among Flashman fans that we never got to hear about Flashy's American Civil War adventures (in which he fought on both sides), we desperately want to know about what he got up to at Khartoum and in Zululand. That's a credit to Fraser, not a criticism: he wrote such a fantastic character.
It was interesting that the events of the three stories in Flashman and the Tiger take place when he is an old man: aged variously between sixty and ninety across the three. Flashman cannot fight quite so desperately or run away quite so quickly any more – Flash laments "knowing that your speed and cunning have been undermined by a lifetime of booze and evil living and your white hair's coming out in handfuls" (pg. 284). It is rather sad to see Flashy as a fading star, and this sense is only heightened by the knowledge that this is the penultimate instalment of the Papers.
But it's nice to know that he has a happy ending: whereas the desire to drink and fornicate his youth away were often disrupted by his ever-reluctant adventures, in his old age he can, for the most part, "drink my way towards an honoured grave, spend my wife's fortune, gorge at the best places, leer at the young women, and generally enjoy a dissolute old age" (pg. 284). The events of 'Tiger' show that Flashy's retirement won't always be smooth, and his behaviour towards his granddaughter Selina shows he might just be an old softie at heart, but the old scoundrel got away with it all, the bastard – I'll give him that.
Taken on its merits, Flashman and the Tiger is a great experience – Flashman is always, always a delight. But seasoned Flashman fans will easily recognise areas where Fraser lacked the time or the will to bring things to blossom. Tiger may well be the least of the Flashman Papers, but it's still Flashman, damn your impudence, so enjoy it.
Unlike the other eleven books in the Papers – all novels – Flashman and the Tiger is a collection of three short stories, or, more accurately, one novella and two short stories. The first, 'The Road to Charing Cross', is the novella and runs for about 200 pages. Set largely in Austria, it is reminiscent of Royal Flash, the second book in the series, as Bismarck again shanghaies a reluctant Flashman into averting an international crisis. I've always loved Flashman's Little Englander summaries of history; witness his following appraisal of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on page 88:
"He began by asking what I knew of the Austrian Empire. I retorted that they seemed to be good at losing wars and territory, having been licked lately by France, Prussia, and Italy, for heaven's sake, and that the whole concern was pretty ramshackle. Beyond that I knew nothing and cared less."
This story is a lot of fun, even if it does build slowly (though don't all Flashman books do that?), and even ends with a ripping swordfight. As Hutton says on page 166: "sabres, bigad!" That said, at times it felt like I was re-reading Royal Flash – but I suppose that's no bad thing, if we're honest.
The second story, running at about 60 pages, is 'The Subtleties of Baccarat'. This initially seemed less promising, focusing on the little-known Tranby Croft affair of 1890-1, when an associate of the Prince of Wales was accused of cheating at cards. Not the same as Flashman running for his life from crazed Afghan cut-throats, I'm sure you'll agree, but it does pick up markedly once that darling inscrutable idiot Elspeth, Lady Flashman, enters the fray. The story is perhaps the closest that author George MacDonald Fraser ever got to providing a definitive answer on that eternal question: "Elspeth, true or false?" (pg. 278). It's very amusing to watch Flashman and his wife trading blows in their old age.
The third and final story is the titular 'Flashman and the Tiger', at a mere 40 or so pages. It sketchily runs through Flashman's adventures in Zululand at Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift and ends with Flashman, 15 years later, back in London and being given the once over by Sherlock Holmes. The latter part of this story is excellent: Fraser apes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's dialogue perfectly, and Flashman's appraisal of the 'arrogant, prying bastard' Holmes and the 'oaf' Watson is entirely in keeping with his own character. As a fan of both the Sherlock Holmes and the Harry Flashman stories, reading the detective's erroneous deductions of our lovable poltroon (who is in disguise as a beggar) was an absolute treat. However, it was the first part of the story, in Zululand, which leads me onto my one main criticism of the book as a whole.
You see, the first and third stories at least could have been expanded upon (and, whisper it, improved upon) to novel length. That Fraser did not do so smacks of lack of time or will on his part – which is understandable, given he was 74 years old at the time of Tiger's publication in 1999 and only managed one more instalment, 2005's Flashman on the March, before his death in 2008. It seems likely that Fraser was aware that he wouldn't be able to give us complete accounts of all of Flashman's escapades and so tried to give us a few sketches as a sort of consolation prize.
Consequently, 'Charing Cross', alongside the Austria adventure, briefly summarises Flashman's adventures in Mexico (pg. 86), Egypt (pp47-8) and hints at his involvement in Gordon's ill-fated expedition at Khartoum (pg. 204). Even more surprisingly and disappointingly, 'Tiger' sketches quickly over Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift – a campaign which I would have bet my life on Fraser being willing to indulge us with a novel. The Zulu story in particular feels rushed; not least because it starts already in the midst of the Isandhlwana rout – without any preliminary - and because one prominent figure in the 'Baccarat' story, Cumming, is mentioned as being in the campaign, yet does not appear in 'Tiger'. The Zulu campaign could have been a classic Flashman novel – British military debacle, bloodthirsty natives, and so on – yet was dealt with as merely the first half of a 40-page short story.
It is because of decisions like this – understandable decisions, from an aging writer's point of view – that I have no hesitation in describing Flashman and the Tiger as the least of the Flashman Papers. It doesn't always feel like Flashman – the second story doesn't even have the obligatory footnotes! – but it is still greater than the sum of its parts. My disappointment was not so much in what Fraser wrote as what he didn't write: I wanted more, more, more. Like the persistent lament among Flashman fans that we never got to hear about Flashy's American Civil War adventures (in which he fought on both sides), we desperately want to know about what he got up to at Khartoum and in Zululand. That's a credit to Fraser, not a criticism: he wrote such a fantastic character.
It was interesting that the events of the three stories in Flashman and the Tiger take place when he is an old man: aged variously between sixty and ninety across the three. Flashman cannot fight quite so desperately or run away quite so quickly any more – Flash laments "knowing that your speed and cunning have been undermined by a lifetime of booze and evil living and your white hair's coming out in handfuls" (pg. 284). It is rather sad to see Flashy as a fading star, and this sense is only heightened by the knowledge that this is the penultimate instalment of the Papers.
But it's nice to know that he has a happy ending: whereas the desire to drink and fornicate his youth away were often disrupted by his ever-reluctant adventures, in his old age he can, for the most part, "drink my way towards an honoured grave, spend my wife's fortune, gorge at the best places, leer at the young women, and generally enjoy a dissolute old age" (pg. 284). The events of 'Tiger' show that Flashy's retirement won't always be smooth, and his behaviour towards his granddaughter Selina shows he might just be an old softie at heart, but the old scoundrel got away with it all, the bastard – I'll give him that.
Taken on its merits, Flashman and the Tiger is a great experience – Flashman is always, always a delight. But seasoned Flashman fans will easily recognise areas where Fraser lacked the time or the will to bring things to blossom. Tiger may well be the least of the Flashman Papers, but it's still Flashman, damn your impudence, so enjoy it.
June 6, 2010
Unlike most of the rest of the series, which are novels, this book includes a novella and two short stories. In each, Flashman is inserted into events the author did not devise, although the last of these is not a historical event, but a short story of Conan Doyle.
The novella, The Road to Charing Cross, covers a now-obscure attempted assassination of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria in 1880. Of course, Flashman blunders into the plot and foils it, thereby delaying the start of WWI by almost 35 years. (It was the assassination of Franz Josef's nephew that commonly marks the start of the first war.)
The second two pieces have the classic structure of short stories. Like a good joke, the stories set up the reader for a surprising conclusions in the last few pages. There is a hilarious send-up of Sherlock Holmes in the final story. In both, Flashman's female relations demonstrate that they are hardly the victims of their menfolk's fooling around. They give as well as they get.
I would not start out with this volume of the series if you're new to Flashman. If you're a fan, you may get a kick out of observing Flashman in retirement and on the home front.
The novella, The Road to Charing Cross, covers a now-obscure attempted assassination of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria in 1880. Of course, Flashman blunders into the plot and foils it, thereby delaying the start of WWI by almost 35 years. (It was the assassination of Franz Josef's nephew that commonly marks the start of the first war.)
The second two pieces have the classic structure of short stories. Like a good joke, the stories set up the reader for a surprising conclusions in the last few pages. There is a hilarious send-up of Sherlock Holmes in the final story. In both, Flashman's female relations demonstrate that they are hardly the victims of their menfolk's fooling around. They give as well as they get.
I would not start out with this volume of the series if you're new to Flashman. If you're a fan, you may get a kick out of observing Flashman in retirement and on the home front.
July 17, 2015
The next to last book has a novelette and two short stories, but the main theme of these story is revenge. George MacDonald uses real events, real and fictitious personage and Harry Flashman to interact with it all. The book end on a nice note as the disguised Flashman is analyzed by Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.
January 24, 2022
This penultimate volume (#11) in the Flashman series is my favorite since at least Flashman's Lady (#7). The Flashman formula, effective as it is, has grown tiresome for the length of a 350 page novel, so these three shorter adventures come as a welcome change.
The Road to Charing Cross is vintage Flashman compressed into 200 pages, with a climactic swordfight in an underground cavern that is a series highlight.
The Subtleties of Baccarat is a true oddball, with no violence and (almost) no sex. Instead, Flashy gets embroiled in a card-cheating scandal, with no real danger to his own person. This one's great because it turns on the ambiguous behavior of his wife, Elspeth, a brilliant character: is she an imbecile, or cunning beyond belief? Primly chaste or wildly promiscuous? Flashman is a constant mixture of exasperation and devoted love when dealing with her—and she is forever out-maneuvering him.
Flashman and the Tiger is awkwardly structured, frontloaded with a clumsy flashback to a battle against Zulu tribesmen before the story settles into a deliciously absurd reverse-murder-mystery set in London. Flashy, now in his 70s, finds himself compelled to try and gun down an old acquaintance from the aforementioned battle who's now bearing a mysterious grudge. Includes a hilarious send-up of Sherlock Holmes.
The Road to Charing Cross is vintage Flashman compressed into 200 pages, with a climactic swordfight in an underground cavern that is a series highlight.
The Subtleties of Baccarat is a true oddball, with no violence and (almost) no sex. Instead, Flashy gets embroiled in a card-cheating scandal, with no real danger to his own person. This one's great because it turns on the ambiguous behavior of his wife, Elspeth, a brilliant character: is she an imbecile, or cunning beyond belief? Primly chaste or wildly promiscuous? Flashman is a constant mixture of exasperation and devoted love when dealing with her—and she is forever out-maneuvering him.
Flashman and the Tiger is awkwardly structured, frontloaded with a clumsy flashback to a battle against Zulu tribesmen before the story settles into a deliciously absurd reverse-murder-mystery set in London. Flashy, now in his 70s, finds himself compelled to try and gun down an old acquaintance from the aforementioned battle who's now bearing a mysterious grudge. Includes a hilarious send-up of Sherlock Holmes.
August 21, 2011
Unlike the other Flashman books, Flashman and the Tiger, is a collection of 3 stories. The first sees Flashman put in the middle of European intrigue that could ultimately lead to a war like the world has never witnessed before. The second story sees Flashman in the middle of a royal scandal. The third and final story was my favorite (Although, all of the stories were quite good). The last story pits aging General Flashman against the dastardly Colonel Moran. Although never mentioned by name, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson make an appearance. This is Flashman written in to the famous Holmes story "the Empty House". Great stories of adventure and always laugh out loud funny.......and it wouldn't be Flashman without a bit wickedness.....
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September 30, 2017Chronologically, the great cad's last adventures, and almost the last to be released. To some extent it shows; despite the title, the bulk of the book is taken up by The Road to Charing Cross, whose plot is perhaps a little too much of a direct sequel to some earlier adventures (though I suppose when you're weaving tales around history, where one thing does tend to follow another, that's always going to be a risk). And compared to the earlier books, I can definitely see the justice of Neil Gaiman's criticism that Flash is now too often motivated into apparent heroism by fear of censure and shame, or fear of something worse. I mean, isn't that much true of many historical heroes? Still, there remains much to amuse as the old bastard shags and lies his way through a scheme to avert European war, and – as ever – comes out ahead despite his own worst instincts. The highlights for me were the moments when even this old liar's shamelessly honest confessions show signs of self-deceit, not least one parting which genuinely brought a tear to my eye.
That theme is picked up again in 'The Subtleties of Baccarat’, which as ever with Fraser taught me a surprising amount of real history – I’d no more been aware of the Victorian Prince of Wales’ involvement in a baccarat scandal than I had of the fascinating, ludicrous figure of journalist Henri Blowitz, the motor for the first story. But as regards Flashy, the interest here is twofold: watching how he can still make mischief even in retirement from active duty, and getting a little more confirmation that one recurring character was just as good at pulling the wool over his eyes as he was everybody else's.
And finally, and most briefly, the title story. Which finds an aged Harry in an unaccustomed role - defender of virtue! - and which Gaiman especially disliked, considering it cheating. Well, it is. But by George if it don't pull it off with some flair, and after all, this is Flashman we're talking about.
That theme is picked up again in 'The Subtleties of Baccarat’, which as ever with Fraser taught me a surprising amount of real history – I’d no more been aware of the Victorian Prince of Wales’ involvement in a baccarat scandal than I had of the fascinating, ludicrous figure of journalist Henri Blowitz, the motor for the first story. But as regards Flashy, the interest here is twofold: watching how he can still make mischief even in retirement from active duty, and getting a little more confirmation that one recurring character was just as good at pulling the wool over his eyes as he was everybody else's.
And finally, and most briefly, the title story. Which finds an aged Harry in an unaccustomed role - defender of virtue! - and which Gaiman especially disliked, considering it cheating. Well, it is. But by George if it don't pull it off with some flair, and after all, this is Flashman we're talking about.
November 6, 2024
Another good, solid Flashman book. This isn't a novel, but 3 novellas. Very enjoyable.
The first, about 200 pages has Flash preventing the assassination of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. Despite being shorter than the normal 300 or so page Flashy novel , this is jam packed with action and characters and could easily been expanded to a stand alone novel. Who knows why Fraser didn't do it. Maybe he thought the tale couldn't be spun out more, or at age 70 he got tired.
The only flaw is that we get a too long "epilogue". I enjoyed Caprice, but her meeting with Flash could have been more or less cut in half. Its not that's it boring, its not. Its that I kept thinking, OK "this is the end", and it kept on going.
The second, about a card scandal and Prince Edward, is an amusng tale and only 60 pages. I must say enjoyed the bits about Flashy's wife and their loving relationship as "Oldsters".
The last one is about Flashy and Tiger Jack Moran. Moran, BTW, is a fictional character from Sherlock Holmes. Its a short, fun, story.
The first, about 200 pages has Flash preventing the assassination of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. Despite being shorter than the normal 300 or so page Flashy novel , this is jam packed with action and characters and could easily been expanded to a stand alone novel. Who knows why Fraser didn't do it. Maybe he thought the tale couldn't be spun out more, or at age 70 he got tired.
The only flaw is that we get a too long "epilogue". I enjoyed Caprice, but her meeting with Flash could have been more or less cut in half. Its not that's it boring, its not. Its that I kept thinking, OK "this is the end", and it kept on going.
The second, about a card scandal and Prince Edward, is an amusng tale and only 60 pages. I must say enjoyed the bits about Flashy's wife and their loving relationship as "Oldsters".
The last one is about Flashy and Tiger Jack Moran. Moran, BTW, is a fictional character from Sherlock Holmes. Its a short, fun, story.
October 6, 2017
I just love the character. He is the anti-hero's anti-hero. Who doesn't love a rogue?
May 21, 2016
It is with a mixed feeling that I took up this one. This is the last of the Flashman for me. Letting Flashman go away is like having a fun part of life come to an end.
I started the series without much expectation thinking of it to be a period romance. So the non-conventional story telling of Fraser was a surprise, a pleasant one though. Every book had its quirk and watched the movie adaptation of the one book, it was like I was not getting enough of Flashman.
So it was with a bit of sadness that I took this one. However, I ended up feeling that probably Fraser stopped the series with the next one as otherwise he would've been trapped by the template of the stories and would've killed the fun of Flashman. By ending the series, he made sure the sense of longing lingers on.
Now to the book itself. This one is one novella and two smaller stories. Of course, the Novella follows Flashman in Vienna in the middle of the Balkan crises. There is the lady spy, the princess and of course the multiple conspiracies with a murder attempt on the Austrian emperor. Though it was good, it was not matching up with the intrigues Flashman was part of in the other continents.
The Tronby craft affair is the center of the second story which of course is the weakest of all. In fact, I stopped reading for a while with the boring back and forths of a domestic intrigue.
'Flashman and the Tiger' the last story in the book is probably the best of the lot. Again a domestic issue with flashbacks into the Zulu war, the story is racy, has Flashman in his elements and have a cameo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at the end.
Overall, an interesting (though partially) book.
I started the series without much expectation thinking of it to be a period romance. So the non-conventional story telling of Fraser was a surprise, a pleasant one though. Every book had its quirk and watched the movie adaptation of the one book, it was like I was not getting enough of Flashman.
So it was with a bit of sadness that I took this one. However, I ended up feeling that probably Fraser stopped the series with the next one as otherwise he would've been trapped by the template of the stories and would've killed the fun of Flashman. By ending the series, he made sure the sense of longing lingers on.
Now to the book itself. This one is one novella and two smaller stories. Of course, the Novella follows Flashman in Vienna in the middle of the Balkan crises. There is the lady spy, the princess and of course the multiple conspiracies with a murder attempt on the Austrian emperor. Though it was good, it was not matching up with the intrigues Flashman was part of in the other continents.
The Tronby craft affair is the center of the second story which of course is the weakest of all. In fact, I stopped reading for a while with the boring back and forths of a domestic intrigue.
'Flashman and the Tiger' the last story in the book is probably the best of the lot. Again a domestic issue with flashbacks into the Zulu war, the story is racy, has Flashman in his elements and have a cameo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at the end.
Overall, an interesting (though partially) book.
March 24, 2019
The twelfth book in the series, giving three short stories, not related though, as opposed to Flashman and the Redskins. The first story concerns a plot to bring World Ward One forward by thirty years, second one involves a gambling scandal, and the third, involving the title, tells us about Flashy's experiences in the Zulu wars.
There are the usual plot points where Flash gets dragged in on account of his inability to keep away from a beautiful woman. First and third installments have the usual entertaining ingredients, but the second one is let down, and a little boring. After all, how much excitement can you get from Baccarat? And for all of GMF's opinion that as a writer you shouldn't listen to anyone and only edit out what you think should be edited out, I feel that the Elspeth/Flash episode where she confesses to engineering the Baccarat cheat, it perhaps could have been edited to give it better punch. Having said that, Flashman has sold more than my books are even likely to sell, so my opinion probably accounts for just that.
However, the Sherlock Holmes moment is absolutely inspired!
There are the usual plot points where Flash gets dragged in on account of his inability to keep away from a beautiful woman. First and third installments have the usual entertaining ingredients, but the second one is let down, and a little boring. After all, how much excitement can you get from Baccarat? And for all of GMF's opinion that as a writer you shouldn't listen to anyone and only edit out what you think should be edited out, I feel that the Elspeth/Flash episode where she confesses to engineering the Baccarat cheat, it perhaps could have been edited to give it better punch. Having said that, Flashman has sold more than my books are even likely to sell, so my opinion probably accounts for just that.
However, the Sherlock Holmes moment is absolutely inspired!
May 31, 2012
I picked this one up specifically for the titular Zulu Wars/Sherlock Holmes crossover story after having read the first Flashman.
I was blown away. I love history and I love the idea of fictional (or fictionalized) minor characters moving behind the scenes of greater recorded events and affecting them somehow.
SPOILERS
This was even better as it took the actual events of Isandlwanda (sp?) and Roark's Drift, injected the minor Holmesian villain Tiger Jack Moran, ADDED Flashman to that, RETCONNED Tiger Jack as a minor character in a previous Flashman story (Flash For Freedom!), AND THEN had Flashy and Tiger having it out around the events of the celebrated Holmes story Adventure Of The Empty House.
The eventual 'meeting' of Holmes, Watson and a disguised Flashman is hilarious, with Holmes blowing every deduction and talking OVER Watson, even as the good Doctor for once gets everything right.
END SPOILERS
I'll have to amend the review when I go back and read the other stories, but I like being able to pick up Flashman at any point in his history and not be lost.
I was blown away. I love history and I love the idea of fictional (or fictionalized) minor characters moving behind the scenes of greater recorded events and affecting them somehow.
SPOILERS
This was even better as it took the actual events of Isandlwanda (sp?) and Roark's Drift, injected the minor Holmesian villain Tiger Jack Moran, ADDED Flashman to that, RETCONNED Tiger Jack as a minor character in a previous Flashman story (Flash For Freedom!), AND THEN had Flashy and Tiger having it out around the events of the celebrated Holmes story Adventure Of The Empty House.
The eventual 'meeting' of Holmes, Watson and a disguised Flashman is hilarious, with Holmes blowing every deduction and talking OVER Watson, even as the good Doctor for once gets everything right.
END SPOILERS
I'll have to amend the review when I go back and read the other stories, but I like being able to pick up Flashman at any point in his history and not be lost.
February 17, 2012
Three unconnected stories: the first relating how Flashman is dragooned into preventing the assassination of Franz-Josef and preventing (well, postponing) WWII; the second revealing the truth about the Tranby Croft affair (which I've never heard of; a noble was caught cheating at cards); and the third, unusually, plunges Flashman into the world of Sherlock Holmes as he attempts to kill the best shot in India, Tiger Jack Moran.
It has all the usual ingenious weaving of fictional drama using real historical facts and mysteries. The comic high point of the novel, for me, was having Holmes use his "powers of perception" on a disguised Flashy and being utterly wrong --- all his observations technically accurate, but the deductions being as far off as they are assured. A brilliant and much-welcome jab at Holmes' "reasoning."
[Read twice: 9/30/00, 12/30/05]
It has all the usual ingenious weaving of fictional drama using real historical facts and mysteries. The comic high point of the novel, for me, was having Holmes use his "powers of perception" on a disguised Flashy and being utterly wrong --- all his observations technically accurate, but the deductions being as far off as they are assured. A brilliant and much-welcome jab at Holmes' "reasoning."
[Read twice: 9/30/00, 12/30/05]
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July 10, 2023Three highly amusing stories. “The Road to Charing Cross,” though “short” by Flashman standards, clocks in at 200 pages and is longer than many novels. It brings a Flashman into contact with a second-generation enemy and features an excellently horrifying confrontation scene with the villain. “The Subtleties of Baccarat” takes the Tranby-Croft scandal for its foundation and proposes a superbly ingenious explanation of “the truth” which both pleases and disturbs old Flashy. The title story is a little pastiche uniting Flashman’s past with an encounter involving a certain detective and his trusty companion in Flashman’s old age. This time, a third-generation figure is, in part, a villain. On the whole, a thoroughly satisfying romp through the usual Flashman territory with enough twists to keep much of that usual simultaneously unexpected in its specifics.
April 10, 2009
It's a rather older Flashman who stars in these three short stories. He's in his sixties in the traditional Flashman tale 'The Road to Charing Cross'; knocking on 70 in the almost locked door mystery of 'The Subtleties of Baccarat' and older again in 'Flashman and the Tiger' (where he has a very amusing encounter with Holmes and Watson.)
His age means that - after the first story - there is a different, more elgiac pace to proceedings. And while for a fan it is interesting to see the character after he's no longer bluff and hearty, it probably wouldn't be the best place for a Flash-virgin to begin.
His age means that - after the first story - there is a different, more elgiac pace to proceedings. And while for a fan it is interesting to see the character after he's no longer bluff and hearty, it probably wouldn't be the best place for a Flash-virgin to begin.
May 18, 2012
This one is a novella and three short stories. The novella is GREAT, a typical Flashman romp. The other two were a little harder to get into, they didn't have the framework of history to add interest, they were just personality. And while the personalities are always fun, they aren't really very different from story to story so .... there wasn't much value-added. But certainly the novella is worth reading.
July 26, 2008
I had forgotten about Flashman. I read this one, just about died laughing, and had such a hard time finding other editions to the series I gave up. Great reading.
August 28, 2017
Great Series - not for the easily offended.
September 13, 2017
The only bad thing about this book is that there is only one more to read in this 12 book series.
September 27, 2023
Great closing novel to an amazing (and incredibly funny) historical fiction series.
August 4, 2019
FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER consists of a novella and two novelettes. Numerous critics claim this book is a minor effort by George MacDonald Fraser because it is not a novel. Critics are often wrong and in the case of TIGER they most certainly are. Every one of Fraser's shorter Flashman works are better than some of his novel-length adventures. Flashy thrives in the short form and I'll explain why I think so.
Most importantly, Fraser didn’t have to pad any of his shorter works with extraneous detail that bog down at least three of his Flashman novels. In those the seams of their construction are glaringly apparent and divide the books into three distinct chunks, and not beginning, middle and end chunks either. Characters and plotlines early in the story just disappear from the narrative and new ones take over as Fraser moves Flashy from one locale to another in order to shoehorn him into different historical situations or battles. To smooth out such disjointed event timelines Fraser was forced to kill time by inserting painfully long passages of description or compelling Flashman and ancillary characters to twiddle their thumbs waiting for the action to start. Or both! That disrupts the traditional form of a novel by creating a jagged uneven narration, and those three Flashman novels (Great Game, Dragon & Angel of the Lord) suffer greatly for this. These unintended writerly side effects don't ruin those particular books, but certainly weaken them in contrast with others in the series. The worst example occurs in the Angel of the Lord volume during Flashy's participation with John Brown at Harpers Ferry: Flashman and others hang around in a barn almost 150 boring pages.
On the other hand one of the very best Flashman books (Redskins) is two novellas separated by more than a quarter of a century---yet they fit together perfectly for reasons I won't spoil for those who haven't read them. The two halves of Redskins form a truly classic novel although that is not apparent until its final pages.
Published in 1999, FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER's three tales are unconnected stories, but all are original and nuanced situations that stand well on their own. The novella 'The Road to Charing Cross' is as good as either of the novellas in Redskins; Charing Cross has a tremendous climax and amusing denouement. Next, the novelette 'The Subtleties of Baccarat' is also a fine addition to Flashy's canon despite the lack of physical action and lower body count than most Flashman stories. Finally, the title story of this collection is also excellent, serialized originally in the Daily Express during September and October 1975. This explains why Arthur Barbosa's wonderful cover painting depicting Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson alongside a prostrate Flashy adorns some editions of this book, surfacing four years after the painter's death. Fraser and Barbosa were friends, the Fraser family owns most of Barbosa's orginal Flashman paintings, and he had produced this one long before the 'Flashman and the Tiger' story appeared between the covers of a book. Why the 1975 serialization is not noted in any edition of FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER is a mystery to me. The novelette was written early in Flashman's heyday, the same year Flashman in the Great Game was published.
For those reasons I believe FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER stands among the very best in George MacDonald Fraser's distinguished Flashman oeuvre.
Most importantly, Fraser didn’t have to pad any of his shorter works with extraneous detail that bog down at least three of his Flashman novels. In those the seams of their construction are glaringly apparent and divide the books into three distinct chunks, and not beginning, middle and end chunks either. Characters and plotlines early in the story just disappear from the narrative and new ones take over as Fraser moves Flashy from one locale to another in order to shoehorn him into different historical situations or battles. To smooth out such disjointed event timelines Fraser was forced to kill time by inserting painfully long passages of description or compelling Flashman and ancillary characters to twiddle their thumbs waiting for the action to start. Or both! That disrupts the traditional form of a novel by creating a jagged uneven narration, and those three Flashman novels (Great Game, Dragon & Angel of the Lord) suffer greatly for this. These unintended writerly side effects don't ruin those particular books, but certainly weaken them in contrast with others in the series. The worst example occurs in the Angel of the Lord volume during Flashy's participation with John Brown at Harpers Ferry: Flashman and others hang around in a barn almost 150 boring pages.
On the other hand one of the very best Flashman books (Redskins) is two novellas separated by more than a quarter of a century---yet they fit together perfectly for reasons I won't spoil for those who haven't read them. The two halves of Redskins form a truly classic novel although that is not apparent until its final pages.
Published in 1999, FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER's three tales are unconnected stories, but all are original and nuanced situations that stand well on their own. The novella 'The Road to Charing Cross' is as good as either of the novellas in Redskins; Charing Cross has a tremendous climax and amusing denouement. Next, the novelette 'The Subtleties of Baccarat' is also a fine addition to Flashy's canon despite the lack of physical action and lower body count than most Flashman stories. Finally, the title story of this collection is also excellent, serialized originally in the Daily Express during September and October 1975. This explains why Arthur Barbosa's wonderful cover painting depicting Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson alongside a prostrate Flashy adorns some editions of this book, surfacing four years after the painter's death. Fraser and Barbosa were friends, the Fraser family owns most of Barbosa's orginal Flashman paintings, and he had produced this one long before the 'Flashman and the Tiger' story appeared between the covers of a book. Why the 1975 serialization is not noted in any edition of FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER is a mystery to me. The novelette was written early in Flashman's heyday, the same year Flashman in the Great Game was published.
For those reasons I believe FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER stands among the very best in George MacDonald Fraser's distinguished Flashman oeuvre.
September 8, 2020
I gave this four stars for fans of the series; it would be a poor first book to start on, though, and would be 3 stars for the uninitiated. Is it objectively one of the best in the series? Certainly not - unless the final book surprises me, I wouldn't say that anything after Flashman and the Dragon has a claim at being one of the elites. But this is something just as good if you've made it through the first ten; old-man Flashman!
It's split between three stories (presented in order from longest to shortest) and gives multiple good looks at our deviant bastard antihero from his late 50s into his 70s, making it chronologically the latest of the Flashman series. This is also the most playful of the books, with Flash a more benign figure for the most part and with author Fraser giving us fun little genre spins on the usual Flashman fare - we see Flashman the detective trying to figure out whether or not someone scandalously cheated at a card game in the Prince of England's presence (naturally so Flash can commit some mischief in his retired years), we get our lecherous protagonist amusingly matched up with the son of an old enemy, and even a rare (possibly unique?) intersection with another fictional story from the era. It seems pretty clear that Fraser was having a ball with this, and if it all feels lighter than most other parts of the series, it's also a nice breath of fresh air from the more standard beats of its predecessors.
The climactic "fight" scene with
It's split between three stories (presented in order from longest to shortest) and gives multiple good looks at our deviant bastard antihero from his late 50s into his 70s, making it chronologically the latest of the Flashman series. This is also the most playful of the books, with Flash a more benign figure for the most part and with author Fraser giving us fun little genre spins on the usual Flashman fare - we see Flashman the detective trying to figure out whether or not someone scandalously cheated at a card game in the Prince of England's presence (naturally so Flash can commit some mischief in his retired years), we get our lecherous protagonist amusingly matched up with the son of an old enemy, and even a rare (possibly unique?) intersection with another fictional story from the era. It seems pretty clear that Fraser was having a ball with this, and if it all feels lighter than most other parts of the series, it's also a nice breath of fresh air from the more standard beats of its predecessors.
The climactic "fight" scene with
October 3, 2019
The penultimate book in the Flashman series is a definite departure for Fraser. The book contains three short works starring a aged to elderly Flashy. It was an interesting experiment that I feel worked out quite well for covering some small stories in the illustrious life of Sir Harry.
The first and longest story starts with Flashy helping journalist Henri Blowitz to obtain a copy of the Treaty of Berlin before it is officially announced (and an opportunity to vex old foe Otto von Bismark). It then flashes forward five years and we find Flashy hopping on the initial run of the Orient Express, again at the behest of Blowitz (but mostly to try to avoid going to The Sudan with Gordon) and ultimately being coerced into trying to stop an assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph. Along the way he runs in to the son of an old foe and we see Flashy as the groveling poltroon he was born to be.
The second is a shorty that looks at Flashy's involvement in and solution to the Tanby Croft royal baccarat scandal. I was completely unaware of this incident and it's this kind of thing that Fraser does so well and that make for the best Flashman tales. This wasn't the flashiest story in terms of action. But it was a nice change of pace and it focused on a little known (to me) incident.
The final (and title tale) deals with Flashman's relationship with Sherlock Holmes villain Tiger Jack Moran. The story leads us from the Battle of Isandlwana to the Battle of Rorke's Drift to London of 1894 and an elderly Flashy attempting to save his grand-daughter's virtue from the dastardly Tiger Jack. This is another of Flashy's earlier adventures coming back to bite him in the ass and he's saved in the end from an unexpected quarter.
Overall a very successful experiment and one that I'd have had no issue with Fraser using more often had he had the chance.
The first and longest story starts with Flashy helping journalist Henri Blowitz to obtain a copy of the Treaty of Berlin before it is officially announced (and an opportunity to vex old foe Otto von Bismark). It then flashes forward five years and we find Flashy hopping on the initial run of the Orient Express, again at the behest of Blowitz (but mostly to try to avoid going to The Sudan with Gordon) and ultimately being coerced into trying to stop an assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph. Along the way he runs in to the son of an old foe and we see Flashy as the groveling poltroon he was born to be.
The second is a shorty that looks at Flashy's involvement in and solution to the Tanby Croft royal baccarat scandal. I was completely unaware of this incident and it's this kind of thing that Fraser does so well and that make for the best Flashman tales. This wasn't the flashiest story in terms of action. But it was a nice change of pace and it focused on a little known (to me) incident.
The final (and title tale) deals with Flashman's relationship with Sherlock Holmes villain Tiger Jack Moran. The story leads us from the Battle of Isandlwana to the Battle of Rorke's Drift to London of 1894 and an elderly Flashy attempting to save his grand-daughter's virtue from the dastardly Tiger Jack. This is another of Flashy's earlier adventures coming back to bite him in the ass and he's saved in the end from an unexpected quarter.
Overall a very successful experiment and one that I'd have had no issue with Fraser using more often had he had the chance.
January 13, 2020
It's rare for me to consider a book worth 5 Stars. If I wasn't so stingy, I'd probably give Flashman and the Tiger that high rating. I loved every single book in the series, but this one stands out as my favorite for a single reason: It brings the love story that underpins the entire series to a conclusion.
In Flashman's Lady, the "editor" included extracts from Elspeth Flashman's diary. It was in that book that the reader should have become aware that Flashman's doubts about his wife's fidelity were largely based on a projection of his own shortcomings. She was truly the "better half" in the relationship, one that lasted many decades.
In The Subtleties of Baccarat - the short story in the middle of Flashman and the Tiger - Flashman in his old age finally confronts his years of doubts, and probably for the first time lays them to rest. He writes:
"Oh, lord, were my foul imaginings getting the better of me yet again; was I judging her by my own murky lights?"
I was fortunate: This was the last of the Flashman novels I read, and I'm so glad I read it after all the others. It brought to a close not only the life history of Flashman but also resolved a decades-long love affair. For Elspeth, it was an ending she deserved. For Flashman, as always, it was one he reaped despite himself.
In Flashman's Lady, the "editor" included extracts from Elspeth Flashman's diary. It was in that book that the reader should have become aware that Flashman's doubts about his wife's fidelity were largely based on a projection of his own shortcomings. She was truly the "better half" in the relationship, one that lasted many decades.
In The Subtleties of Baccarat - the short story in the middle of Flashman and the Tiger - Flashman in his old age finally confronts his years of doubts, and probably for the first time lays them to rest. He writes:
"Oh, lord, were my foul imaginings getting the better of me yet again; was I judging her by my own murky lights?"
I was fortunate: This was the last of the Flashman novels I read, and I'm so glad I read it after all the others. It brought to a close not only the life history of Flashman but also resolved a decades-long love affair. For Elspeth, it was an ending she deserved. For Flashman, as always, it was one he reaped despite himself.
February 27, 2021
The three stories in this collection feature an older Flashman than in the previous books, although age has not much improved him. He may be a bit mellower and not quite as lustful, but he's still a despicable human being. He's untrustworthy, petty, and nearly devoid of any semblance of normal human empathy. He's not exactly evil so much as unashamedly selfish. There are worse people, and he tends to encounter them.
In the first and longest of the three stories in this volume, The Road to Charing Cross, Flashman is coerced into a plan to save the emperor of Austria from assassination. In the next, The Subtleties of Baccarat, he's shown at his worst as he manipulates opinions to destroy the reputation of a rival. This contrasts with him at his subjective best in the last story, Flashman and the Tiger, in which he is willing to risk his life to protect his granddaughter.
On first glance, the Flashman stories aren't overly enjoyable because the first-person main character is such a vile person. But by paying attention to the end notes, you get a broader, or perhaps deeper, view that reveals a remarkable insight into human behavior, delightful cultural satire, and a warning. Society often rewards people like Flashman, the subtext murmurs, but be wary. Don't let them fool you.
In the first and longest of the three stories in this volume, The Road to Charing Cross, Flashman is coerced into a plan to save the emperor of Austria from assassination. In the next, The Subtleties of Baccarat, he's shown at his worst as he manipulates opinions to destroy the reputation of a rival. This contrasts with him at his subjective best in the last story, Flashman and the Tiger, in which he is willing to risk his life to protect his granddaughter.
On first glance, the Flashman stories aren't overly enjoyable because the first-person main character is such a vile person. But by paying attention to the end notes, you get a broader, or perhaps deeper, view that reveals a remarkable insight into human behavior, delightful cultural satire, and a warning. Society often rewards people like Flashman, the subtext murmurs, but be wary. Don't let them fool you.
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