Flashman in the Peninsular

In my review of Thomas Brightwell's first novel, Flashman and The Seawolf opened by saying 'Now and again you stumble over, or rather discover a gem of a book that really entertains you.' Then I read the second 'Flashman and the Cobra' and if anything that was better than the first. Dam my britches(and other Regency Phrases) if Mr Brightwell has not gone and done it again, written another fabulous book featuring the Uncle of my favourite Cad/Anti Hero Harry Flashman in the New Thomas Flashman book ' 'Flashman in the Peninsular. This finds our favourite cad up to his boots and lance in shenanigans in the Napolionic Penisular war along with Flash's co cuckolding in crime mate Wellington. The plot does not so much as thicken as set solid. It is a rattling good read and yarn as is a the literary equivalent of Crack Cocaine. I This is the third instalment in the life story of Thomas Flashman, the uncle of the notorious Victorian rogue Harry Flashman, whose memoirs have already been published, edited by George MacDonald Fraser. Thomas shares many of the family traits, particularly the ability to find himself reluctantly at the sharp end of many major events of his age. As you might expect Flashman is embroiled in treachery and scandal from the outset and, despite his very best endeavours, is often in the thick of the action. He intrigues with generals, French Marshalls on both sides of the war, spies and the chinless wonders/dunces who the British school seem to push out like a sausages from a machine gone mad. Believe me it is a toss up which of the two the sausage or the Ex Public School Office has the most brains. Now a Word of warning which I make no apology in making again. This is a far better 'take' on the Flashman style and theme than the obnoxious 'Speedicut' by Christopher Joll ( ersatz copies which I would avoid like the plague. Rather Brightwell has taken the framework of story telling from MacDonald Frasier, used a handy member of the family and set the action 30 odd years before our beloved Harry. Brightwell in effect ploughs new ground in British history rather than just 'vomit' out the same stories as the 'Speedicut' novels. I will not divulge the plot BUT the story is so good that it deserves and has a second volume set in the Penisular War. #The book is your everyday story of a cad, poltroon, seducer and chancer and there are battles, bordellos and baddies thrown in for good measure. Well done Mr Brightwell and dam if you have not gone and done it again and written a splendidly satisfying book. Bring on the next one, and the next and the... well you get the idea?

新フラシュマン・シリーズ、第３作目。舞台はイベリア半島でフランスとの苦戦を強いられる英国派遣軍。イギリスでの王室スキャンダルを逃れてスペインに渡ったフラシュマンはウェリントン率いる英国派遣軍に加わり、連絡将校としてウェリントンに近侍するが、英軍はコロンナの撤退後のパッとしない状態で、スペイン同盟軍との間もしっくりせず、フランスの大軍に押され気味である。タラベラの戦闘などの一時の勝利はあるものの、フラシュマンの諜報活動（もちろん進んでやったわけではない！）のおかげで、窮地から脱する。傑作な冒険は勿論のこと、手に汗握る戦闘の様子など読みごたえがある。英軍のマスケット銃の三段撃ち（三列で順に撃つ）など、歴史事実なども踏まえ、歴史好きには楽しめる。半島戦役は少し複雑だから、このような物語だとよく分かる。ウェリントン将軍の賭けが吉と出るか凶と出るか、4作目が楽しみだなあ！！

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good flow to the narrative, and quite interesting integration of the Flashman character into the Spanish conflict in the early 1800's.

When I heard George MacDonald Frasier had died before completing the long awaited (and hinted at) "Flashman in the US Civil War"I figured that was it. Having read and loved all the Harry Flashman books, I accepted it was over. Then suddenly, out of the blue comes the publication of the Thomas Flashman papers by Robert Brightwell of which this is probably my favorite. It isn't Harry at his prime ... for one thing the new guy has some scruples, thinks of himself as basically a moral individual with a strong streak of self-preservation and there are only occasional "flashes" of Harry's deep cynicism and self-disgust. There also isn't the collection of references at the back to allow the reader to fill in the background on a little known part of history. Finally there is less "looking back on things from later" descriptions of events and especially people. Yet I still give this book 5 stars. So much is there ... the details about little "side roads" that get lost in general histories, the eyewitness accounts of events and people I've known only as names, and one unique and valuable add on ... many the situations the new Flashman finds himself, and the result of the actions he takes, are laugh out loud funny. So yeah ... it ain't Harry. But it's a far better Flashman than I ever thought I'd see again. Unfortunately it' seems to be a pretty well kept secret among even die hard Harry Flashman fans. I wish the author gets more recognition for extending the series in what is clearly a labor of love. Given the quality of his workI observed in all 5 of the books I've devoured, he well deserves that recognition.

It was a brilliant idea of George Macdonald Fraser in the late 1960s to create a fictional military character, Flashman, based on the school bully of the same name in Tom Brown’s School Days, and describe his dubious, cowardly and immoral adventures after he was expelled from Rugby and joined the army. Now Robert Brightwell has written 11 books (so far) since 2012, describing the fictional exploits of Thomas Flashman (the uncle of Fraser’s Harry Flashman) , who, like his nephew, was also a doubtful military hero. Up to now I have read the first three in the series, the last of which was “Flashman in the Peninsula”, and I have to say they were difficult to put down. His emphasis is a little different from Fraser’s. Both authors deal with aspects of military history, many of which are poorly known to the general public, but Brightwell includes a level of detail which is remarkable, so that his books are in fact well-researched serious potted histories, in this case of the Napoleonic Peninsular War. He includes observations on the tactics and psychology of warfare and details of what the soldier experiences and thinks on the battlefield. So despite Flashman’s frequent admissions of cowardice and desire to be out of it all, you find yourself admiring his pluck and sense of determination. But apart from these more serious aspects, and although my attention was gripped throughout, I was half way through the book when I realised that none of the usual Flashman sexual misadventures had happened. But then I got to chapter 17 and I doubled up with laughter and disbelief at the nature and setting of the events described there and the way they are described. They take place in Seville cathedeal!! I will not spoil the potential reader’s enjoyment by going into more detail in this review, but simply give a clue as to what happened!! Overall, Brightwell knows how to tell a good story and I thoroughly recommend his books.