Customer Reviews
The rough guide to 19c India - By: C. Young, 26 Jun 2008 
After the vaguely disappointing "Flashman at the Charge", the series bounces back with our eponymous hero's misadventures during the Indian Mutinyin 1856. Even more satisfying than the splendid "Flash for Freedom", "Game" illuminates what is nowadays a largely forgotten episode of colonial history. The British came very close to losing their grip on India & GMF's clever plotting has Flashie working as an undercover `political'in the Indian army allowing the reader to experience the courage & cruelty from both sides. Flashman's archetypically awful itinerary includes surviving the Sepoy uprising at Meerut, the brutality of Cawnpore & the siege of Lucknow, all dramatic episodesin the India of the Empire. The background research is as enjoyably exhaustive as ever & this time almost poignant as Flashman falls under the spell of the beautiful bandit queen Rani Lakshmi of Jhansi. The action is as wonderfully written as ever but this time I noticed GMF's astonishing recreation of period dialogue. You feel this is what nineteenth century India sounded like. To modern ears the robust solders' language & attitudes are shockingly racist & sexist. Was this how people talked & thought at the time? Very probably, but remember facially hirsute Flashie is also very much a (nineteen) seventies creation. Perhaps Flashman is just Gene Huntin jodhpurs.
George McDonald Fraser RIP...simply the best books ive ever read - By: J. Andrews, 03 Jan 2008 Recently read the entire series, actually devoured is probably a better word. Undoubtedly the funniest books ive ever read. The anti-hero Flashman is a character you will learn to love, & despite his vile character, he is my favourite that ive come across. The author GMF sadly passed away yesterday, 2/1/2008, news of which depressed me greatly. He will be sadly missed by all of his readers.
Simply The Best - By: Simon Hale, 11 Apr 2007 I have to confess that I am a real Flashman fan, I have read many & am never ever disappointed by the writing of George McDonald Fraser.
The Flashman books follow the military career of Harry Flashman (the same Flashman as the bullyin Tom Browns School Days), & follow his cowardly womanising exploits as he attempts to run away from military campaign after military campaign with the most hilarious results.
The Great Game is maybe the 5th bookin the series & follows Flashman across India detailing his involvement & observations during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.
All the Flashman books are extremely funny & at the same time histrically accurate with the Flashman character fitting nicely into historical events. I learnt more about this unfortunate periodin history from this book than 3 years of a history degree, which seemed to involve more drinking than study.
If you are familiar with Flashman you will find that the Great Game is extremely humorous, but the humour & womanising is finely balanced & helps to raise the mood as the horrific events of the rebellion are laid downin a very graphic way before you.
This book is absolutely impelling, not only the best readin the series so far, but most definately the best book I have read for a long long time. My imagination ran wild from the start of the book to the end. Harry Flashman is simply the greatest Anti Hero ever created. As you read this book you know that really you shouldn't like Flashman, you know that he is a bully & a cheat & you know that if he was real he would be the man who desperately tries to sleep with you wife. But it is absolutely impossible not to find yourself willing him on, & dare I say it even liking him.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough & even found myself Googleing many of the characters,(all of whom you will find existed)so carried away with story I actually got.
Flashman bahadur triumphs again - By: Didier, 24 Feb 2007 I have been reading Flashman-novels off & on for some years now, & have re-read several, but this was one of the volumes I hadn't gotten around to yet, & I must say I'm mightily glad I finally did.
Flashman is his usual cowardly self, but despite his best efforts to evade danger he manages to get into the worst scrapes of the Indian Mutiny (1857-58). As ever rarely a page goes by that will not have youin stitches, but - perhaps more so thanin other volumes of the series - there is also a real streak of empathy & pity here for the atrocities committed (by both sides, that is).
Are there no women thenin this novel? Rest assured, Flashman womanizes galore, he's even ordered to do so by his senior commanders, which makes him coin the immortal (para)phrase 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria rogeri'... who am I to disagree?
I enjoyed this book immensily, & simply cannot wait to get started on 'Flashman & the Angel of the Lord'!
