[.ca] Flashman and the Redskins (ISBN 000651300X)

The best of the series...:
I was fortunate to finish my reading of the Flashman collection with "...The Redskins". This is one of the most consistantly engrossing and funny books of the series. Loved the Custer story. There are very few times when I LOL at a line from a book, but I'm still rolling at Flashmans' Sioux name "He Who Rides So Fast He Destroys The Wind" (ala "Dances With Wolves") being shortened to "Wind Breaker".

One of Flashman's Best Ever:
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.

Flashman in America; among the better Flashman books:
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.

An historical novel that is both insightful and irreverent.:
Those familiar with the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser will vastly enjoy this offering which spans the anti-hero's escapades across the American west in 1849, and again in 1876. Fraser proves himself the master of comedic dialogue, both internal (as Flashy ponders his latest predicament) and with various notables of the period. The terrified Flashman's conversation with the Apache chief Mangas Colorado is one jewel that stands out among the many in this work. In addition to his comedic genius, Fraser should not be disregarded as an historian. Like the rest of the Flashman series, this work does not shy away from historical controversies (such as what happened from the time Custer split his command at the Little Bighorn). Fraser's conclusions are well-researched and just as plausible (perhaps more so) than any more "serious" historical work. Fraser is at the top of his form, here. I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who cannot have access to all of the Flashman books, but this one is certainly a "must."

A lovable rogue:
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.)