Flashman and the Redskins

"I never did learn to speak Apache properly. Mind you, it ain't easy, mainly because the red brutes seldom stand still long enough - and if you've any sense, you don't either, or you're liable to find yourself studying their system of vowel pronunciation while hanging head-down over a slow fire or riding for dear life across the Jornada del Muerto with them howling at your heels and trying to stick lances in your liver." - Sir Harry Flashman, VC, KCB Thus begins FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS, the seventh packet of the Flashman Papers, which were discovered in a Leicestershire, England saleroom in 1966 and edited by George MacDonald Fraser (also, the longest and funniest book in the series). This packet follows chronologically on the heels of FLASH FOR FREEDOM! It is divided into two parts: the first takes place in 1849, the second in 1876. In the first part, we find Harry fleeing American justice, and possibly being hanged for murder, by trying to secure a berth aboard a fast ship bound for England from New Orleans by blackmailing his Latin quoting nemesis, Captain John Charity Spring, M.A., "Oriel man, slaver, homicidal lunatic." Barely escaping capture, he and Spring hide out in a New Orleans brothel. From here is where our lovable rogue begins his trip west enroute to the goldfields of California. Along the way he discovers the charms of a mulatto prostitute, encounters blood thirsty scalp hunters, and barely escapes with his hair from savage Apache warriors. The second half of FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS finds Sir Harry back in America in 1876 with his beautiful wife Elspeth chattering empty-headedly by his side. Taking advantage of an opportunity to make some easy money, and hoping to charm his way into the arms of yet another beautiful woman, he leaves Elspeth to enjoy the society of Philadelphia while he embarks on a trip by river boat up the Missouri to scout the territory around Bismark, North Dakota. Little does Flashy know what is in store for him on this supposedly safe trip. I won't spoil the fun, but suffice it to say, "Custer's Last Stand" has never been written in more frighteningly entertaining prose as the deadly action swirls dangerously around our trembling anti-hero and his rumbling bowels. This is one of George MacDonald Fraser's best. Unfortunately for us Flashman-iacs, Mr. Fraser passed away on January 3, 2008. I, for one, will miss this great novelist's knowledge of history, writing skill and terrific sense of humor. As Capt. Spring would have said about GMF's style, "castigat ridendo mores" (laughter succeeds where lecturing won't).

I have read this book over fifty times and each time I find something new and interesting. The author writes with real understanding and love of his material, particularly the Indians and both their views and how they were viewed, his characters especially the female ones, seem to have real personalities and insights, and his hero, Harry Flashman, while cynical and manipulative, starts to develop into maturity, and becomes less a "pantaloon" himself .

I usually enjoy the Flashman books more or less depending on my engagement with their historical content, and generally I'm not big on westerns. But this was like one of the great Hollywood films in the way it captured the majesty and adventure of the West, with humor and satire sprinkled throughout. In 1849, Flashy participates in the Gold Rush; 27 years later, he returns in time to become the sole white survivor of Custer's Last Stand. The greatest chase of the entire Flashman series occurs about halfway through, with a murderous Apache war party pursuing Sir Harry across the New Mexican desert. Reading it, I literally couldn't breathe; when it was over, I choked up over Fraser's sheer storytelling brilliance. What a writer!

This book is one of Fraser's best in the Flashman series, especially for American readers. It is superbly crafted, moving from where the story ended in Royal Flash, with Flashman in America, through his travels to the American West in 1840's, then jumping several decades to Custer's ill fated Souix campaign. Fraser's research of the West is typically perfect, and the story is tight, fun and suspenseful. In typical Fraser fashion, Flashman mentions past and future adventures, spicing the true Flashman fans' craving for other books in the series.

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."