About book Flashman And The Mountain Of Light (2005)
A ripping yarn. Sped through it in two days, licked my chops, and wanted to reach for the next episode. This is the third in the series I've read, and once again I'm in awe of the depth of GMF's scholarship and ability to insert Flashy plausibly into the most implausible circumstances. I'd read some other accounts peripheral to this book, most notably The Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan by Ben Mcintyre, but otherwise remained more or less blissfully ignorant of the main event in question, the first Anglo-Sikh War of 1845-46. Ever wonder how that admirable warrior race, the Sikhs, came to be among the British Raj's most faithful troops? Well, this volume went a long ways towards explaining it. Along the way are GMF's usual cast of incredibly colorful -- and even more impressively, historical - characters, including a power-hungry nymphomaniac rani (Jind Kaur, whom Flashman calls "Jeendan"), not one but two American adventurers (Josiah Harlan and Alexander Gardner), and the sort of warts-and-all portraits of the British command (Hugh Gough, Henry Hardinge, et al.) we've come to expect of GMF. The footnotes are an amateur historians delight, and it's just about all I can do not to hare off to find copies of such promising references as Lady Sale's Journal of the Disasters in Affghanistan, for one. And where did GMF come up with such a command of the native terms of abuse and odd bits of market palaver? Hobson-Jobson? Mined from contemporary accounts? Whatever the case, it was delightful. One note of disappointment (nothing to do with the book per se, mind you): I had wanted to link to a romping good website I'd once found devoted to Flashman, which included with plot synopses and reams of Flashman trivia, but all that seems to remain these days is the Wikipedia entry --- most others have been shut down or disappeared, presumably under legal duress rather than for lack of stamina. It's a pity, as some of them were quite entertaining. Ah, well; there are always the books. And that's what counts, ain't it?
Volume 9 of The Flashman Papers, Flashman and the Mountain of Light, finds the Empire's pre-eminent scallywag avoiding Queen's Victoria's request for the history of one of the central gems in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Privately, Harry Flashman reveals the true story in his Papers. The story opens before the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845-6 and covers this period. Flashman this time around is a Political Officer and is dragged into becoming a spy when all he wants to do is get back to is hot, randy, and possibly slutty wife, Elsbeth. Aside from the hilariously despicable adventures of our hero, there is also a careful history of this conflict offered. One of the most interesting parts of Mr. Fraser's Flashman novels is their careful attention to history and the critique of the often politically motivated interpretation of this in the post-colonial era. The author is balanced and fair in his reading of this history, and that is rarely to be found in academic historians today whom, for the most part, follow the intellectual and moralizing fashion of their time. This was an excellent read and will be of interest to those with a taste for history, comedy, and immoral protagonists...though not quite evil. Harry is solidly fixed in the anti-hero tradition popular today. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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Flashman and the Mountain of Light is about the first Anglo-Sikh war in 1845. The Flashman series follows the same formula for each book, and this one is no different. GMF is able to mix comedy, action, and historical detail quite convincingly. Flashman is quite a rogue, but sometimes that is what you need. As usual, Flashman finds himself thrown into a nest of vipers, quite unwillingly, but somehow comes out ahead.In The Mountain of Light, he seems to be a wee bit braver, and afterwards doesn't quite get the amount of credit he is use too. Which is ironic since he is a coward, out only for his own skin yet because the hero of the hour. He would put Loki to shame with his lies. As with other master manipulators, he knows the best lie is the one untold, lead them to think for themselves what has happened.Of course Flashman's other great skill is his way with the ladies, which there are plenty of in this volume, from an English wife to a slave girl to the Queen of the Punjab.I continue to be impressed the historical accuracy and detail GMF is able to pull off in his books. Who would think that it is so well done in a comedic book about a coward and lier. Same formula, and yet it hasn't gotten old. I wouldn't have it any other way.
—Victor Bruneski
This book starts where Flashman's Lady ends. Flashman is on his way home in 1846 after rescuing Elspeth and is diverted to Inida to rejoin the service. He lobbies for a political position, hoping that it will prove a safe way to serve, given the looming war with the Sikhs over the Punjab. Instead, he is enlisted to be a spy in Lahore, and is faced with political intrigue, assassination attempts, and non-stop rogering boh with the Maharani and her hand-maiden. He helps the British win the first S
—Doug
This entry in the Flashman Papers was okay but not terribly funny, despite the cover blurbs. Flashy doesn’t really do much this time out beyond engaging in the expected bedroom romps and dodging a couple assassination attempts. Much of the novel just felt like a history lesson on the First Anglo-Sikh War based on the author's own readings. How much you’ll enjoy that probably depends on how much you enjoy reading straight military history. I tend to get a bit drowsy while reading about flanking maneuvers, artillery salvos, and troop positions myself…no matter how often the narrator assures us he’s a cad and coward. (In fact, much to my disappointment, Flashman shows himself to be something of a quick-witted hero this time out.)
—Tim S.
