Product Description

Celebrated Victorian bounder, cad, and lecher, Sir Harry Flashman, V.C., returns to play his (reluctant) part in the Taiping Rebellion in the eighth volume of the critically acclaimed Flashman Papers. The Flashman Papers 1860 Volume Eight 'When all other trusts fail, turn to Flashman' Abraham Lincoln Unfortunately, in China in 1860, a lot of people did: the English vicar's daughter with her cargo of opium; Lord Elgin in search of an intelligence chief; the Emperor's ravishing concubine, seeking a champion in her struggles for power; and Szu-Zhan, the female bandit colossus, as practised in the arts of love as in the arts of war. They were not to know that behind his Victoria Cross, Flash Harry was a base coward and a charlatan. They took him at face value. And he took them, for all he could, while China seethed through the bloodiest civil war in history and the British and French armies hacked their way to the heart of the Forbidden City!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #570181 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-13
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

From Publishers Weekly
The delightful cad Flashman stalks again, now through China's 19th-century Taiping Rebellion, in this eighth and perhaps most sparkling volume of his "memoirs." Though a little longer in the tooth, Colonel Flashman, V.C., has lost none of his dash, cunning, amorous propensity or cowardice. His adventures begin when he accompanies a consignment of "opium" (actually guns) to Canton on behalf of a British missionary. Thereafter, as Ambassador Elgin's chief intelligence officer, he gets into a succession of dire scrapes which include being attacked by pirates and falling into the hands first of the ferocious but disciplined Taipings, then of the equally ferocious but decadent Manchu imperialists. At one point he comes within a hair's breadth of having his poltroonery exposed; at other points he finds himself the sexual partner of a Chinese Amazon and, more plaything than partner, of the formidable Imperial Concubine Yi, later empress, to whose treacherous court intrigues he becomes privy. He winds up witnessing Elgin's destruction of Peking's Summer Palace, an act of vengeance described with horrifying vividness. There's a deal of shrewd observation in Flashman, and a deal of solid history in his flamboyant memoirs, factors that add weight to their dazzle.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Scholars and acquaintances of Sir Harry Flashman, V.C., will be gratified to hear of the appearance in print of the eighth installment of his memoirsmanuscripts dealing with activities in China in the early 1860s. Fresh from the Indian Mutiny, "Flash Harry," self-confessed coward, womanizer, and scoundrel, finds himself landed in "Manchoo" China torn by the Taiping Rebellion. A combined force of British and French troops commanded by Lord Elgin simultaneously pushes toward Peking to force Western realities on the Chinese emperor. There is plenty of action as the redoubtable Flashy scrapes through many dangerous and disagreeable situations in this chaotic setting. Emerging as usual unscathed, with public (if not private) honor intact, Sir Harry recounts his memories of the Summer Palace and the Yi Concubine (later Empress Tzu-hsi). This enjoyable romp incidentally provides a wealth of historic data. Delightful fun. William C. McCully, Park Ridge P.L., Ill.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
'If ever there was a time when I felt that watcher-of-the-skies-when-a-new-planet stuff, it was when I read the first Flashman' PG Wodehouse 'Mr Fraser is a skilful and meticulous writer, twice as good as Buchan and twenty times better than Fleming' Auberon Waugh, Evening Standard

Customer Reviews

Classic Flashman!
FLASHMAN AND THE DRAGON is the third "Flashman" book I've read. Previously I had read ROYAL FLASH and FLASH FOR FREEDOM. Of those three, I liked FLASHMAN AND THE DRAGON the best. The historical setting during the Taiping Rebellion and the British/Mancho conflict is fascinating. Compared to the other two Flash Harry novels I'd read, this was heavier on the history, a "HISTORICAL novel" if you will, while the other two were more "historical NOVELS"... and FLASHMAN AND THE DRAGON it is better for it.

If you have never read a Flashman novel, by all means read one. Better yet, I recommend listening to the unabridged audio versions read by David Case. I listen to 25+ books a year and David Case is one of the best. Since I am an American Yank, it helps to hear Case's perfect Brit accent flesh out the English colloquialisms... they read funny on the page, but sound even funnier on tape. If you've only read Flashman, check out an audio version at your local library... it will add a whole new dimension to the Flash Harry experience. Long Live Flashman!

The continuation of a winning formula
The thing that sticks with me a fortnight after finishing this book is the wire jacket. Eurgh! It makes me squeam to think about it.
GMF adds another episode to the life of Harry Flashman that takes our (un?)fortunate (anti?)hero to China during the Taiping Revolution and the shenanigans at the Summer Palace. As always, Flashman sees history occuring onhand, and barely escapes with his life. He's a coward and he's a liar: he calls himself a monster and he is, but he's also a public hero and his Victorian counterparts can't prevent themselves lauding everything he does.
Don't know anything about the history? Don't let it put you off. In fact, it should encourage you to read this book. As much as I've enjoyed all the Flashman books, the greatest legacy they've left me has been a far greater understanding of 19th century history. Little facts are sprinkled in along the way, such as when the americans fight alongside the british for the first time in their history.
Without giving too much away, the plot is a bit straggly: we start with Harry getting mixed up with the Taipings, and then spending some time at the Summer Palace. To me it seemed like one short story and one novel spliced together, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
It wasn't the greatest in the Flashman series that I've read, but it was great fun and I would recommend it, although I'd suggest starting with the original "Flashman" as reading the books in order has added to the value I've gained from them.

Brilliant history
To say that this book makes history come alive will probably put off all potential readers, but really, I mean it in the best possible sense. As a novel, it's OK, although the plot's a mess. It's the historical bits that are fascinating - someone wrote that late 19th-century China attracted the largest ever group of eccentrics and scoundrels, and they are all here!

Who is weirdest? - the cello-playing English general who later inspires an aria by Gilbert and Sullivan? the mercenary soldier from the American Deep South who defects to fight for the Chinese Taiping Christian rebels? the evil Empress Tzu Hsi, later known as Old Buddha? Even more fascinating (and moving) is the description of Lord Elgin ("Son of Marbles")'s expedition to enforce the Sino-British treaties. The author has researched this thoroughly, and much of the detail comes from the narratives of H B Loch, one of Elgin's assistants. The descriptions of Chinese torture and the gruesome results may be found in Loch's "Personal Narrative of Lord Elgin's Second Embassy to China" - do whatever you can to find a copy of this, it's worth it!

The great thing about this story is that the excellent historical notes allow you to make up your mind about the rights and wrongs of the whole affair. This book really ought to be included in Amazon.com's listing for "Taiping Rebellion" - it's certainly more engaging and readable than Jonathan Spence's tedious "God's Chinese Son".