Flashman and the Mountain of Light

I can't write a review of this book without addressing the other 11 books in the series, the British Victorian soldier harry Flashman is a coward who's primary interest beyond saving his own skin is to experience a close quarters all the female skin he can. the pursuit of the latter often lands him in the forefront of military action, through Flashgun the author addresses aspects of the great figures, both military & political of the Victorian era that one will rarely find in history books.As far as I can ascertain, the author's research is impecable, these are books in which you most certainly want to read the footnotes. there is action, on & off the battlefield, mystery as our hero dons disguises for the spying aspect of his military service, humor in the predicaments he finds himself in & sex but never quite romance as he charms his way into the beds of gran duchesses, Queens, maharanis, by the score He expresses a fondness for royal sex. Over all, I can only say that I have read the entire Flasman series twice & always find the books entertaining & humorous. One of my favorite British series!

zufrieden

First class !!!

George MacDonald Fraser was at the peak of his writing powers when he wrote this installment of the Flashman papers. The cleverly structured narrative delivers a richly detailed account of the War of the Sutlej River and the East India Company's attempts to infiltrate the power games taking place between the Palace of Lahore and the Sikh Army. The historical insights are fascinating, but, as ever, what makes the Flashman novels so unique and enriching is the rascal Flashman himself - and in this volume he doesn't disappoint. He gets up to his usual convoluted escapades with women, and has to worm his way out of numerous life-threatening situations. What I found most interesting about this volume is Flashman's own insights into the failings of the British Army in India - in a sense he was very much ahead of his time in terms of being able to take a step back from the environment he was in and consider how history might judge such a military campaign. One of the best novels in the series.

If you enjoy the Harry Flashman character and Fraser's writing style, then you're going to enjoy this book. While it was written later, it's one of the earlier books in the series and covers Flashman's part in the First Anglo-Sikh War. You'll get the usual blend of Fraser's attention to historical detail along with another wild Flashman romp of a story filled with women, rogues, and close calls as the main character is witness to another main event in Victorian history. For me however, it doesn't fall into the upper half of rankings in terms of books in the series: the war is less well known as are the main characters, the plot is hard to follow and full of double/triple agents, and you get the overall sense that Fraser was working hard to try and fill in a gap in Flashman's biography with something short that would put him in the general vicinity for a bit. Just seems a little shoehorned in narrative wise. Would much rather Fraser had written the often alluded to book of Flashman fighting in the Civil War for both the Union and the Confederacy. Aside from the nitpicking in comparison to the other books in the series, you'll be sure to find this enjoyable. Do take the time to read the footnotes, as Fraser did a masterful job of researching the history, people, and places so worth reading up about some interesting things and get a little history lesson along the way. Happy reading!