Harry Paget Flashman

Brigadier-General Sir Harry Paget Flashman is a fictional character originally created by the author Thomas Hughes in his semi-autobiographical work Tom Brown's Schooldays, first published in 1857. The book is set at Rugby School, where Flashman is a notorious bully who persecutes its eponymous hero, Tom Brown. In Hughes' book, Flashman is finally expelled for drunkenness.

Related Topics:
Fictional character - Thomas Hughes - Tom Brown's Schooldays - 1857 - Rugby School - Tom Brown

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20th-century author George MacDonald Fraser had the conceit of writing a series of further fictional memoirs of the cowardly, bullying Flashman as he cuts a swath through the Victorian wars and uproars (and the boudoirs and harems) of the 19th century. Though Flashman constantly betrays acquaintances, runs from danger, or hides cowering in fear, he arrives inevitably at the end of each volume with medals, the praise of the mighty, and the love of one or more beautiful and enthusiastic women. Flashman becomes one of the most notable and honored figures of the Victorian era. Fraser gives Flashman's life as 1822 to 1915 and gives a birth date of 5 May. In Tom Brown's Schooldays he is only ever called Flashman or Flashy; his forenames were likeliest invented by Fraser.

Related Topics:
20th-century - George MacDonald Fraser - Conceit - Victorian era - 1822 - 1915 - May - Forename

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The series is a classic use of false documents. The books describe the discovery of the nonagenarian General Flashman's memoirs in a Leicestershire saleroom in 1966. Posing as the editor of the papers, Fraser produces a series of historical novels that give a racy, colorful, and decidedly cynical view of British and American history in the 19th century. Dozens of major and minor characters from history flit in and out of the books, often in an inglorious or hypocritical guise. Other fictional characters, such as Sherlock Holmes can also be found in the tales, complementing Flashman and sundry figures from Tom Brown's Schooldays and Tom Brown At Oxford.

Related Topics:
False document - Leicestershire - Saleroom - 1966 - Historical novel - British - American history - 19th century - Sherlock Holmes - Tom Brown's Schooldays - Tom Brown At Oxford

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In fact, Fraser's research is extensive and the books illuminate the historical events they depict. The books are heavily annotated, with end notes and appendices, as Fraser (in accordance with the fictional existence of the memoirs) attempts to "confirm" (and in some cases "correct") the elderly Flashman's recollections of events; in many cases, the footnotes serve as a reminder that a particularly outlandish character existed or event occurred.

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The half-scholarly tone has occasionally led to misunderstandings; when first released in the United States, ten of 34 reviews published took it to be a real, albeit obscure, memoir. Several of these were written by academics - to the delight of the New York Times, which published a selection of the more trusting reviews.

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For the purposes of American publication, Fraser created a fictional entry of the 1909 edition of Who's Who. This lists Flashman's laurels as: VC , KCB, KCIE; Chevalier, Légion d'Honneur; US Medal of Honor; San Serafino Order of Purity and Truth, 4th Class.

Related Topics:
American - 1909 - Who's Who - VC - KCB - KCIE - Chevalier - Légion d'Honneur - US Medal of Honor - San Serafino Order of Purity and Truth

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