Flash for Freedom! (Flashman) Paperback – August 1, 1985

Among series characters, I'd have to guess that there are few as unredeemably roguish as Harry Flashman. Unlike most fictional cads, Harry is unrepentant, and those who expect him to see the light and become a better person are sure to be disappointed. But for those who understand Harry for what he is - a coward with no scruples, as he'd be the first to admit - the Flashman Papers are wonderfully fun historical novels.Flash for Freedom! is the third volume of the Flashman Papers, and though the events in these volumes are not fully in the same order as their chronological publication, in this case, the third volume does immediately follow the events in the second one (Royal Flash). As this novel begins (in 1848), Harry is again enjoying his life of idleness, but when he tries to run for Parliament, things go very wrong, and he is forced to go into temporary exile. Harry is put aboard one of his wealthy father-in-law's ships and forced to work, something he never likes to do. Moreover, he is more than a little disturbed to find out that he is on a slave ship.Not that Harry has moral qualms about the slave trade, but he just doesn't like to be put in a position where he could be convicted of a hanging offense. He will wind up going from Africa to Cuba and eventually to New Orleans (and other places in America), and throughout, he will be exposed to all sorts of sides of the slavery issue: besides smuggling, he will act as a slave driver and as an agent of the underground railroad. Throughout, Harry takes no real side, merely trying to survive to make it home to England.Even those who are used to Harry's natural villainy may be a little put off by his casual racism, but this is actually nothing new for him; he's always looked down on other races (as well as most other non-English people). But Harry Flashman is not supposed to be a role model, and for all his bad qualities, he also has a charm and humor that is endearing. It is Flashman's narrative that makes this a great set of offbeat historical novels (a genre that is usually on the serious side), and Flash for Freedom! is as good as its predecessors.

Our intrepid hero, Harry Flashman, is back for volume three of the Flashman Papers, a narrative of the life and times of one of the most ne'er-do-well wastrels to ever grace the pages of a published autobiography.This installment picks up where the second volume left off; Harry returns from his Continental adventures, having matched wits with one of the greatest statesmen of the 19th century, Otto von Bismarck, and changed the course of European history as a result. Soon, however, Flashman once again finds himself in a pickle, as a result of his roguish behavior. Forced to flee polite society until the resulting scandal blows over, Flash is relegated to crewing aboard a slaver, as it plies its trade on the African subcontinent and into Caribbean waters.Following capture by the U. S. Navy, his adventures continue in the American South, where he is constantly on the move, just one step ahead of his presumptive captors. As has become the custom in Harry's autobiographies, well known historical events pepper his experiences, as Abraham Lincoln plays a starring role in this adventure.As in the previous two Flashman novels, our Harry is revealed as the premier coward and opportunist of his era; faults which he quite willingly admits and even boasts of. In one of his numerous, desperate scrapes, his self directed exhortation captures the true Flashman spirit:"...-bristle up the courage of the cornered rat, put on the bold front, and to hell with them. Bluff, my boy- bluff, shift and lie for the sake of your neck and the honour of Old England."Uproariously funny and entertaining, this installment is every bit the equal of its predecessors.

George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series are among the best "yarns" I've ever read. I was first introduced to Harry Flashman in the late 70's, and somewhat reluctantly I read Flashman in the Great Game. I couldn't believe how enjoyable it was, fast paced, with the footnoting really adding that special element to the story. While I find myself shuddering over some of Flashman's antics, he's definitely no hero, I've also learned about many areas of history that I never would have learned about. As a serial reader, many books either don't live up to the hype, are somewhat boring, long winded or in desperate need of a good editor. After a couple of these, I find myself looking for something to get me back on track, and Flashman is the perfect solution! Along with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, my opinion would be that these are among the best books ever assembled.

A fictional account of Flashman being involved in the slave trade but as with all of his books the story is loosely based on historical facts. It covers the period of 1848-49 and has him being put aboard a vessel which unknown to him at the time turns out to be a slaver bound for America via the the African coast. Again, as with all of the Flashman books the book is not what one would consider as being politically acceptable today.

Si aún no has leído la saga de Flashman y te gustan las novelas históricas del tipo "Horatio Hornblower", "Sharp", o "Master and Comander" no puedes perderte esta saga. Son 13 volúmenes y todos excelentes (bueno, a excepción de uno, pero es opinión personal y puede que a ti te guste). Flashy (como denominan cariñosamente al protagonista) es en realidad un genial anti-héroe que solo procura mantenerse vivo en los cientos de enfrentamientos y batallas que ha participado. La saga es una enciclopedia de los tiempos del Imperio Británico con la Reina Victoria. No te lo pierdas (a mi me los recomendaron también hace diez años y aún le estoy agradecido a esa persona).

political correctness be dammmed, free speech lives on jn these books, now and forever. yay for flashman x x x

an amazing chain of coincidence brings him from England to Africa, then to the Caribbean and New Orleans. Interesting description of slavery in those days, around 1850

Harry Flashman comes to America, not of his own choosing, and not aboard a luxury Ocean cruiser with the cream of society. But again Flash is on the run after a game of 21 ends up with him in hot water. Needing a quick exit he has no choice but to board a slaver. Soon he is out of one bed and into another, out of one frying pan and into another. Find out which bed and which frying pan now! Once you open the first page you will be dying to find out who is trying to trim Flash's mustache.The great thing about Flashman is the historic journeys that he takes you on which you do not learn at school in your history lessons. The slave trade was not the finest hour of the British Empire, but here the author enters the subject with abandon. And we also meet some truly influential historical figures in Disraeli and Lincoln.A 6-SHOOTER of a read: historical, humorous, educational, tense, sexy, and the best of British.