"What is Flashman's single most appalling act?" Topic

1) Cheating at cricket in Flashman's Lady.

Ah, yes-leg before wicket! I thought his "loss" of Cleonie to the indians in "Flashman and the Redskins" was very Flashmanesque-and appalling!

Ogling Vicky with a lustful eye.

Amicalement,

Allen

Leaving us with no further memoirs. :(

I assume you don't mean David Cameron (British Prime-Minister of the coalition government) who has earnt the sobriquet "Flashman" for some of his "outbursts/comments/jibes" ?

'Cos that's politics mate and you'll get DHed !

Word to the wise…nudge…nudge…wink…wink….

Heaving his paramour out of the sledge during his untimately fruitless escape attempt in 'Flashman at the Charge'. Ot maybe setting up the Irish soldier for execution in 'Flashman and the Dragon'. Or……

From my distant memory, in the first book, "Flashman", doesn't his Aghan guide ride to Flashy's rescue saving him from some bad guys, and then Flashy rides away on his guide's horse, leaving the poor sap behind to face the bad guys alone?

Typical Flashman, I love it!

David Cameron – 'Flashman' – don't make me laugh !!! (Flashman would dispise him !)

Anyone who can cheat at cricket….. well after that nothing comes as a surprise.

mossdocking…well….but…oh…hang on…nah, you don't sucker me in so easily

Impersonating an officer of the Royal Navy.

or

Raping Nareeman.

Ditching Valla off the back of the sled in 'Flashman at the Charge'.

On the other hand, that's also one of his funniest acts…

Kicking Uliba loose at the waterfall was also a pretty scummy trick, and as usual it rebounded on him.

Murdering de Gautet, on the other hand, was something that needed to be done.

Gosh, and I thought him committing rape in the first book was bad.

Holding Tom Brown's butt to the fire – set the pattern for his entire career

There is nothing worse than cheating at cricket

I am with the Gonk – although that was before I knew he cheated at cricket (the cad!)

Impersonating a Royal Navy Officer? He simply didn't have that level of charm and debonair good looks…

since it was my first book, I found his ditching of Poor old Ilderim Khan especially caddish.

Son of a Sow indeed.

Apparently by not reading the books I have missed… absolutely nothing.

Gracias,

Glenn

being born would cover it..

Abandoning young Jack the Cabin Boy in the heart of darkness was a trifle impish.

(and of course, it came back to bite him later.)

Just had a thought…

It was probably his failure to prevent the ACW by getting all principled about putting a round behind John Brown's ear.

As far as I can tell he never put a foot wrong.

It's interesting to compare GMF's characterisation of Flashy in the early books with the later ones – he mellows significantly, even if there are only a few chronological years in the episodes being described.

Setting aside those incidents that everyone would agree were appalling (such as the rapes, including that of Judy, his father's "latest piece" in the first book), my vote probably goes to one of those already mentioned – dumping Valla, abandoning Ilderim or kicking Uliba loose – all classic examples of abandoning those who loved him without a second thought (though some subsequent regrets) to save his own precious hide.

And as for likening David Cameron to 'Flashy', it's clear that Miliband Junior has never read the books (he's far too fashionably left-wing for such jingoist nonsense).

We can imagine what young Cameron and Miliband would have been like at Rugby in the 1830's – wey faced, snivelling tykes, that would have howled when tossed in a blanket (are we allowed to say that?), the worst sort of fags (or that, in the right historical context), that even 'Scud' East would have happily roasted (sorry, I'm not doing this deliberately)and noble Tom Brown would readily trample in a ruck.

dumping Valla, abandoning Ilderim or kicking Uliba loose – all classic examples of abandoning those who loved him without a second thought (though some subsequent regrets) to save his own precious hide.

But that is the essence of Flashman, i.e. saving his own hide above all else and letting the other poor sap be the hero and die. He even admits that he is a bounder, a cad, a toady and a coward, and right proudly too. He was always puzzled by people's perception of him as a hero.

If it came down to choosing between Elspeth or his own skin, I wonder what his choice would have been?

I rather suspect that he'd have abandoned her to her fate had they been discovered when hiding from the Hova guards during their escape from Ranavalona in 'Flashman's Lady' ("Stay there my dear, while I run, very quickly, in the opposite direction for help!" – and the poor dumb trusting blonde would have believed every word).

By 1876, and the Fort Robinson fiasco, there's a chance that he might have ridden out to try and rescue her from the Sioux, had she not already been 'rescued' by Spotted Tail, so his resolve was never tested.

He never speaks well of his son or daughter, so no hope for them either. Although he stood up to Moran in defence of the lovely Selina, his granddaughter, I am sure that he would still have abandoned her to her fate if it was a matter of HIS life or death against her honour. No chance that he was going to take the 'brandy & revolver' option proposed by Moran.

But, at the age of 91, maybe there is some hope for the old scoundrel – read the start of 'Flashman and the Angel of the Lord' where he is surrounded by his great-grandchildren "…and the only pang is that at ninety-one you can't hope to see 'em grown" and you could believe that, for them at least, he would lay down his life to save them.

Can someone please refresh my memory? Where do Uliba and the waterfall come in?

Thx

I would not know I have not read them.

Uliba and the 'waterfall incident' appears in "Flashman on the March" covering the Abyssinian campaign. Worth reading