Flashman in the Great Game

Fraser's #5 Flashman, the one in which he finds out he is the star of a new novel titled ‘Tom Brown's School Days' which is reaching popularity back home as he finally makes his way there from his latest escapades in India.

This time it is the Indian Mutiny of 1857 (or Indian Rebellion, depending on your viewpoint) that Flashman gets himself wrapped up in. But first a coincidental meeting with old ‘acquaintance' Russian Count Ignatieff in England itself, where he is a guest on a hunt. Igntieff is also suspected of having been in India stirring up trouble for the British, possibly plotting insurrection. Jhansi, a former independent Princely state was a centre of concern, with its Maharani resisting British overtures to reach a settlement.

And so, Flashman get roped into a dual role, a diplomatic role to negotiate terms with the Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and a secret role to seek out Ignatieff should he turn up in India again, then take him out of the picture, as well as to report of any signs of the Sepoy insurrection.

As such, Flashman engages with the Rani, (once he finds out she isn't the ‘old woman' described to him) in a full charm offensive, looking to bed her while making terms, and with a back plan to use his language skills and abilities of disguise to disappear and lay low should Ignatieff make an appearance.

Flashman does carry out both his plans, although the agreeing of terms with the Rani doesn't conclude before he must make himself scarce - disguised as a native cavalry recruit he joins the native forces in the garrison town of Meerut. Amongst the Hindu and Muslim soldiers he becomes aware of the stories circulating about pig and beef fat being used to grease gun cartridges and ground bones mixed in the flour in a supposed British plot to remove their castes and limit their religion. Flashman sees this and other mistreatments of the native troops, and sees trouble brewing.

Meerut was the flashpoint (no pun intended) of the uprising and Flashman escapes from there, but as we come to expect with Flashman, one dicing with death is not sufficient, and events conspire such that he is caught up in various major events of the mutiny including Cawnpore, where he caught up in the siege, the slaughter at Suttee Ghat, Lucknow, and then breaking his way into Jhansi, and being in Gwalior and the Battle of the Betwa!

Fraser is as masterful as ever at shoehorning Flashman into real life events, having him rub shoulders with the British officers in strict accordance with history and impeccably timing his story. I found this book more in depth with the setting - perhaps because so much is known of the events in question, and Fraser came across as having a deep knowledge of the politics of the mutiny, giving plenty of voice to the Indian side of the argument with their (often legitimate) grievances. There was a depth of violence and cruelty which came across as accurate and realistic, perpetuated by both sides, and while Flashman showed some sympathy the reader knew which side he was on, Fraser left the door open for the readers own view.

I thought this book stronger than some f the others I have read for these reasons.
5 stars