The Essential Guide to The Flashman Series

The Flashman Series by George MacDonald Fraser is probably the most epic, funny, ridiculous and entertaining series I have ever read. If you like action and adventure mixed with a bit of that Monty Python humor, then this is series is a must read.

The Flashman novels are based on the lost diaries of the main protagonist and anti-hero of the series. From a young age, Flashman has a tendency to find himself in scenarios that are too funny to be true, and much larger than life could actually hold.

And there’s unusually a damsel in distress or three—and usually already spoken for—to add an additional monkey wrench into the already far-fetched and hilarious plot.

A man of 9-lives and a questionable sense of duty, honor and truth telling, Flashman is always on the way to his next adventure and the hilarity always ensues.

Despite Flashman’s many flaws, he does have three talents that helps him along his adventures: he’s a world-class horseman—which helps him run away on the battlefield, or otherwise; he is great at learning languages, which helps him talk his way out of dire straights and bed native women; and he is very honest in his diaries, which is a break from the tall tales he must tell throughout his many adventures.