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{{Short description|1999 book by George MacDonald Fraser}}
{{more footnotes|date=December 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name = Flashman and the Tiger
| name = Flashman and the Tiger
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| translator =
| translator =
| image = FlashmanAndTheTiger.jpg
| image = FlashmanAndTheTiger.jpg
| image_size = 175px
| image_size =
|caption = 1st edition
|caption = First edition
| author = [[George MacDonald Fraser]]
| author = [[George MacDonald Fraser]]
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
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==Plot introduction==
==Plot introduction==
Presented within the frame of the supposedly discovered historical Flashman Papers, this book describes the bully Flashman from ''[[Tom Brown's School Days]]''. The papers are attributed to Flashman, who is not only the bully featured in [[Thomas Hughes]]' novel, but also a well-known Victorian military hero. The book begins with an explanatory note detailing the discovery of these papers. It also states that smaller narratives have been discovered mixed in with the larger packets which comprise the previous books. ''Flashman and the Tiger'' is a collection of three of these narratives.
Presented within the frame of the supposedly discovered historical Flashman Papers, this book describes the bully [[Harry Flashman|Flashman]] from ''[[Tom Brown's School Days]]''. The papers are attributed to Flashman, who is not only the bully featured in [[Thomas Hughes]]' novel, but also a well-known Victorian military hero. The book begins with an explanatory note detailing the discovery of these papers. It also states that smaller narratives have been discovered mixed in with the larger packets which comprise the previous books. ''Flashman and the Tiger'' is a collection of three of these narratives.


"The Road to Charing Cross" is the longest, detailing Flashman's involvement in preventing an assassination attempt on [[Franz Josef of Austria|Emperor Franz Josef]]. It takes place in 1878 and from 1883 to 1884. "The Subtleties of Baccarat" describes the [[Tranby Croft affair]] in 1890 to 1891. "Flashman and the Tiger", covering 1879 and 1894, borrows some characters from Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] for a tale about blackmail and revenge. It is also the only Flashman story to give any detail about his adventures with the [[Zulu Kingdom|Zulus]].
"The Road to Charing Cross" is the longest, detailing Flashman's involvement in preventing an assassination attempt on [[Franz Josef of Austria|Emperor Franz Josef]]. It takes place in 1878 and from 1883 to 1884. "The Subtleties of Baccarat" describes the [[Tranby Croft affair]] in 1890 to 1891. "Flashman and the Tiger", covering 1879 and 1894, borrows some characters from Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] for a tale about blackmail and revenge. It is also the only Flashman story to give any detail about his adventures with the [[Zulu Kingdom|Zulus]]. The title story had been originally serialised in the ''[[Daily Express]]'', between 29 September 1975 and 3 October 1975, with illustrations by Andrew Robb.


==Plot summary==
==Plot summary==
Line 35: Line 38:
"The Subtleties of Baccarat" has Flashman at the home of Sir [[Arthur Wilson (shipping magnate)|Arthur Wilson]] with the [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Prince of Wales]], just when the [[royal baccarat scandal]] is unfolding. Unlike in most Flashman stories, he is mainly an observer of the event, simply giving bad advice when asked to. However, in a twist, someone he has known for years unexpectedly turns out to be the most important player in the story.
"The Subtleties of Baccarat" has Flashman at the home of Sir [[Arthur Wilson (shipping magnate)|Arthur Wilson]] with the [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Prince of Wales]], just when the [[royal baccarat scandal]] is unfolding. Unlike in most Flashman stories, he is mainly an observer of the event, simply giving bad advice when asked to. However, in a twist, someone he has known for years unexpectedly turns out to be the most important player in the story.


At the beginning of "Flashman and the Tiger", Flashman is in South Africa fleeing from the [[Battle of Isandlwana]] in a wagon. After his escape, he meets [[Sebastian Moran|Tiger Jack Moran]] about ten miles (16&nbsp;km) away, and both head to [[Rorke's Drift]] and the nightmare that awaits them. Later, at the mention of Flashman's name, Moran says "if I'd only known." Years later, in 1894, Flashman finds out what he meant when Moran blackmails his granddaughter in order to sleep with her, revealing to Flashman that he was a cabin boy on Captain John Charity Spring's ship, the Balliol College (see ''[[Flash for Freedom!]]''), who was traded to King Gezo as a white slave and has spent much of his adult life avenging himself on the ship's former crew. In an attempt to save her, Flashman finds himself in a scene from "[[The Adventure of the Empty House]]", and has to endure the humiliation of [[Sherlock Holmes]] analysing him while he is pretending to be a drunken tramp.
"Flashman and the Tiger" begins in South Africa, with Flashman fleeing from the [[Battle of Isandlwana]] in a wagon. After his escape, he meets [[Sebastian Moran|Tiger Jack Moran]] about ten miles (16&nbsp;km) away, and both head to [[Rorke's Drift]] and the nightmare that awaits them. Later, at the mention of Flashman's name, Moran says "if I'd only known." Years later, in 1894, Flashman finds out what he meant when Moran blackmails his granddaughter for sex. Moran reveals that he was the cabin boy on Captain John Charity Spring's slave ship ''Balliol College'' (see ''[[Flash for Freedom!]]''), who was traded to [[Ghezo|King Gezo of Dahomey]] as a white slave and has spent much of his adult life avenging himself on the ship's former crew. To save her, Flashman lies in wait for Moran disguised as a drunken tramp, but finds himself in a scene from "[[The Adventure of the Empty House]]", and encounters [[Sherlock Holmes]], who has Moran arrested. [[Dr. Watson|Watson]] recognises him, but is "corrected" by Holmes, who produces an entirely incorrect analysis of who the "tramp" is.


==Characters==
==Characters==
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*[[Johann Strauss II]] - Conducts the band while Flashman and Empress Elisabeth dance.
*[[Johann Strauss II]] - Conducts the band while Flashman and Empress Elisabeth dance.
*[[Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville|Lord Granville]] - The British Foreign Secretary.
*[[Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville|Lord Granville]] - The British Foreign Secretary.
*[[Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley|Garnet Wolseley]] - The British Field Marshal.
*[[Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley|Garnet Wolseley]] - The British field marshal.
*[[Charles George Gordon]] - The British Major-General.
*[[Charles George Gordon]] - The British major-general.


===The Subtleties of Baccarat===
===The Subtleties of Baccarat===
Line 86: Line 89:


====Historical characters====
====Historical characters====
*[[Henry Pulleine]] - Brevet Lieutenant Colonel at the Battle of Isandlwana.
*[[Henry Pulleine]] - Brevet lieutenant colonel at the Battle of Isandlwana.
*[[Anthony Durnford]] - Lieutenant Colonel at the Battle of Isandlwana.
*[[Anthony Durnford]] - Lieutenant colonel at the Battle of Isandlwana.
*[[John Rouse Merriott Chard|John Chard]] - British Lieutenant of the Royal Engineers and commanding officer at Rorke's Drift.
*[[John Rouse Merriott Chard|John Chard]] - British lieutenant of the Royal Engineers and commanding officer at Rorke's Drift.
*[[Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford|Lord Chelmsford]] - A British General.
*[[Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford|Lord Chelmsford]] - A British general.
*[[Gonville Bromhead]] - British Lieutenant at Rorke's Drift.
*[[Gonville Bromhead]] - British lieutenant at Rorke's Drift.
*[[Oscar Wilde]] - A Playwright.
*[[Oscar Wilde]] - A playwright.
*[[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]]
*[[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]]
*[[George Smith (chaplain)|George Smith]] - British army chaplain<ref>[[George MacDonald Fraser]]. ''Flashman and the Tiger'', Harper Collins (1998), page 287</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}


{{Flashman novels}}
{{Flashman novels}}
{{George MacDonald Fraser}}
{{George MacDonald Fraser}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Flashman And The Tiger}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flashman And The Tiger}}
⚫
[[Category:British novels]]
[[Category:1999 British novels]]
[[Category:1999 British novels]]
[[Category:Sherlock Holmes pastiches]]
[[Category:Sherlock Holmes pastiches]]
[[Category:Flashman novels]]
[[Category:Flashman novels]]
[[Category:HarperCollins books]]
[[Category:HarperCollins books]]
[[Category:Novels set in the 1870s]]
[[Category:Novels set in the 1880s]]
[[Category:Novels set in the 1890s]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Empress Elisabeth of Austria]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Franz Joseph I of Austria]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Edward VII]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Ulysses S. Grant]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Otto von Bismarck]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Oscar Wilde]]
⚫
[[Category:Baccarat]]

Latest revision as of 09:56, 27 May 2023

Flashman and the Tiger
First edition
AuthorGeorge MacDonald Fraser
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical novel
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
1999
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages352 pp (paperback)
ISBN0-00-721722-6
OCLC62265058
Preceded byFlashman and the Angel of the Lord 
Followed byFlashman on the March 

Flashman and the Tiger is a 1999 book by George MacDonald Fraser. It is the eleventh of the Flashman books.

Plot introduction

[edit]

Presented within the frame of the supposedly discovered historical Flashman Papers, this book describes the bully Flashman from Tom Brown's School Days. The papers are attributed to Flashman, who is not only the bully featured in Thomas Hughes' novel, but also a well-known Victorian military hero. The book begins with an explanatory note detailing the discovery of these papers. It also states that smaller narratives have been discovered mixed in with the larger packets which comprise the previous books. Flashman and the Tiger is a collection of three of these narratives.

"The Road to Charing Cross" is the longest, detailing Flashman's involvement in preventing an assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Josef. It takes place in 1878 and from 1883 to 1884. "The Subtleties of Baccarat" describes the Tranby Croft affair in 1890 to 1891. "Flashman and the Tiger", covering 1879 and 1894, borrows some characters from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for a tale about blackmail and revenge. It is also the only Flashman story to give any detail about his adventures with the Zulus. The title story had been originally serialised in the Daily Express, between 29 September 1975 and 3 October 1975, with illustrations by Andrew Robb.

Plot summary

[edit]

"The Road to Charing Cross" begins with Flashman going to Berlin with Henri Blowitz to help him get a copy of the Treaty of Berlin and publish it before anyone else has it. He also meets Caprice, a beautiful member of the French secret service. Five years later, Flashman is looking for an excuse to leave London and avoid being sent to Sudan with Charles George Gordon. Luckily, a letter from Blowitz arrives inviting him to Paris. He rides the maiden voyage of the Orient Express and makes the acquaintance of a princess, Kralta, supposedly so that she can sleep with him. This turns out to be a ruse on the part of the princess and Otto von Bismarck, and Flashman is forced to join with Rupert Willem von Starnberg, son of the villain from Royal Flash, and save Emperor Franz Josef from assassination by Magyar nationalists. It turns out that Starnberg has plans of his own, and Flashman must save both the Emperor and himself.

"The Subtleties of Baccarat" has Flashman at the home of Sir Arthur Wilson with the Prince of Wales, just when the royal baccarat scandal is unfolding. Unlike in most Flashman stories, he is mainly an observer of the event, simply giving bad advice when asked to. However, in a twist, someone he has known for years unexpectedly turns out to be the most important player in the story.

"Flashman and the Tiger" begins in South Africa, with Flashman fleeing from the Battle of Isandlwana in a wagon. After his escape, he meets Tiger Jack Moran about ten miles (16 km) away, and both head to Rorke's Drift and the nightmare that awaits them. Later, at the mention of Flashman's name, Moran says "if I'd only known." Years later, in 1894, Flashman finds out what he meant when Moran blackmails his granddaughter for sex. Moran reveals that he was the cabin boy on Captain John Charity Spring's slave ship Balliol College (see Flash for Freedom!), who was traded to King Gezo of Dahomey as a white slave and has spent much of his adult life avenging himself on the ship's former crew. To save her, Flashman lies in wait for Moran disguised as a drunken tramp, but finds himself in a scene from "The Adventure of the Empty House", and encounters Sherlock Holmes, who has Moran arrested. Watson recognises him, but is "corrected" by Holmes, who produces an entirely incorrect analysis of who the "tramp" is.

Characters

[edit]

The Road to Charing Cross

[edit]

Fictional characters

[edit]
  • Flashman - The hero or anti-hero.
  • Caprice
  • Princess Kralta
  • Rupert Willem von Starnberg
  • Hutton, of the Foreign Office.

Historical characters

[edit]

The Subtleties of Baccarat

[edit]

Fictional characters

[edit]
  • Flashman
  • Elspeth - His adoring and possibly unfaithful wife.

Historical characters

[edit]

Flashman and the Tiger

[edit]

Fictional characters

[edit]
  • Flashman
  • Elspeth
  • Tiger Jack Moran - Flashman meets him after the Battle of Isandlwana on the way to Rorke's Drift, and describes him as "a killing gentleman."
  • Selina Flashman - She is Flashman's nineteen-year-old granddaughter. With uncharacteristic sentimentality Flashman is prepared to spend much of his fortune in preserving "Selly's" innocence from the licentious Moran. This proves to be wasted effort when he discovers that she has become one of the Prince of Wales' mistresses.
  • Sherlock Holmes
  • Doctor Watson

Historical characters

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ George MacDonald Fraser. Flashman and the Tiger, Harper Collins (1998), page 287
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