''Flashman and the Tiger'' is a 1999 book by

George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser (2 April 1925 – 2 January 2008) was a British author and screenwriter. He is best known for a series of works that featured the character Flashman. Biography Fraser was born to Scottish parents in Carlisle, England, ...

. It is the eleventh of the Flashman books.

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 ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The stor ...

''. The papers are attributed to Flashman, who is not only the bully featured in

Thomas Hughes Thomas Hughes (20 October 182222 March 1896) was an English lawyer, judge, politician and author. He is most famous for his novel ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. ...

' 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 Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Na ...

. 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

"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 Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and administrator. He saw action in the Crimean War as an officer in ...

. Luckily, a letter from Blowitz arrives inviting him to Paris. He rides the maiden voyage of the

Orient Express The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe and int ...

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 ''Royal Flash'' is a 1970 novel by George MacDonald Fraser. It is the second of the Flashman novels. It was made into the film '' Royal Flash'' in 1975 and remains the only Flashman novel to be filmed. Plot summary ''Royal Flash'' is set durin ...

'', 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 Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, just when the

royal baccarat scandal The Royal Baccarat Scandal, also known as the Tranby Croft Affair, was a British gambling scandal of the late 19th century involving the Prince of Wales—the future King Edward VII. The scandal started during a house party in September 1890, ...

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 The Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the ...

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! Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

''), 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 "The Adventure of the Empty House", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as '' The Return of Sherlock Holmes''. It was first published in '' Collier's'' in ...

", 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

The Road to Charing Cross

Fictional characters

*Flashman - The hero or

anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...

. *Caprice *Princess Kralta *Rupert Willem von Starnberg *Hutton, of the Foreign Office.

Historical characters

* Henri Blowitz - Bohemian journalist. Flashman describes him as "a five-foot butterball with a beaming

baby face Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

behind a mighty moustache, innocent blue eyes, bald head, and frightful whiskers a foot long". *

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

- Former U.S. President, he was visiting Europe at the time of the story. *

Patrice MacMahon Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de MacMahon, marquis de MacMahon, duc de Magenta (; 13 June 1808 – 17 October 1893) was a French general and politician, with the distinction of Marshal of France. He served as Chief of State of France from 1873 to 1 ...

- President of the

French Third Republic The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 19 ...

. Flashman is with Grant when he meets with him. * Otto von Bismarck - German statesman. Flashman has enough prior experience of him that he avoids another encounter, but still accidentally meets him in Berlin. *

Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov Count Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov (russian: Граф Пётр Андре́евич Шува́лов) (27 July 1827, Saint Petersburg – 22 March 1889, Saint Petersburg) was an influential Russian statesman and a counselor to Tsar Alexander II. B ...

- Russian statesman. He is the source of most of Blowitz's information about the treaty, through Caprice, who seduces him. *

Georges Nagelmackers Georges Lambert Casimir Nagelmackers (born 25 June 1845 in Liège, Belgium; deceased 10 August 1905 in Villepreux, France) (60 years old) was a Belgian civil engineer and businessman. He was the founder of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagon ...

- Head of the Orient Express line. *

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

- Emperor of Austria. Flashman saves him from assassination. *

Elisabeth of Bavaria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth was ...

- Empress consort of Austria. Flashman dances with her at a ball. * Johann Strauss II - Conducts the band while Flashman and Empress Elisabeth dance. * Lord Granville - The British Foreign Secretary. *

Garnet Wolseley Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, (4 June 183325 March 1913), was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a series of successes in Canada, W ...

- The British field marshal. *

- The British major-general.

The Subtleties of Baccarat

Fictional characters

*Flashman *Elspeth - His adoring and possibly unfaithful wife.

Historical characters

- Future King Edward VII. Flashman appears to know him well and claims to have shared his lovers,

Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isla ...

and Daisy Brooke. He also suspects Elspeth of having "been at grips in a potting-shed at Windsor in '59" with him. * William Gordon-Cumming - Central figure in the scandal. His similarities with Flashman are not lost on the latter, who eyes him with some jealousy as a younger version (and more authentic military hero) of himself. * Lord Coleridge - Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, and judge at the trial. * Charles Russell - British statesman who represents the defendants at the trial. *

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

- Future Prime Minister who represents the defendants at the trial.

Flashman and the Tiger

Fictional characters

*Flashman *Elspeth * Tiger Jack Moran - Flashman meets him after the Battle of Isandlwana on the way to

, 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 John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel '' A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle ...

Historical characters

* Henry Pulleine - Brevet lieutenant colonel at the Battle of Isandlwana. * Anthony Durnford - Lieutenant colonel at the Battle of Isandlwana. * John Chard - British lieutenant of the Royal Engineers and commanding officer at Rorke's Drift. * Lord Chelmsford - A British general. *

Gonville Bromhead Major Gonville Bromhead VC (29 August 1845 – 9 February 1891) was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British armed forces. ...

- British lieutenant at Rorke's Drift. * Oscar Wilde - A playwright. *

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...

* George Smith - British army chaplain

. ''Flashman and the Tiger'', Harper Collins (1998), page 287

References

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