I am a firm believer in the maxim that history is stranger than fiction. There are countless times when I have come across a character or incident that has been so hard to believe, that I have had to search out other sources for confirmation. Thomas Cochrane, who features in my first and seventh books is one of those, his real-life adventures seem ridiculously far-fetched for a fictional character. The Begum of Samru from my second book is another: a fifteen-year-old nautch dancer who gained the confidence of an army, had a man literally kill himself over her and who led her soldiers with skill and courage, before becoming something of a catholic saint.
History is full of amazing stories. In my books I try to do my bit to tell some of them. When I thought of a vehicle to do so, the Flashman series from George MacDonald Fraser came to mind. The concept of a fictional character witnessing and participating in real historical events, while not unique, has rarely been done better. I therefore decided to create an earlier, Napoleonic era, generation of the family.
My Thomas Flashman character is not exactly the same as Fraser's Harry Flashman. They both have the uncanny knack of finding themselves in the hotspots of their time. They have an eye for the ladies and self-preservation. Yet Thomas is not quite the spiteful bully his nephew became, although he does learn to serve a vicious revenge on those who serve him ill.
The new 'Assignment' series, featuring war correspondent Thomas Harrison, introduces a fresh new character for adventures a generation later, starting in 1870. His employment ensures that he is at the heart of the action, although his goal of being an impartial observer is invariably thwarted.
In both series I aim to make the books as historically accurate as possible. My fictional central character is woven into real events, so that he is fully engaged in the action, but is not allowed to alter the ultimate outcome. He is also not allowed to replace a known historical figure. But where the person is unknown or events are unexplained, he can provide the explanation. In short, I am trying to provide real history in the form of a ripping yarn!
For more information, check out my website, www.robertbrightwell.com
This short story was included in the longer novel Flashman's Winter, so do not buy this book if you already have that one.
Flashman's Christmas is an introduction to the character of Thomas Flashman, uncle to Harry Flashman, who was made famous by Thomas Hughes and George MacDonald Fraser.
Thomas' exploits begin in 1800 and finish in 1838 in a series of eleven novels. They include extraordinary adventures in Europe, North and South America, Africa and India, and are closely based on historical fact and contemporary sources.
Like his nephew, he has the uncanny knack of finding himself in the hotspots of his time, often while endeavouring to avoid them. Thomas, though, is not exactly the same character as Harry Flashman, which is partly accidental and partly deliberate. It reflects the different times the two fictional characters occupy. While Harry Flashman in India thrashed and abused the natives, in Thomas' time many British were in business with Indian partners or had Indian wives. The British Resident of Delhi went so far as to marry a harem of thirteen Indian women, who used to parade around the city every evening on elephants!
This novella is set in Paris a few months after the battle of Waterloo as the royalists try to re-establish control over a country that had recently rejected them. It reunites Thomas with old friends and enemies as he is involved in a notorious escape from the death cell of a Paris prison on the eve of execution.
Título : Flashman's Christmas
EAN : 9781005848156
Editorial : Robert Brightwell
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