Robert Brightwell

eBook, ePUB

Flashman's Escape (Thomas Flashman Adventures, #4) (eBook, ePUB)

Beschreibung

This book covers the second half of Thomas Flashman's experiences in the Peninsular War and follows on from Flashman in the Peninsular. Having lost his role as a staff officer, Flashman finds himself commanding a company in an infantry battalion. In between cuckolding his soldiers and annoying his superiors, he finds himself at the heart of the two bloodiest actions of the war. With drama and disaster in equal measure, he provides a first-hand account of not only the horror of battle but also the bloody aftermath.

Hopes for a quieter life backfire horribly when he is sent behind enemy lines to help recover an important British prisoner, who also happens to be a hated rival. His adventures take him the length of Spain and all the way to Paris on one of the most audacious wartime journeys ever undertaken. With the future of the French empire briefly placed in his quaking hands, Flashman dodges lovers, angry fathers, conspirators and ministers of state in a desperate effort to keep his cowardly carcass in one piece. This extraordinary account brings together various historical events, while also giving a disturbing insight into the creation of a French literary classic!

Technische Details

• Geräte: eReader
• mit Kopierschutz
• Größe: 2.55MB
• FamilySharing(5)

Barrierefreiheit

• Text-to-Speech

Autor

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

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Robert Brightwell
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. Oktober 2014
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781310792410
• Artikelnr.: 49347973