Book review - "Flashman and the Great Game" by George MacDonald Fraser

 Another classic. Read it countless times. The most seamless Flashman in a way - Flash for Freedom was like an action serial, Flashman at the Charge, Flashman's Lady and Flashman and the Redskins are  two books together. This is a cohesive whole but with enough epic sweep to make it compelling (which the later ones in the series had). The Indian Mutiny is such a rich field and it gives rise to splendid/harrowing sequences: the initial mutiny at Meerut, the siege of Cawnpore and escape, relieving the siege at Lucknow, the final battle at Gwalior. It has some of the all time best sequences in the book: the endless terror of Cawnpore, the comedy of helping Kavanagh, the final section on the cannon. Great ending with the publication of Tom Brown's School Days. It also has powerful emotional undercurrents because of the extreme violence, the relationship with the Rani of Jhansi, the death of Scud East.