Book review - "Flashman and the Tiger" by George MacDonald Fraser (1999)

 So frustrating. Three Flashman stories - a long one, basically a novella, and two short. Only one, about the Tranby Croft affair, feels like a genuine stand alone story. The other two feel like ideas for full novels that Fraser abandoned. I may be unfair, but it's what it feels like.

To make it worse there's constant references to earlier, better novels, and the stories contain teasers/trailers of adventures we (or at least I) would rather be reading about: Flashman trying to rescue Maximilian from Mexico, Flashman with Gordon at Khartoum (we get a trailer of him with Woseley and the first story ends with him going off to the Sudan with Gordon), Flashman in the Zulu Wars (we get a description of Isandhlwana which is exciting and a glimpse of Rorke's Draft but it's unsatisfying).

For the adventures themselves:

"Road to Charing Cross" - Flashman has to save the life of Emperor Franz Josef, and deals with the son of Rudi Von Stanberg. Some of this is alright - there's some excellent action during the assassination sequence (pointlessly cut short with Flashman being knocked out... why not play it out?) and the final duel with Rudi Jnr is superb with Flashman in genuine peril (but he's saved by a deux ex machina super woman). Flashman being old and getting passed over has some novelty.

"The Subtleties of Baccarat" - the Tranby Croft affair. A tight self contained story which isn't bad. Fraser was always strong at sporting contests.

"Flashman and the Tiger" - exciting battles in Zulu land, although it later crosses the streams by having Flashman meet Tiger Jack Moran of the Sherlock Holmes stories... and later encounter Holmes and Watson. The finale where Holmes continually misses the point about Flashman is funny - but it is weird that characters from separate universes mix. I enjoyed the Oscar Wilde cameo and the use of Flashman's granddaughter Selina - I just wish it had been a proper Zulu novel

Movie review - "Untamed" (1955) **

Fairly terrible CinemaScope set in South Africa, which no one seems to remember with much fondness. The South African scenery is pretty, it's fun to see how Susan Hayward went on location and not Tyrone Power, and it's interesting to observe the treatment Fox gave South African history - it's about the Great Trek, with Tyrone Power as a passionate Boer, and Hayward as the Irish lass who loves him, and the Zulus attacking like Indians. It's packed full of Western tropes: there's a wagon train (which was a real thing its got to be said), pioneers, natives who are vicious and loyal, outlaws, shoot outs, and lots of American actors.

But it doesn't work dramatically. The ingredients are there - pioneers in a strange land, action, a feisty heroine, dashing hero, treacherous man who loves the hero, a tree falls on someone resulting in a leg amputation, gossipy maids. But it doesn't come together.

Hayward doesn't seem particularly engaged in what's going on - thought I'm not a major fan (admirers of her may enjoy this more). The film never seems certain how Bad to make her character. She chases after Power a lot but what drives her really? Power? Hunger? Wealth? There are allusions to Scarlett O'Hara but O'hara's dramatic line was clean and clear - get Ashley, survive and thrive. O'Hara was put through the ringer and she got through it through determination and cunning. Hayward isn't really - there's a potato famine handled mostly off screen via exposition, a bit of animal shoot outs, some rain... there's no passion. No danger. She becomes rich in five seconds by getting a diamond - then loses it all somehow. (I wasn't sure how).

And no spark with Power. His character seems clear enough - a Dutch patriot. Okay sure Power never seems remotely Dutch but there were worst miscastings around this time and Power was a big star. More problematic is it's clear he only cares about his country and not about Hayward. He bangs her in Ireland but then takes off. She turns up in South Africa, he bangs her again then takes off again. He arrives in Cape Town where she's rich and connected which makes her like her... he bangs her again but won't commit. He finds out she's got his kid and gets possessive about the kid but not her. He takes off again, then is involved in a final shoot out. He's meant to give up fighting for Hayward at the end but we never believe it not for a second -he's clearly not into her. Which may be true to character but makes a very unsatisfying movie. Rhett wanted Scarlett.

(NB I had the same problem with another Fox epic, Forever Amber).

All my sympathy went to Richard Egan, the nominal villain, playing a character who loves Hayward, who works for her despite her loving Power, who loses a leg in a storm and becomes an outlaw. (To be fair he's not very nice to the adoring native girl who loves him, Rita Moreno). Really Power should've played Egan's part which should've been the hero - make the Power character this selfish prat who treats Hayward badly and at the end she goes for the guy who's loved her all along.

Egan isn't bad in a role turned down by Victor Mature - he looks like a man of action. Agnes Moorehead livens up her scenes. No one else gets much of a look in.

Book review - "Finished" by H Rider Haggard

I was looking forward to this because it dealt with the Zulu War but this is a disappointing book. It spends far too much time on a not very interesting story with Allan Quatermain hanging around with yet another aristocratic male he's going on a shooting trip with. They come across a house where there are some creepy things going on, which is promising, but it soon turns conventional again with the aristocrat falling in love with a girl and them fleeing. Things perk up when Quatermain gets stuck in Zululand just before the Anglo Zulu War with a quite sympathetic depiction of the dilemma Cetewayo found himself in. Then Quatermain winds up at the Battle of Isandlwana which Haggard says too often "well you know what happened then so I won't describe it" - I want him to describe it! Still, it's exciting stuff, and carries us even when the dull aristocrats come back. A bigger role is given to dwarf Zikali here but nothing much new - he wants revenge, he tells everyone he wants revenge. How about a plot twist?Look this isn't bad - I mean, it's got Isandlwana - I just felt let down considering its subject matter.

Book review - "Child of Storm" by H Rider Haggard

Part 2 in Haggard's Zulu trilogy, this centres around a civil war between two sons of the Zulu Chief, Panda, in which Quatermain is involved. He's mostly an observer in this story though, not it's not as good as Marie, where he was centre stage. Quatermain doesn't really have any stakes in it - he likes one brother more than the other, but he's not really involved.

The cause of the civil war is a woman, the sexy Mameena - another in Haggard's long line of hot, mischievous African babes. She has the hots for Quatermain at one stage but he doesn't go there - it's a shame, the poor guy could have used some release other than with a gun (and prevented a civil war in the meantime). But actually Mameena's role is surprisingly small - she's set up to do all this manipulative stuff, but we hear about it mostly through reportage, which isn't as fun. Also you never really buy she's into Quatermain.

There are some good action scenes, some interesting African characters, I like how Mameena keeps twisting these guys around her finger. But it's not top-rank Haggard.

Book review - "Marie" by H Rider Haggard

I really enjoyed this book even though it was a bit cheeky of Haggard to give Allan Quartermain another wife - "oh yeah didn't I mention her? Yeah I married her before Stella - told Stella all about her." Right. 

But it's one of his most exciting novels, full of terrific action sequences - the initial siege of the farmhouse, Quatermain's trek to join the starving Voortrekkers, visiting the Zulu chief's kraal, the final massacre of the Boers, two shooting competitions (one ho-hum, the other very exciting with life and death stakes) Quatermain's  court martial and escape. 

The character of Marie is sketchily drawn (she's young and pretty and that's it) - there's a villainous rival in her lecherous cousin and further complications provided by her half-mad father. Both these things feel like they are straight out of Victorian stage melodramas (complete with a very unconvincing death bed confession with exonerates the hero) and the villain is so naughty you're surprised he's allowed to get away with what he does, but its provides for effective structure. The English-Boer clash adds to the drama (Marie is a Boer and her father is opposed to Quatermain). 

Like a lot of Quatermain books it has a melancholy quality because you know that the hero is going to be widowed.

Book review - "Nada the Lily" by H Rider Haggard (warning: spoilers)

Not as well known as She or King Solomon's Mines and not as good structurally - it's a bit all over the shop in places and occasionally repeats (two tyrannical Zulu kings getting overthrown) - but it's a wonderful, sweeping epic, full of action, pain, romance, blood and regret. It's only a quarter of the way through and we've already had people driven out of their kingdoms, blood feuds, making friends with a future king, vengeance, romance, separate siblings. 

Mopo flees to the kingdom of Shaka with his sister, who the king takes as his wife. She gives birth to a son, who Shaka wants dead (so no heir will grow up to overthrow him) but Mopo fakes the death and raises him as his own. He grows up to be Umslopogaas, who we know will die in Allan Quartermain, giving his a bittersweet quality, and who falls for his supposed sister Nada the Lily, who he later finds out he can marry.

It's melodramatic, passionate and terrific, full of great characters: brave Umslopogaas, Gwali the wolf king (his ally), wily Mopo, the beautiful Nada (so hot she causes wars), Umslopogaas' jealous wife, the mediocre tyrant Dingane, various witch doctors and brave Zulu warriors. There are hardly any white people in it - mostly Boers who are referred to rather than participate in action.

Wonderful dramatic scenes, such as Shaka wiping out Mopos's family, the rescue of young Umslopogaas, the death of Nada while holding his hand through a gap in the cage, Gwali's brave death fighting off scores of men with his wolves nearby. It's a cracking read and someone should make a film out of it.

Movie review – “Zulu” (1963) *****

Classic guys movie, about a bunch of guys fightin’ off a massive swarm of black people. This film’s been accused of racism and it you can see that point of view – the Zulus are mostly a face-less personality-less mass. But that contributes a great deal to the effectiveness of the movie – apart from the opening scene at Isandlwhana, it’s all from the POV of British soldiers, for whom the Zulus were a face-less personality-less mass. And to cut away form this POV, to have scenes showing the Zulu’s side, would have detracted a great deal from the appeal of the film.

Also, this is a 60s Imperial film, which means the emphasis is on the soldiers not on any British-Empire-is-the-greatest messages like in the 30s films. The Zulus are shown to be brave, clever fighters, just ones without rifles. Indeed, the 60s liberalism strikes a bit of a bung note at the end with Stanley Baker and Michael Caine surveying the battle scene saying they feel ashamed, and talking about their first time of battle like its their virginity. (I get the point, but it doesn’t ring true.)

Very strong cast; Baker is an imposing presence, though he’s overshadowed by Michael Caine because Caine’s (a) blonde and (b) more likeable. However the flashiest role in the movie is that of James Booth who plays the coward-who-comes-good Hooke (a total distortion of history and utterly justifiable historically). Nigel Green also shines as the sergeant.

Many great moments: the opening scenes at Isandahlwana, the leisurely build up, Hooke coming good, the duelling singing, the final amazing battle at the redoubt. A big success by Cy Endfield never came close to it again – why?

Book review – “With some guts behind it: the Making of Zulu” by Sheldon Hall

Excellent book on the making of one of my favourite action movies. Incredibly thorough – Hall goes through bios of all the main players, the different drafts of the scripts, production, promotion, etc. I was surprised the film wasn’t more successful in the US – can only surmise it was due to lack of American friendly names (Michael Caine wasn’t Caine yet and Stanley Baker was never a big star). Perhaps a bit too much detail at times (eg interviews with small bit part actors) but much of it fascinating eg only 250 Zulu extras were used, the fact that the role of the reverend’s daughter was larger in the original cut and there’s a scene where she came back at the end (hinting at a romance with Baker)

Book review – “Osprey Series: Isandlwana 1879” by Ian Knight

Isandlwana is one of my favourite battles mainly because it was such a spectacular stuff up – and I’ve always found it impossible not to be moved by the fate of the Brits as they get slaughtered by the Zulus. Ian Knight’s reputation as a Zulu War authority is deserved; he gets a little bogged down in technical stuff for most of this book, though, and it lacks the feeling and flavour most accounts of this battle have. Only when it comes to the last moments of the battle – the lone siege in the cave, the retreat of the British – and the aftermath does he start adding the little touches that really bring it home – British troops forced to sleep on the battle site and waking up drenched in blood, etc. Good pictures and so on. Maybe should have referred to the movies esp Zulu Dawn as they are so well known.