Slightly Foxed > An Index to Slightly Foxed > Fraser, George MacDonald

Fraser, George MacDonald

the Flashman books, [33] 43; Quartered Safe Out Here, [33] 50; the Private McAuslan books, [37] 61

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20120301160657 Andrew Nixon on George MacDonald- Frazer, Daniel Maclin, Slightly Foxed Issue 33

Flashy but Irresistible

Andrew Nixon on George MacDonald Fraser, the Flashman books

‘Flashman is back,’ declared the Labour leader Ed Miliband at Prime Minister’s Questions on 11 May 2011. He was referring to David Cameron and he presumably meant to imply that the Tory was a boorish, ill-mannered bully, riding roughshod over the finer feelings of his Parliamentary colleagues. But I did wonder at the time just how well-chosen Miliband’s ‘insult’ really was. Wouldn’t any male politician be secretly thrilled to be likened to Harry Paget Flashman, the fictional Victorian soldier and adventurer?
20130301154124

Flashman’s Nemesis

Brian Payne on George MacDonald Fraser, The Private McAuslan books

In Slightly Foxed No.33, Andrew Nixon paid homage to George MacDonald Fraser’s splendid creation, the appalling Flashman; and Patrick Mercer, himself an infantryman, drew attention to Quartered Safe Out Here, Fraser’s autobiographical account of his own service as an Other Rank in the Border Regiment. But both omitted mention of Fraser’s other marvellous creation, the infamous Private McAuslan, the dirtiest soldier ever to grace the tartan of a Highland regiment.

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