# George MacDonald Fraser Dead at 82 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074 "2008-01-03T02:20:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/1 "2008-01-03T02:20:09Z")
Story [here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7169047.stm). Author of the excellent Flashman series. I just checked \*Quartered Safe Out Here \* out of my library and will read it soon. ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/2 "2008-01-03T02:24:15Z")
Aw, crap. No more _Flashman_ ☹ It’s too bad his last book was the horrible _The Reavers_ which thankfully no one but me read. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/3 "2008-01-03T02:27:39Z")
Ah, shit! Now we’ll never know the story behind Lincoln’s blackmail and Flashy’s service in the American Civil War. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/4 "2008-01-03T02:49:27Z")
That’s really too bad. I was a big fan of the Flashman books. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/5 "2008-01-03T03:07:28Z")
Myself, I’ve tried very hard to model my life on Flashman. 🙂 Well, I can’t say that I womanize, and I don’t drink QUITE that much these days (although I still have my moments!), but still, it’s a worthy goal to strive for. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/6 "2008-01-03T03:16:05Z")
One of my favorite writers. The other day, when I heard something on the radio about how many WWII veterans are dying every day, I thought of Fraser. I recommend one of his novels that’s tangentially related to the Flashman series: _Mr. American_. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/7 "2008-01-03T03:47:59Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] I recommend one of his novels that’s tangentially related to the Flashman series: _Mr. American_. [/QUOTE] I read that last month. A 90-ish Flashman makes a couple of appearances. A very good book. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/8 "2008-01-03T05:31:56Z")
Another vote for **Mr American**. I hope Fraser left enough notes and rough drafts behind so someone can produce one or two more **Flashman** books. I’m slightly embarassed to admit that much of what I know of British nineteenth-century history I learned from the **Flashman** books. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/9 "2008-01-03T11:25:43Z")
Bugger. ☹ I first picked up _Flashman_ in the 1970s and I think I’ve read 'em all, also a fair bit of Fraser’s other work, including _The Pyrates_ which had a belly-laugh on just about every page. From what I’ve read, he hardly ever had an off day. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/10 "2008-01-03T13:21:11Z")
[QUOTE=movingfinger] Another vote for **Mr American**. I hope Fraser left enough notes and rough drafts behind so someone can produce one or two more **Flashman** books. I’m slightly embarassed to admit that much of what I know of British nineteenth-century history I learned from the **Flashman** books. [/QUOTE] I don’t know; I don’t really want to read somebody else trying to duplicate Fraser’s style; it’d be like the Sherlock Holmes stories written by other authors. Even if it’s good, you’re always conscious that it’s an imitation. I wouldn’t be embarrassed about learning history from the Flashman novels; the endnotes alone (by Fraser as the “editor” of the “discovered” memoirs) give a great overview of some of the most remarkable, but little-known, episodes in the pretty fantastic 19th century history of the British Empire. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/11 "2008-01-03T15:48:07Z")
NOOOOOOOOOOO I’ve been waiting years for Flashman & the Civil War. I just _knew_ he’d die before he wrote it. I guess it was too high a goal even for him. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/12 "2008-01-03T16:13:38Z")
As previously stated, “Bugger”. I’ll raise a glass to his memory - and the shade of Brigadier Sir Harry Flashman VC KCB KCIE - when I get home this evening. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/13 "2008-01-03T16:27:36Z")
☹ I’ve only just read the first Flashman book. I really liked it, and I have the second one in my to-read stack. I kept thinking how much Richard Sharpe would have hated Flashman. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/14 "2008-01-03T16:33:07Z")
Alas. A fine & engaging author is gone. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/15 "2008-01-03T16:35:45Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] I kept thinking how much Richard Sharpe would have hated Flashman. [/QUOTE] It occurs to me that my comment may contain spoilers. Bear in mind that Sharpe stole a large amount of money (Sharpe’s Treasure?) and killed the Sergeant who had him flogged. Certainly the sort of thing Flashie would have done given the opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/16 "2008-01-03T20:16:26Z")
Aw, dammit. I read about it this morning and went over here, just knowing there’d be an obit thread. A mighty, mighty talent gone. No more Flashy. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/17 "2008-01-03T20:29:01Z")
[QUOTE=Scissorjack] No more Flashy. [/QUOTE] Not to mention McAuslan. “God help the German who was stabbed with McAuslan’s bayonet. He would surely die of blood poisoning.” ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/18 "2008-01-03T21:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Not to mention McAuslan. “God help the German who was stabbed with McAuslan’s bayonet. He would surely die of blood poisoning.” [/QUOTE] Or _Black Ajax_, which as a display of pure writing technique is breathtaking, or the wise, warm, witty and just plain fun _The Hollywood History Of the World_, or _The Pyrates_, which got me banned from reading it in bed because I was laughing so much {and to which the writers of _Pirates Of The Carribean_ probably owe substantial royalties}, or the best WW2 memoir of them all, _Quartered Safe Out Here_. Shabash, George. **Eleanor** , here’s a thread I started earlier - which sank without trace - about who would win in a fight, [Dick Sharpe or Harry Flashman?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=438312) ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/19 "2008-01-03T23:01:13Z")
[QUOTE=Scissorjack] **Eleanor** , here’s a thread I started earlier - which sank without trace - about who would win in a fight, [Dick Sharpe or Harry Flashman?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=438312) [/QUOTE] I think I remember that thread, and since I read \*Flashman \*in October it probably inspired me to do so. I’ve only read the first book but so far I agree Sharpe would beat the hell out of Flashman in a face-to-face fight. Flashy seems mostly lucky where Sharpe is truly vicious when pressed, and in the heat of battle Sharpe tends not to notice that his opponent has surrendered. **carnivorousplant** , I was really referring to Sharpe’s bitterness towards wealthy, cowardly officers. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074/20 "2008-01-03T23:11:30Z")
I just picked up my first flashman book at the library. The only one they have: Flashman and the Tiger. Can one start anywhere, or should I trust my OCD desires to start any book series with the first book and read them in order, lest some inside joke is missed? Patiently awaiting your response. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-macdonald-fraser-dead-at-82/432074.md?page=2)