The inimitable and appallingly appealing Flashy is back, in a long-awaited new installment of The Flashman Papers.

When the memoirs of Sir Harry Flashman, the notorious Victorian soldier and scoundrel, first came to light 30 years ago, it was finally revealed what had become of the infamous bully who had darkened Tom Brown's school days. Now, three new episodes in the career of this eminently disreputable adventurer place us at the center of pivotal historical events - the attempted assassination of Emperor Franz Josef in the 1880s, the Prince of Wales's involvement in the Tranby Croft gambling scandal, and the military disaster at Rorke's Drift in South Africa - as the aging but agile Flashy is pitted against one of the greatest villains of his day.

Thrown into contact with assorted grand royalty and even grander tarts, he must test his wits against political heavyweights, including Bismarck, as he becomes eyewitness to the uncensored truth about two of the greatest heroes of his time.

Superb entertainment - all verve, dash, meticulous historical detail, and wildly infectious enthusiasm.