A dull world

... it would be a dull world if there were no subalterns in it. Quieter, mind you.


Flashman and the Tiger, p.123, Harper Collins, paperback edition 2000.


Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, subaltern.

Unguarded opinion

He was a good-looking lad, in a dense, resolute sort of way; Guards officers much the same the world over, I suppose.



Flashman and the Dragon, p.246, Fontana Paperback edition, 1986.



Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, guard.

The great rule of headquarters

Two staff infants were within, Addiscombe all over ’em.
      “Hollo, my sons!” cries I cheerily, with my head splitting. “I’m Flashman. Not a bit of it, sit down, sit down! Don’t tell me you haven’t learned the great headquarters rule yet!”
      “They looked at each other, blushing and respectful in the presence of the celebrated beau sabreur. “No sir,” says one, nervously. “What’s that?”
      “Hark’ee, my boy. If bread is the staff of life, what is the life of staff?”
      “Dunno, sir,” says he, grinning.
      “One long loaf,” says I, winking. “So take your ease, and tell me where’s Sir Hope Grant


Flashman and the Dragon, p.157, Fontana Paperback edition, 1986.



Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, staff.

Competent savages and buffoons

Little Phil, grinning all over and still looking as though he’d fallen in the river and let his uniform dry on him, led me off to talk to Sherman, whom I’d know as a competent savage, and the buffoon Pope, whose career had consisted of losing battles and claiming he’d won.

Flashman and the Redskins, p.214, Pan Books edition, 1983.

Tags:Flashman, Flashman quotes, officers.

Entertaining the troops, and her majesty

This [flogging a colonel] shocked the officers, entertained the troops and delighted her majesty, if the glitter in her eyes was anything to go by . . . as soon as the lashing started I noticed her hand clenching at every stroke, and when the poor devil began to squeal, she grunted with satisfaction. It’s a great gift, knowing the way to a woman’s heart.

Flashman's Lady, pp.235-6, Pan edition, 1979.

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Pinched his ear

…then I singled out the unshaven chap, slapped him, told him not to do it again, pinched his ear à la Napoleon, and said I had high hopes for him. (Talk about discipline; come to old Flash and I’ll learn you things they don’t teach at Sandhurst.)

Flashman's Lady, p.235, Pan edition, 1979.

Tags:Flashman, Flashman quotes, Napoleon.

Learned as an officer

…for one thing I’ve learned as an officer is never to give an order unless there’s a good chance of its being obeyed.

Flashman in the Great Game, pp.142-3, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

Tags:
Flashman, Flashman quotes, officer, order.

Lifetime impersonation

...I’ve been a Danish prince, a Texas slave-dealer, an Arab sheik, a Cheyenne Dog Soldier, and a Yankee navy lieutenant in my time, among other things, and none of ’em was as hard to sustain as my lifetime’s impersonation of a British officer and gentleman.

Flashman in the Great Game, p.115, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

Tags:
Flashman, Flashman quotes,British officer, impersonation.

Modern generals

I didn’t think much of Hudson’s questions about Gandamack and Elphy at the time; if I had done I would have been as much amused as angry, for it was like a foreing language to me then. But I understand it now, although half our modern generals don’t. They think their men are a different species still – fortunately a lot of ‘em are, but not in the way the generals think.

Flashman, pp.211 - 12, Pan edition, 12th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes.

Ten men's share

A lot has been said about the purchase of commissions - how the rich and incompetent can buy ahead of better men, how the poor and efficient are passed over - and most of it, in my experience, is rubbish. Even with purchase abolished, the rich rise faster in the Service than the poor, and they're both inefficient anyway, as a rule. I've seen ten men's share of service, through no fault of my own, and can say that most officers are bad, and the higher you go, the worse they get, myself included.

We were supposed to be rotten with incompetence in the Crimea for example, when purchase was at its height, but the bloody mess they made in South Africa recently seems to have been just as bad - and they didn't buy their commissions.



Flashman, p. 22, Pan edition, 12th printing, 1979.

Tags:
Flashman, officers.