What you're cheering for

‘I only wish,’ the General added. ‘that when it happens I could take all the asses who’ll be waving flags and cheering and crowding the recruitment office — take ’em all by one collective arm, and say: “Now then, Jack, you know what you’re cheering for? You’re cheering at the prospect of having a soft-nosed bullet fired into your pelvis, shattering the bone and spreading it in splinters all through your intestines, and dying in agony two days later — or, if you’re really unlucky, surviving for a lifetime of pain, unable to walk, a burden to everyone, and a dam’ nuisance to the country that will pay you a pension you can’t live off. That, Jack,” I’d tell ’em, “is what you’re cheering for.” I’d probably be locked up.’


Mr American, p.520, Pan Books, paperback edition 1982.


Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, cheering.

True words

     ‘One thing becomes clear,’ said Mr Franklin grimly, ‘and that is that every word she said about you is true.’
     ‘What, about being deceitful and dishonest and rotten to the core, you mean? Of course it’s true,’ said Sir Harry comfortably.


Mr American, p.438, Pan Books, paperback edition 1982.


Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, true.

Believe him

‘What did he tell you?’
       ‘Well,’ said Mr Franklin, searching for something that would bear repetition, ‘he did mention that he had been a peace officer in an American cattle-town, but I wasn’t entirely sure whether I should believe him.’
      ‘Oh, that’s true enough,’ said Fisher. ‘Anything he tells you is liable to be true — and the unlikelier it sounds the more true it probably is. He’s been everywhere, done everything — amazing old bird.’


Mr American, p.189, Pan Books, paperback edition 1982.



Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, amazing.

The Villain Still Pursued Her

Well, this was Act Two of “The Villain Still Pursued Her” with a vengeance, wasn’t it just? Not that I disbelieved it for an instant — show me melodrama, and I’ll show you truth, every time.


Flashman and the Tiger, p.295, Harper Collins, paperback edition 2000.


Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, melodrama.

Flashman and truthiness

      The fact is, some truths don’t matter.



Flashman and the Angel of the Lord, p.24, Harper Collins, 1995.



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True words

…the only fly in the ointment as I rolled down to Calcutta had been the discovery that during my absence from England some scribbling swine had published his reminiscences of Rugby School, with me as the villain of the piece. A vile volume entitled Tom Brown’s Schooldays, on every page of which the disgusting Flashy was to be found torturing fags, shirking, toadying, lying, whining for mercy, and boozing himself to disgraceful expulsion — every word of it true, and all the worse for that.


Flashman and the Angel of the Lord, p.23, Harper Collins, 1995.



Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, disgrace.

Truth from falsehood

The trouble with the political service, you know, is that they can’t tell truth from falsehood. Even members of Parliament know when they’re lying, which is most of the time, but folk like Broadfoot simply ain’t aware of their own prevarications. It’s all for the good of the service, you see, so it must be true — and that makes it uncommon hard for straightforward rascals like me when we’re being done browner than an ape’s behind.


Flashman and the Mountain of Light, p.166, Fontana Paperback edition, 1991.


Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, falsehood.

Silence and shrewdness

…silence frequently passes for shrewdness, and that while suppressio veri is a damned good servant, suggestio falsi is a perilous master, Selah.

Flashman and the Dragon, p.262, Fontana Paperback edition, 1986.



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False pretences

The truth is we all live under false pretences much of the time; you just have to put on a bold front and brazen it through.

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

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,false pretences.

The Flashman reputation

As so often in the past, I was the victim of my own glorious and entirely unearned reputation – Flashy, the hero of Jallalabad, the last man out of the Kabul retreat and the first man into the Balaclava battery, the beau sabreur of the Light Cavalry, Queen’s Medal, Thanks of Parliament, darling of the mob, with a liver as yellow as yesterday’s custard.

Flashman in the Great Game, p.36, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,reputation, beau sabreur.

As only a coward can

I detested her in that moment, as only a coward can when he hears the truth to his face.

Flashman at the Charge, p.283, Pan edition, 5th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,coward, detest.

Damned beyond doubt

I don’t hold with oaths, much, and I’m not by nature, a truthful man, but on the three occasions that I’ve sworn blood brotherhood it has seemed a more solemn thing than swearing on the Bible. Arnold was right; I’m damned beyond a doubt.

Flashman at the Charge, p.244, Pan edition, 5th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,blood brother, bible.

Flashman on swots

Pious, manly little villains of the type I used to oppress myself in happier days – Tom Brown could have made a football side out of ‘em, I don’t doubt, and had them crying ‘ Play up!’ and telling the truth fit to sicken you.

Royal Flash, p.151, Pan edition, 8th printing, 1978.

Tags:
Flashman, Flashman quotes,manly, villains.