Explanatory Note and Chapters 1 & 2 (pages 6-35 and endnotes) Summary

Flashman and the Mountain of Light is another installment in the ongoing adventures of Harry Flashman, a hero by reputation and incorrigible rogue by nature. Flashman tells us about being sent to Punjab as a spy on the eve of a war between the Sikh army and the British East India Company. In order to complete his mission, he must survive encounters with renowned fighters and women with insatiable appetites.

In the Explanatory Note, the "editor" explains where Flashman and the Mountain of Light fits in with the rest of the Flashman papers. The editor says his main concern is verifying that the claims in Flashman's memoir are compatible with known historical facts.

Chapter 1 of the novel opens with Flashman and his wife, Elspeth, meeting with Queen Victoria. They...