Harry Paget Flashman

Harry Flashman, Sir Harry Flashman at the time he composes his memoirs and Lieutenant Flashman at the time of the story, is a man regarded as a hero but presents himself to us, the readers, as the greatest of cowards. At the time of the story in Flashman and the Mountain of Light, Flashman has already gained a great deal of fame. Most notable in the region of the world where this story takes place are his exploits during the Anglo-Afghan War. In that adventure Flashman is lauded as a hero when his acts of cowardice land him in unexpected circumstances.

Aside from his reputation as a hero and self-professed tendencies of cowardice, we can tell much about Flashman from his writing and from the way others react to him. From his writing we can tell that he is an educated man. In fact, the "editor...