George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser (1925-2008) was an English author renowned for his contributions to historical fiction, most notably through his series, the Flashman Papers. Born in Carlisle and educated at the Glasgow Academy, Fraser served as a lieutenant in the British Army post-World War II before embarking on a career in journalism, writing for several newspapers including the Carlisle Journal and Glasgow Herald. His Flashman Papers, beginning with "Flashman: From the Flashman Papers, 1839-1842" published in 1969, present a fictionalized account through the perspective of Harry Paget Flashman, a character originally from Thomas Hughes's "Tom Brown's Schooldays." Fraser's work is celebrated for its clever blend of humor and historical commentary, often challenging established narratives and providing insights into significant events in 19th-century history, such as the Sikh War and the American gold rush.
In addition to his novels, Fraser also made a mark in screenwriting, contributing to films like "The Three Musketeers" and "Octopussy." His literary accomplishments earned him several awards, reflecting both his narrative prowess and his ability to engage with complex themes surrounding human behavior and historical events. Fraser's unique approach and sharp observations have solidified his place as a notable figure in the landscape of historical fiction.
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George MacDonald Fraser
Writer
- Born: April 2, 1925
- Birthplace: Carlisle, England
- Died: January 2, 2008
- Place of death: England
Biography
George MacDonald Fraser was born in 1925 in Carlisle, England, and educated at the Glasgow Academy. He served in the British army as a lieutenant from 1943 until 1947. In 1949, he wed Kathleen Margarette Hetheringtom, and the couple later had a daughter. Fraser worked as a reporter for various newspapers, including the Carlisle Journal, Cumberland News, and Glasgow Herald.
Fraser contributed an impressive body of work to the genre of historical fiction in his series of novels, the Flashman Papers. Purportedly an extensive collection of memoirs, the Flashman Papers were published as the writings of one man, the late Harry Paget Flashman, whose writings were found during a furniture sale at Ashby, Leicestershire, England, in 1965. Fraser claimed these papers were the adult musings of the bully in Thomas Hughes’s Tom Brown’s Schooldays; he said he was instructed to edit the work, thus setting into motion a decades-long exploration of Flashman’s adventures. The first novel in the series, Flashman: From the Flashman Papers, 1839-1842 (1969), was so convincingly authentic that several critics assumed it was the real thing.
With his background as an historian, Fraser constructed a highly engaging and clever way by which the reader could learn important history lessons through the slightly skewed and comedic eyes of one man. The Flashman series is noteworthy for Fraser’s ability to take on other major literary works and demystify long held beliefs. For example, Fraser provides a pointed response to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, exploring the emotionally loaded issue of slavery by describing how Flashman, supposedly the quintessential English gentleman, finds himself sold into slavery.
In Flashman’s Lady: From the Flashman Papers, 1942-1845 (1978), Mr. American (1980), and his later Flashman novels, Fraser turns his attention to nineteenth century North American, Asian, and African history. In particular, he examines large events, like the Sikh war in the Punjab and the American gold rush, through the eyes of his picaresque everyman, Flashman. This character, like his creator, regards a sugarcoated depiction of history as a disservice to human courage and endurance. Many of Fraser’s novels have been hailed as nimble studies of the affectations of other authors and historians. His sharp observations about human behavior set against the ravages of historical discord make the Flashman Papers a truly remarkable literary experience.
In addition to his Flashman series, Fraser has written the screenplays for a diverse number of films, including The Three Musketeers (1973); Octopussy (1983), with Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson; and Red Sonja (1985), with Clive Exton. He also wrote The Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Rivers (1971), a study of Anglo-Scottish counties, noteworthy for its academic precision and liveliness. He has received the Screenwriters Guild Award, the Playboy Award, and the Arts Council Award.