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Quick answer: If you loved Flashman, read George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman, then Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe's Rifles and The Last Kingdom, then Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, and C.S. Forester's Beat to Quarters and Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. All are bold, witty historical adventure.
George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman follows a cowardly bully through Victorian wars. It is funny, sharp and politically incorrect. These picks share its swagger and detail.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flashman | George MacDonald Fraser | Adult | comic military adventure |
| Sharpe's Rifles | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | historical soldiers |
| Master and Commander | Patrick O'Brian | Adult | readers who like naval fiction |
| Beat to Quarters | C.S. Forester | Adult | the inspiration |
| The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas | Adult | readers who want swashbuckling |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | Alexandre Dumas | Adult | readers who want a big epic |
| Lucky Jim | Kingsley Amis | Adult | academic comedy |
| Tom Jones | Henry Fielding | Adult | comic picaresque |
| The Thirty-Nine Steps | John Buchan | Adult | classic chases |
| The Day of the Jackal | Frederick Forsyth | Adult | readers who want a classic |
| Shōgun | James Clavell | Adult | readers who like long sagas |
| The Last Kingdom | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | readers who like action |
| Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson | 10+ | readers who want pure adventure |
| Mapp and Lucia | E.F. Benson | Adult | readers who like social comedy |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Adult | readers who like absurd comedy |
1. Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser
A Victorian cad and coward blunders into famous battles. Funny, rude and well researched.
Best for: comic military adventure.
2. Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell
Richard Sharpe fights in the Peninsular War. Fast and gritty.
Best for: historical soldiers.
3. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin sail in the Napoleonic wars. The first of a beloved series.
Best for: readers who like naval fiction.
4. Beat to Quarters by C.S. Forester
Captain Horatio Hornblower fights in the Napoleonic Wars. The model for Weber's heroine and a tight, classic adventure.
Best for: the inspiration.
5. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
D'Artagnan joins the king's musketeers in 17th-century France. Swordplay, loyalty and humor.
Best for: readers who want swashbuckling.
6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Edmond Dantès escapes prison and takes revenge in a long, thrilling saga. Perfect if you like big stories.
Best for: readers who want a big epic.
7. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
A junior lecturer blunders through life and a department. Biting and hilarious.
Best for: academic comedy.
8. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
A foundling's adventures across eighteenth-century England. Funny and sprawling.
Best for: comic picaresque.
9. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
A man on the run races across Scotland. Short, pioneering and quick.
Best for: classic chases.
10. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
An assassin plans to kill French President de Gaulle, and detectives race to stop him. A classic of the genre.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
11. Shōgun by James Clavell
An English pilot arrives in feudal Japan and gets caught in a power struggle among warlords. Epic in scale and detail.
Best for: readers who like long sagas.
12. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Uhtred, a Saxon boy raised by Danes, fights in the wars to create England under King Alfred. Fast battle scenes.
Best for: readers who like action.
13. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Jim Hawkins finds a treasure map and sails with Long John Silver. The pirate adventure that set the pattern.
Best for: readers who want pure adventure.
14. Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson
Two rivals in an English seaside town battle for social supremacy. Sharp, funny and cozy.
Best for: readers who like social comedy.
15. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Captain Yossarian, a bombardier in World War II, tries to survive a system that makes no sense. A satire of military logic.
Best for: readers who like absurd comedy.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Flashman: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Flashman. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For swashbuckling, read The Three Musketeers. For naval fiction, try Master and Commander. For comic classics, pick Lucky Jim or Tom Jones.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Flashman?
George MacDonald Fraser, in 1969.
Is Flashman a hero?
No, he is a cowardly anti-hero.
Is it suitable for all ages?
No, it contains adult content.
Which book here is best for readers who like absurd comedy?
Try Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, which suits readers looking for readers who like absurd comedy.
Which book here is best for readers who like social comedy?
Try Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson, which suits readers looking for readers who like social comedy.
Which book here is best for readers who want pure adventure?
Try Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, which suits readers looking for readers who want pure adventure.
Which book here is best for readers who like action?
Try The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, which suits readers looking for readers who like action.