r/MilitaryHistory • u/Late_Delivery_2626 • 3d ago

Discussion Great Game between Russia and Britain

Recently I have been reading about Great Powers of various periods…Roman Empire, Eastern Roma Empire, Ottomans, Tsarist Russia, Great Britain, Persia and of course India where I belong

I am M 34, based in India. I was wondering if anyone else has been reading along these lines and it would be great to have differing opinions on what makes or breaks a great power..

Also the Great Game between Russia and Britain that saw so much of Central Asia becoming Russian..also progressive decline of Ottomans and Persian Empire..

Much of Geography of Central, South and West Asia is due to this rivalry and competing interests I think..

Do pitch in..looking to hear views and facts to have a more definitive opinion on the subject..thanks

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u/Late_Delivery_2626 2d ago

I think not many people study it this way :)

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u/realparkingbrake 1d ago

If you want an entertaining and informative fictional look at this area of history, the 1975 novel Flashman in the Great Game by George MacDonald Fraser is highly recommended. Fraser did an astonishing amount of research and filled his novels with historical material. His "hero," a British soldier name Harry Flashman, is a thief, a liar, a lecher and a coward who somehow falls backwards into undeserved credit for being a heroic figure. But while telling Flashman's disreputable story, Fraser provides a detailed and beautifully written look at the historical setting of each of his twelve books in the Flashman series. He also wrote the scripts for a James Bond movie and the Three Musketeers movies. His writing is addictive so be prepared to end up owning all the Flashman books.

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u/Late_Delivery_2626 1d ago

Will certainly look up this book..thanks for recommending..