What caused the Indian Mutiny - the insurrection which was the watershed of the British Empire? Flashman, in his role as secret agent extraordinary, saw far more of the Great Mutiny than he wanted to - Russian spies in Queen Victoria's drawing room, Palmerston's secret cabinet, the first explosion of revolt, the heroic defence of the bullet-swept barricade at Cawnpore, the vital message out of Lucknow How he survived his adventures and inevitable flights from thugs and Tsarist agents, Eastern beauties and Cabinet ministers, and kept his skin intact is a mystery!