Reproduction of the original: The Cause of the Charge of Balaclava by Thomas Morley

This book revolves around an event known as 'Charge of the Light Brigade'. It was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to send the Light Brigade to prevent the Russians from removing captured guns from overrun Turkish positions, a task for which the light cavalry were well-suited. However, there was miscommunication in the chain of command and the Light Brigade was instead sent on a frontal assault against a different artillery battery, one well-prepared with excellent fields of defensive fire. The Light Brigade reached the battery under withering direct fire and scattered some of the gunners, but they were forced to retreat immediately, and the assault ended with very high British casualties and no decisive gains.

Balaclava 1854 examines in detail the crucial battle of Balaclava during The Crimean War. The port of Balaclava was crucial in maintaining the supply lines for the Allied siege of Sevastapol. The Russian attack in October 1854 therefore posed a major threat to the survival of the Allied cause. This book includes: the attack on the redoubts; the action of 'the thin red line' in which an assortment of about 700 British troops, some invalids, were abandoned by their Turkish allies; the subsequent charge of the Heavy Brigade; and the most famous part of the battle: the infamous charge of the Light Brigade.

Treasury of verse by the great Victorian poet, including the long narrative poem, Enoch Arden, plus "The Lady of Shalott," "The Charge of the Light Brigade," selections from The Princess, "Maud" and "The Brook," more.

First hand accounts of the men who took part in the heroic and tragic Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava on the 25th October 1854. Previously unpublished biographies of the men and photographs bring their stories to life. What became of our heroes? Some died penniless while others found fame and fortune. Set within an unrelenting and cruel military campaign, where many would perish, unravelling the myths to find many of the missing Chargers was a massive undertaking.

The Charge of the Light Brigade has passed into history as one of the most glorious - and costly - exploits in the annals of the horse soldier. The almost simultaneous victory of the Heavy Brigade has, therefore, been overshadowed by this event. This book describes the organization, tactical doctrine and exact strength of the British Cavalry in the Crimea, and the events of 25th October 1854.