| Synopsis: |
This novel is a piece of military fiction describing the recruitment, training and experience of war for the typical Victorian cavalryman of the period. The characters in the novel are in many ways less important than the sheer amount of historical detail that has been captured by Donald Featherstone. The first half of the book is about recruitment and training; the wiles of the recruiting sergeant, enlistment, the barracks, the day to day routine, the catering, learning to ride and the rough justice of the barracks rooms. The second half of the book continues the story with an account of the campaign leading to the 1846 Battle of Aliwal in the First Sikh War. The description of the soldier's perspective of the campaign is in some ways timeless and many veterans would empathise with the experiences reported in the novel. This book is not Flashman, Sharpe or even Hornblower. It contains less characterization and much more period detail. It opens a window on a piece of military history. |