Harris J. The Gallant Six Hundred: A Tragedy of Obsessions

New York: Mason and Lipscomb, 1973. - 269 pgs. This account of the Charge of the Light Brigade examines the many conflicting themes accounting for the defeat of the British cavalry at Balaclava. The story is not just about the commanders, but also about the men who took part in the famous charge, and we see them not as drink-sodden, brutalized soldiers, but as intelligent, able, courageous men led by officers who were far from unpopular fools. Harris presents the argument that Lord Lucan was a far more able divisional commander than he has hitherto been shown, but was plagued by the obsessions of an over-cautious commander-in-chief and a petulant and unmanageable brigadier itching for glory.