THE DESTRUCTION OF LORD RAGLAN: A TRAGEDY OF THE CRIMEAN WAR 1854-55.

Harmondsworth: Viking, 1984. 337 pp, 8vo (8 3/4" H). B&w maps, photographs. "In March 1954 an army of 30,000 men sailed from Portsmouth to the Crimea to defend the crumbling Turkish empire against invasion by Russia. Led by Lord Raglan, a veteran of Waterloo but, after forty years, out of touch with the realities of warfare, they embarked for an unknown country to defend a cause few understood or even cared about. Nevertheless enthusiasm and confidence were high among the men of what 'The Times' described as 'the finest army that has ever left these shores'. The euphoria was short-lived and the campaign quickly degenerated into a series of humiliating military disasters caused largely by incompetence at the highest level, bitter personal rivalries among the divisional commanders, and criminal inadequacies of transport, clothing and medical supplies. A scapegoat had to be found if the British Government was to survive, and it was Lord Raglan who bore the brunt of the virulent anti-war campaign mounted by the newspapers. Misunderstood and maligned by his contemporaries, his reputation blackened for posterity, Lord Raglan died a broken man only weeks before the French finally defeated the Russians at Malakoff, with little help from their demoralized British allies. In this fair, scholarly and vividly written account of the confused tragedy of the Crimea, Christopher Hibbert has done much to redeem the reputation of a sensitive and courageous man who simply lacked the necessary qualities of leadership and intellect to extricate his army with honour from an ill-conceived and bloody campaign. Drawing on contemporary letters, papers, reports and diaries, the author strongly suggests that the chaos of the Crimea was the result, not of one man's neglect, but of a whole nation's folly." 2" split at top of gutter between index pages 336/337, one tiny corner bump. Dust jacket has very light edge wrinkling, light rubbing - mainly on rear panel, two wrinkles in laminate down front cover. . Hard Cover. Very Good+/Very Good.