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Product Description
Captain Louis Nolan delivered the order that produced one of the most famous blunders in all military history - the Charge of the Light Brigade. Nolan's conduct and the Charge itself have been the subject of intense, sometimes bitter debate ever since. Yet there has been no recent biography of Nolan. He remains an ambiguous, controversial figure to this day. In this fresh and perceptive study, David Buttery attempts to set the record straight. He reassesses the man and looks at his military career, for there was much more to Louis Nolan than his fatal role in the Charge. This sympathetic account of his life throws new light on the Victorian army and its officer class, and on the conduct of the war in the Crimea. It also offers the reader an inside view of the most notorious episode of that war, the Charge at Balaklava on 25 October 1854.
Book Description
Captain Louis Nolan delivered the order that started one of the most famous blunders in all military history - the Charge of the Light Brigade. Nolan's conduct and the Charge itself have been the subject of intense, sometimes bitter debate ever since. To some he is a hero who died in the act of trying to correct the terrible mistake. Others believe that he was the cause of the calamity - accusing him of sending the Light Brigade to its doom. Yet there has been no recent biography of Nolan. He remains an ambiguous, controversial figure to this day.
In this fresh and perceptive study David Buttery reassesses Nolan the man and looks at his entire career. There was much more to Louis Nolan than his fatal role in the Charge, and his background, his character and his contribution to the army of his day have been obscured and sometimes distorted.
David Buttery's sympathetic account of the life of this misunderstood, sometimes maligned soldier throws new light on the Victorian army and its officer class, and on the conduct of the war in the Crimea. And it offers the reader an inside view of the most notorious episode of that war, the Charge at Balaklava on 25 October 1854.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mr Buttery's new book on the life of Louis Nolan is a must for all Crimean War or 19th Century British Army enthusiasts.
Nolan is a complex and (thanks to his role in the Charge of the Light Brigade, plus later portrayals in film and fiction) semi-mythical figured, obscured by the controversy that surrounds his last moments. One biography, published by Moyle Bartlett back in the 1970's, in part remedied this, but there is still a veil drawn over the life of this man, even to the extent that few will agree what nationality he was.
Mr Buttery throws open the curtains on Nolan's life. He looks at his early years, and his time in the Austrian Army, where he cut his military teeth, as well as his books about military equestrianism. His role in the Crimea was not simply restricted to carrying the order that launched the Light Brigade on its ill-fated Charge, either. Mr Buttery examines Nolan's astonishing travels through Syria buying horses for the Army, and later his service as a galloper for the Quarter-Master General.
Of course the Charge itself receives a lot of attention. Mr Buttery talks us through the events leading up to the Charge, through the event, and then delves in to the controversies, scape-goating and politicking that followed. His close and well argued text takes us through the different arguments and theories in a balanced and logical way before coming to his own conclusion.
As a biography of a fascinating man, this book is a great read. As an expose of the life and actions of a controversial and pivotal man, this book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the Charge, the Crimea, or the British Army. I am more of the latter than either of the former, and picked the book up only because Nolan is a person who everyone seems to know of, but no-one really knows anything about. I found it fascinating, well-written, very well researched (Mr Buttery uses a surprising number of new sources), and a book I would recommend unreservedly.
Nolan is a complex and (thanks to his role in the Charge of the Light Brigade, plus later portrayals in film and fiction) semi-mythical figured, obscured by the controversy that surrounds his last moments. One biography, published by Moyle Bartlett back in the 1970's, in part remedied this, but there is still a veil drawn over the life of this man, even to the extent that few will agree what nationality he was.
Mr Buttery throws open the curtains on Nolan's life. He looks at his early years, and his time in the Austrian Army, where he cut his military teeth, as well as his books about military equestrianism. His role in the Crimea was not simply restricted to carrying the order that launched the Light Brigade on its ill-fated Charge, either. Mr Buttery examines Nolan's astonishing travels through Syria buying horses for the Army, and later his service as a galloper for the Quarter-Master General.
Of course the Charge itself receives a lot of attention. Mr Buttery talks us through the events leading up to the Charge, through the event, and then delves in to the controversies, scape-goating and politicking that followed. His close and well argued text takes us through the different arguments and theories in a balanced and logical way before coming to his own conclusion.
As a biography of a fascinating man, this book is a great read. As an expose of the life and actions of a controversial and pivotal man, this book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the Charge, the Crimea, or the British Army. I am more of the latter than either of the former, and picked the book up only because Nolan is a person who everyone seems to know of, but no-one really knows anything about. I found it fascinating, well-written, very well researched (Mr Buttery uses a surprising number of new sources), and a book I would recommend unreservedly.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is the first full biography of Louis Nolan - one of the foremost 19C writers on cavalry - in almost 40 years. Moyse-Bartlett's 1970 biography is long out-of-print, so it is a real pleasure to see a new book appear about him. In the intervening years, he has been scapegoated again (by Harris and Adkin, among others) over the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava, so David Buttery's detailed and sympathetic portrayal of him is particularly welcome to his admirers. (I admit to having been one of them for at least 30 years, since reading his obituary in an old volume of the 'Illustrated London News' when I was a teenager.)
While any biography of Louis Nolan must inevitably culminate in the tragedy of the Charge, with an analysis of what he may have been doing when he was killed, Buttery rightly emphasises that there was far more to his life and career than its dramatic end at only thirty-six. Indeed, this publication complements perfectly the republishing of Louis's own masterwork Cavalry: Its History and Tactics.
Louis Nolan was a remarkable man and a worthy subject of biography before Balaklava. The biography depicts his colourful family background: the ambitious father, the orphan son of an Irish trooper, inclined to inflate his own rank when in consular service in Italy; the older, twice-widowed English mother who already had a string of children from her two previous marriages to wealthy Scotsmen; his upbringing in Canada, Scotland and Italy. Louis's military career began in the Austrian service, with professional training that informed his own later thoughts and writings on military equitation and cavalry. Buttery also explores his travels in Europe and India, and his study of international cavalry. His well-researched and influential books are given the credit they deserve, with extensive quotations. A number of illustrations from 'The Training of Cavalry Remount Horses' (which may depict the author himself) are reproduced.
Buttery has made excellent use of sources which were unavailable to Moyse-Bartlett, such as Austrian military records and Louis's own Crimean campaign journal, which was feared lost for over a century. The only gaps stem from the nature of the sources themselves: Louis seems to have left little in the way of personal correspondence, so we see him primarily in his professional role. There are only occasional glimpses of him off-duty from friends such as fellow horse-enthusiast Fanny Duberly. He keeps us at arm's length, still the rather aloof, aquiline-profiled figure of the equestrian portrait which is described but not shown. (I should have welcomed more illustrations, but, from my own experience, appreciate that there are often publishing cost factors involved.)
I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in military history or in horsemanship. It is a concise and highly readable introduction to one of the 19C's most under-appreciated military writers, a fine cavalry historian himself. Indeed, I hope that it will encourage any reader to read Louis's own works.
While any biography of Louis Nolan must inevitably culminate in the tragedy of the Charge, with an analysis of what he may have been doing when he was killed, Buttery rightly emphasises that there was far more to his life and career than its dramatic end at only thirty-six. Indeed, this publication complements perfectly the republishing of Louis's own masterwork Cavalry: Its History and Tactics.
Louis Nolan was a remarkable man and a worthy subject of biography before Balaklava. The biography depicts his colourful family background: the ambitious father, the orphan son of an Irish trooper, inclined to inflate his own rank when in consular service in Italy; the older, twice-widowed English mother who already had a string of children from her two previous marriages to wealthy Scotsmen; his upbringing in Canada, Scotland and Italy. Louis's military career began in the Austrian service, with professional training that informed his own later thoughts and writings on military equitation and cavalry. Buttery also explores his travels in Europe and India, and his study of international cavalry. His well-researched and influential books are given the credit they deserve, with extensive quotations. A number of illustrations from 'The Training of Cavalry Remount Horses' (which may depict the author himself) are reproduced.
Buttery has made excellent use of sources which were unavailable to Moyse-Bartlett, such as Austrian military records and Louis's own Crimean campaign journal, which was feared lost for over a century. The only gaps stem from the nature of the sources themselves: Louis seems to have left little in the way of personal correspondence, so we see him primarily in his professional role. There are only occasional glimpses of him off-duty from friends such as fellow horse-enthusiast Fanny Duberly. He keeps us at arm's length, still the rather aloof, aquiline-profiled figure of the equestrian portrait which is described but not shown. (I should have welcomed more illustrations, but, from my own experience, appreciate that there are often publishing cost factors involved.)
I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in military history or in horsemanship. It is a concise and highly readable introduction to one of the 19C's most under-appreciated military writers, a fine cavalry historian himself. Indeed, I hope that it will encourage any reader to read Louis's own works.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
well-written history
12 Nov 2008
Format:Hardcover
There are two books about the Charge of the Light Brigade that I reread with pleasure every couple of years: they have created a lifelong interest in the event, very much like Ernle Bradford's superb The Great Siege kindling my lasting interest in the Siege of Malta. The first and most obvious is, of course, Cecil Woodham-Smith's wonderful The Reason Why, which is one of the most enjoyable historical works ever. The Reason Why delves into the personalities--Louis Nolan, Cardigan, Raglan, and Lucan--and presents fascinating portraits of these men. The other book is fiction--George MacDonald Fraser's novel Flashman at the Charge, which, though fiction, gives you a great view of the same foursome and provides entertainment galore.
So I'm always happy to see a new book about the Charge. Messenger of Death is primarily about Nolan--his life, background, personality. It doesn't spend as much time as the two previously-mentioned books about the other characters, although it does give good portraits of them. Cardigan, by the way, appears frequently and almost always unflatteringly in Fraser's novels. Buttery, unlike Woodham-Smith and Fraser, doesn't present the salacious scandals that bedeviled Cardigan. These tales may not be directly relevent to the Charge, but they do help one understand the character of that man--and the tales are fun!
What you get here is an analysis of the responsibilities for the Charge--what went wrong, and the possible causes. There is still argument today, 150 years later--many details are ambiguous and there are disagreements aplenty. You'll find lots of details here, and a closer look at Nolan than in other histories. So if you are like I am, a fan of the story and its mystery, Messenger of Death will make a good addition to your library.
So I'm always happy to see a new book about the Charge. Messenger of Death is primarily about Nolan--his life, background, personality. It doesn't spend as much time as the two previously-mentioned books about the other characters, although it does give good portraits of them. Cardigan, by the way, appears frequently and almost always unflatteringly in Fraser's novels. Buttery, unlike Woodham-Smith and Fraser, doesn't present the salacious scandals that bedeviled Cardigan. These tales may not be directly relevent to the Charge, but they do help one understand the character of that man--and the tales are fun!
What you get here is an analysis of the responsibilities for the Charge--what went wrong, and the possible causes. There is still argument today, 150 years later--many details are ambiguous and there are disagreements aplenty. You'll find lots of details here, and a closer look at Nolan than in other histories. So if you are like I am, a fan of the story and its mystery, Messenger of Death will make a good addition to your library.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
messenger mystery illuminated
29 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover
Those of us familiar with the Crimean War of 1854-1856, will immediately focus on the Charge of the Light Brigade, which took place during the Battle of Balaclava. Led by Lord Cardigan in a mistaken attempt to attack Russian artillery, between 658 and 690 officers and men began the charge. Less than 200 mounted men reported to roll call at the end of that day, October 25, 1854. The reason for this bloody, senseless action has been debated ever since the order were delivered by the subject of this book, Captain Louis Nolan of the 15th Hussars.
Nolan has either been hailed as a hero who died in the act of trying to correct a terrible mistake or a reckless fool who sent the Light Brigade to their doom. In this, the first full biography of Nolan, David Buttery reassesses the man, his background and training, his character and his contributions to the army in the use of the cavalry. The author looks at Nolan's entire career, not just his fatal role in the Charge.
In addition to new insights on Nolan, the author also sheds new light on the Victorian Army, its officer class and on the conduct of the war itself, which was fraught with poor planning, commanding officers way past their prime, an inept supply system and a tragically inadequate medical corps.
This is a sympathetic biography of Nolan but one that is filled with new information of a professional officer not quite so typical of his time and class.
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Nolan has either been hailed as a hero who died in the act of trying to correct a terrible mistake or a reckless fool who sent the Light Brigade to their doom. In this, the first full biography of Nolan, David Buttery reassesses the man, his background and training, his character and his contributions to the army in the use of the cavalry. The author looks at Nolan's entire career, not just his fatal role in the Charge.
In addition to new insights on Nolan, the author also sheds new light on the Victorian Army, its officer class and on the conduct of the war itself, which was fraught with poor planning, commanding officers way past their prime, an inept supply system and a tragically inadequate medical corps.
This is a sympathetic biography of Nolan but one that is filled with new information of a professional officer not quite so typical of his time and class.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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