This work investigates the systemic failures of the British military command during the Crimean War and the subsequent political scapegoating of Lord Raglan. Christopher Hibbert, a noted historian, utilizes primary source documents and contemporary accounts to reconstruct the logistical and leadership crises that plagued the campaign. The text argues that the disaster was a result of institutional incompetence and internal rivalries rather than the sole failure of its commander.

Historians frequently cite this text as a definitive account of the administrative and personal failures that defined the British experience in the Crimea. Readers often note the author's ability to balance meticulous research with a clear, narrative-driven prose style.