Into the Valley of Death

The Charge of the Light Brigade and the Crimean War

By Gregory Blake

Published by Big Sky Publishing

RRP $29.99 in paperback | ISBN 9781923300262

‘Cannon to the right of them

Cannon to the left of them

Cannon in front of them

Volleyed and thundered

Stormed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell,

Rode the six hundred.’

— Extract from The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

 

Into the Valley of Death brings to life the story behind Tennyson’s immortal lines. In 1854, 670 British cavalrymen, following a disastrous command, charged into history’s most celebrated—and tragic—act of bravery.

The Crimean War marked a turning point in military history, introducing war photography, frontline journalism, and modern medicine. It was a time when outdated military strategy clashed with emerging technologies, leading to immense suffering for the common soldier. This book explores the battles, personalities, and technological shifts that transformed warfare.

Author Gregory Blake explores the causes of the war, the complex alliances, and the military culture that shaped the Charge of the Light Brigade. Through insights from noted historians, Into the Valley of Death sheds new light on the courage, chaos, and legacy of the Crimean War.

This book is part of Big Sky’s Shot of History series. The series is designed to transform complex events into easy-to-read narratives for the general reader.

Highly commended

Noted military historian Dr Tom Lewis, writing in Reconnaissance magazine, was full of praise for the book.

‘Despite it occurring over 150 years ago, the Charge of the Light Brigade has come through the years as a by-word for courage, yet military incompetence. This new work by Australian author Greg Blake will bring new readers to the story, but has something to offer for those familiar with the action too’

About the author

Gregory Blake was born in Melbourne in 1955. From a very early age, he developed a keen interest in military history and has written numerous articles on the subject, for publications in Australian, the UK and the US. Greg is a secondary school teacher and tutor at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Greg served with the Australian Army Reserve during the 1970s and 1980s. He is an accomplished artist and in addition to illustrations in this book, has contributed his talents to magazines and instructional texts both in Australia and overseas.