Donald Featherstone is the author of more than 60 books on wargaming and military history. He has been described by James F. Dunnigan as one of the founding fathers of modern wargaming. This novel is a piece of military fiction describing the recruitment, training and experience of war for the typical Victorian cavalryman of the period. The characters in the novel are in many ways less important than the sheer amount of historical detail that has been captured by Donald Featherstone. The first half of the book is about recruitment and training. The second half of the book continues the story with an account of the campaign leading to the 1846 Battle of Aliwal in the First Sikh War. This book is not Flashman, Sharpe or even Hornblower. It contains less characterization and much more period detail. It opens a window on a piece of military history.