Using much previously untapped source material A Bearskin's Crimea is a blow-by-blow account of the Grenadier Guards' experiences in the Crimean War. The principal character, The Honorable Henry Percy, was present at all the major battles of that appalling conflict: The Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman and the Siege of Sebastopol. Percy was no ordinary commentator. As a regimental officer,he had led hsi men from the front and was wounded twice; he also had direct access to, and knowledge of, the allied commanders. His frank and fearless comments on their social and military atributes make for fascinating and revealing reading. He also throws light on the character and work of Florence Nightingale and her nurses based on his own wxperiences as a patient in Scutari Hospital and those of his brother who, as a Member of Parliment, was closely involved in advancing the cause of women's nursing. Percy may have been high-born but there is no denying that he was an exceptional officer and soldier whose courage at Inkerman - 'The Soldiers' Battle' - was recognized by the award of the newly instituted Victoria Cross. Indeed he was the War's highest ranking VC recipient. In between graphic accounts of bitter fighting and comeadeship under extremely harsh conditions this book contains details of family affairs in England which give a unique insight to attitudes on the home front at the time. The combination makes A Bearskin's Crimea as much a poignant human story as it is a superb narrative of the war. AUTHOR: Algernon Percy was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, when he gained an MA Hons in History. This book reflects his continued interest in nineteenth century history. He has dedicated A Bearskin's Crimeas to the memory of his uncle, the 9th Duke of Northumberland who, as a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards, was killed in Flanders in May 1940 in an act of bravery uncannily reminiscent of the charge that was led in 1584 by Henry Percy, the main character of this book. Algernon Percy lives in Northumberland and in London, where he works in finance. His other interests include salmon fishing, and he is a director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust. 36 b/w photos
