Hell's mile

Using survivors' own accounts, Terry Brighton gives voice to the men who rode down the 'Valley of Death' at Balaklava with the Light Brigade.

Tennyson named it the 'Valley of Death'. The men of the Light Brigade called it 'Hell'.

On 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War, the Light Brigade made the most daring charge in military history. Over 600 men armed with sabre and lance charged straight at the muzzles of Russian cannons.

In the slaughter that followed, many fell to round shot and shell fired from the front and both sides. Those who survived took a terrible revenge on the enemy.

In this talk, Terry Brighton reveals the horrific truth about the charge and the bloody melee that followed. He uses descriptions from survivors' written accounts to shatter many popular myths about what happened and why, and names the officer blamed for the blunder.

His most remarkable conclusion is that, far from being a miserable failure, the charge must be considered an astonishing success.