Vicissitudes of War

France, September 1916. Newly promoted Lieutenant Malcolm MacPhail arrives near Albert as the Battle of the Somme continues to consume men and ammunition. Leaving the waterlogged trenches of the Ypres Salient has not brought relief: another assault is approaching and Malcolm has yet to prove that he can command soldiers under fire.

An old rival joins the battalion carrying knowledge of a secret that could destroy Malcolm's career and reputation. As the war moves from the Somme towards later fighting including Vimy Ridge, the pressure of command forces him to balance personal fear, military duty and the lives of men ordered into attacks where success is never guaranteed.