1. A Close Run Thing
Waterloo, June 1815. Cornet Matthew Hervey of the 6th Light Dragoons enters the campaign as a conscientious junior officer still learning how duty, patronage and battlefield confusion shape a cavalryman’s prospects. As Napoleon’s return forces Europe into one final confrontation, Hervey must carry orders, preserve his…
2. The Nizam’s Daughters
India, 1816. Fresh from Waterloo and separated from Lady Henrietta Lindsey, Hervey is dispatched on a confidential mission to the princely state of Chintal. A disputed succession, court factions and pressure from neighbouring powers turn what appears to be diplomatic duty into a test of intelligence…
3. A Regimental Affair
Canada, 1817. The 6th Light Dragoons return to peacetime routine under a wealthy commanding officer whose vanity and cruelty threaten the regiment’s cohesion. Hervey must defend the standards of his profession without sacrificing promotion, while the loyalty of officers and men is tested by patronage, punishment…
4. A Call to Arms
India, 1819. Hervey is ordered to raise and equip a new troop, secure transport for men and horses, and take it to India. The work exposes the practical foundations of cavalry service: recruitment, training, remounts, shipping and the discipline needed to turn a newly assembled unit…
5. The Sabre’s Edge
India, 1824. Hervey and the 6th Light Dragoons are drawn into the campaign against Durjan Sal, who has seized power in Bharatpur and taken refuge behind the formidable defences of Bhurtpore. Its deep ditch, massive walls and reputation for defeating earlier British assaults make the fortress…
6. Rumours of War
Portugal, 1826. Newly returned from India, Hervey joins a British military mission sent to support the Portuguese regency during the succession crisis following João VI’s death. Court politics, constitutional rivalry and the threat of armed intervention suggest that Portugal may again become a European battleground. The…
7. An Act of Courage
Badajoz, Christmas 1826. Imprisoned by the Spanish inside the fortress, Hervey plans an escape while uncertainty about his friends and regiment leaves him dependent on unexpected assistance. Confinement turns his attention towards the earlier campaign that formed him as a soldier. His memories return to the…
8. Company of Spears
Southern Africa, 1827. Seeking a new command, Hervey travels to the Cape Colony to reorganise local mounted forces and form a company capable of operating across long distances. He must combine regular cavalry methods with the experience of African soldiers and officers whose knowledge of terrain…
9. Man of War
1827. Captain Sir Laughton Peto sails towards the eastern Mediterranean with the British fleet as Britain, France and Russia attempt to restrain Ottoman and Egyptian operations against the Greek revolt. The convergence of the allied squadrons at Navarino Bay places his ship on the edge of…
10. Warrior
Southern Africa, 1828. Reports that Shaka is preparing another campaign bring Hervey back to the Cape and north towards the Zulu kingdom with a small escort of dragoons and mounted rifles. At the royal kraal he finds a society under severe strain, where military mobilisation, royal…
11. On His Majesty’s Service
January 1829. Army reductions threaten the future of the 6th Light Dragoons, leaving Hervey’s plans for command and promotion in doubt. He accepts a temporary appointment as a British observer with the Imperial Russian Army and travels through St Petersburg to the Balkan theatre. The assignment…
12. Words of Command
January 1830. Returning from the Russo-Turkish War, Lieutenant-Colonel Hervey takes command of the 6th Light Dragoons as Wellington’s government faces rural disorder and growing demands for parliamentary reform. Regimental administration, promotion disputes and incendiary attacks show how domestic unrest can become a military responsibility. The regiment…
13. The Passage to India
1831. Hervey is ordered to restore order during the Bristol riots, one of the most destructive confrontations surrounding the Reform Bill crisis. His conduct leaves him politically exposed when the government and army dispute how force should be used against civilians. A new opportunity takes the…
14. The Tigress of Mysore
After the Coorg campaign, Hervey expects a period of recovery for his regiment and family. Instead, the governor-general asks him to lead a mobile force against Thuggee and dacoit networks whose raids threaten travellers, allied rulers and East India Company authority across southern and central India.…