James Thomas Brudenall, Seventh Earl of Cardigan, was probably the most hated and adulated man of his time. Dragoon, hussar, huntsman, landholder, adulterer and duellist, he waited for almost sixty years for his moment of glory. When it came it took place in an obscure Crimean valley and lasted only twenty minutes - but the Charge of the Light Brigade was one of the defining moments of history, and as its leader Cardigan instantly became a national hero. Yet the Balaclava incident was merely one of several peaks in Cardigan's career, which included the most remarkable proceedings for divorce, criminal conversation, and criminal libel; one of the greatest court-martial scandals of the century; a very public and un-Victorian love affair with a woman less than half his age; and a number of 'matters of honour', one of which earned him the distinction of being the only Victorian peer to be tried by the House of Lords. Donald Thomas has scoured not only family papers but every significant newspaper of the times. Here he weaves it all together to give not only an astonishing biography, but also a gripping portrayal of the Crimean War and of 19th Century military society.