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 Honourable Henry Percy, a member of the Northumberland family, was present at all the major battles of that appalling conflict: The Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman and the Seige of Sebastopol. Percy was no ordinary soldier: not only was he a shrewd observer with a skilled pen but a thoroughly capable and courageous officer. This is borne out by his winning the Victoria Cross and his rapid promotion.