This book, written from the journals of Captain, later General, Mercer, kept while commanding the G Troop Royal Horse Artillary, gives a detailed account of the time. He is a skilled writer, provides lots of details which bring the work to life, and is individualistic enough to appeal to the modern reader. Some of the battle scenes, revealing the incredible suffering of men and horses are hard to read, but give a feel for the reality of war.
Here is a sample of his writing: ""19th, The cool air of the morning lasted not long; the rising sun soon burst in all his glory over our bloody bivouac, and all nature rose into renewed life, except the victims of ambition which lay unconscious of his presence. I had not been up many minutes when one of my seargents came up to ask if they might bury Driver Crammond. "And why particularily Driver Crammond?" "Because he looks frightful, sir, and many of us have not had a wink of sleep for him." Curious! I walked over to the spot where he lay and certainly a more frightful site cannot be imagined...""