Thirteen fascinating diverse case studies offer a unique and human take on military history and the figure of the military scapegoat

Beginning with defining the scapegoat and examining the conditions needed to qualify, this book then shares a history that is full of tales of those who have been wrongly castigated in the rush to find a culprit; only later, sometimes much later, when the real truth comes out, is the scapegoat exonerated. Exposed here, the real stories behind the myths that allow the reader to make a balanced judgment on history's fairness to the individual. From Admiral Byng, executed for "failing to do his utmost" in 1757, to General Elazar, held responsible for Israel's lack of preparation at the start of the Yom Kippur War, and General Dallaire, let down by the United Nations over the Rwanda massacres of 1994, these portraits of individuals unjustly accused span continents and centuries. This superbly researched book by a former professional soldier uncovers what might be termed the most disgraceful miscarriages of military justice.