At Twelve Mr. Byng Was Shot

A wonderfully compelling examination of the infamous episode immortalized by Voltaire in Candide. Admiral John Byng was shot on the deck of the HMS Monarch on March 14, 1757. His offense: following his superiors' orders. The British navy sent his poorly armed ship to fight the French, using outdated tactics. The offensive failed. Though Byng was cleared of cowardice, he received a death sentence for "error of judgment." He died...giving the signal to the firing squad for his own execution.

Synopsis

A wonderfully compelling examination of the infamous episode immortalized by Voltaire in Candide. Admiral John Byng was shot on the deck of the HMS Monarch on March 14, 1757. His offense: following his superiors’ orders. The British navy sent his poorly armed ship to fight the French, using outdated tactics. The offensive failed, and to cover up the failure, Byng was accused of cowardice. Though he was cleared of those charges, he received a death sentence for “error of judgment.” He died, giving the signal to the firing squad for his own execution.