The year is World War One, a war that has rinsed the culture with blood. Henry Carrington, the son of a British baron, finds that the war is all he can think about. And so he flees his comfortable life to earn his own chivalry, just like in all of the books he has read. He soon finds, though, that he is a relic in a modern world. The knights of yesterday are all forgotten. Instead, he finds himself fighting alongside the common: the stern professor, a seducer of powerful women, and a pickpocket, among others.

As the British army prepares for its fateful charge at the Battle of Somme, Henry strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fellow soldier named Noah. Born a Texan, Noah masquerades as a Canadian so that he can join the British army, all in the name of adventure. As the battle unfolds around them, Noah shows Henry how a little rebellion can be good for his spirit. No longer does he need to take orders from others, whether it is his father, his generals, his books, or even the love of his life. Now, although the shrapnel might try and tear him apart, Henry soon finds himself more whole than he could ever imagine.