Edited by Lt. Colonel James Lawford. (30.8 x 21.3 ems; 176 pages; 26 colour and 200 black-and-white photographs and 20 maps. Sampson Low - £ 6.95p). Having accustomed us to sumptuous military books with ' their "BATTLES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION" by Curt Johnson, these publishers have repeated their high standard of presentation with this fine book which, as the title page states, discusses the "techniques and triumphs of the military horseman: the stories of the great cavalry regiments, their commanders, their celebrated actions." The editor James Lawford, a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and a military author of some note, is also a subscriber to Wargamer's Newsletter and a wargamer of long-standing. In the editorial team he assembled are such other well known names as Brigadier Peter Young, an outstanding soldier of World War II and the founder of the Sealed Knot; R.A.Crosbie-Weston, a Lecturer and military historian; Curt Johnson American historian and lecturer and well known for his recent book on the American Revolution; Dr. T.A.Heathcote, Curator of the Sandhurst India Collection; Lt.-Col. Alan Shepperd who has written some fine military books including "The Italian Campaign 1943-45" and the well known David Chandler, deputy head of the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and an authority and writer on Napoleon and Marlborough. In two parts, the first section of this book deals with "Horses and Riders" and provides documented details of the cavalry charger and mounted soldier, their training, fighting formations, equipment, training, etc. Part 2 is "The Story of the Cavalry" and consists of fifteen chapters that trace and assess the performance of cavalry from the time of the Assyrians up to the end of World War I. This section includes such stimulating titles as The Huns and The Mongols, The Decline of the Knight, The Thirty Years War, The English Civil War, The Age of Frederick the Great, The Napoleonic Wars, Colonial Cavalry, U.S. Cavalry and the Civil War, The Twilight of the Cavalry, etc., etc. Profusely illustrated with many familiar plates, the book is a mine of information and every page is not only highly readable but almost essential reading if the wargamer is to accurately represent the mounted arm in his table-top battles. This is a facet of our hobby which few wargamers handle competently, using cavalry either timidly or extravagantly according to their temperament, beliefs and interpretation,of history and perpetrating many anachronisms so that only the finer points of cavalry emerge whilst their limitations (such as getting out of hand, failures when used underunsuitWle conditions, etc., etc.) are covered up. If the wargamer reads this book and truly follows its historical precepts so that his cavalry actions are simulated in an authentic and realistic manner then so far as our hobby is concerned, the book has fulfilled its aim. If you just want a good military historical "read" then this is a book you will like and return to frequently besides being highly decorative on your shelves or nearby coffee table! More Book Reviews Handbook for Colonial Wargamers The Cavalry The Battle of Blenheim Oared Fighting Ships Wargames Through the Ages Vol. 4 1861-1945 Before Endeavors Fade: A Guide to the Battlefields of the First World War With the Boers in the Transvaal and Orange Free State 1880-81 Back to Table of Contents -- Wargamer's Newsletter # 175 To Wargamer's Newsletter List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1976 by Donald Featherstone. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com