THE UNITED STATES CAVALRY - An Illustrated History by Urwin, Gregory J.W

illustrated by Ernest Lisle Reedstrom New York 1985, Blandford, 3rd US printing, hard bound in dust jacket, 7x10, Fine / Fine condition 192 pages, massively illustrated in B&W and color. ................................................................. Immortalized by countless paintings, films and television dramas, the United States Cavalry is undoubtedly one of the world's most famous fighting forces - with a reputation as rich as Britain's Brigade of Guards or the French Foreign Legion.From the American War of Independence to the eve of the Second World War, the 'Pony Soldiers' occupied a prominent place in the military affairs of the growing republic. They formed the vanguard for the U.S. Army's century-long conquest of the North American continent, and although they earned numerous honors in their country's foreign and domestic conflicts, America's horse soldiers rendered their greatest service as explorers of the wilderness and guardians of the Western frontier. The names of their dashing leaders - Lee, Kearny, Dodge, Doniphan, Harney, Sumner, Sheridan, Custer, Merritt, Mackenzie, Wood, Wheeler, Pershing and Patton - are some of the brightest in American military history.The United States Cavalry - An Illustrated History vividly evokes the spirit of the U.S. Army's most renowned combat arm. The role that mounted troops played in America's wars and major campaigns is fully explained and analyzed. Battles on horseback are recreated with style and clarity. The shifting organization and tactics of the U.S. Cavalry are discussed at length, as is the character of the men who filled its ranks and the caliber of those who led them.This book captures both the look and swagger of the pony soldiers. Thirty-two color plates- each the product of thorough and original research - portray the uniforms, arms, accoutrements and horse equipments of the American cavalryman from 1776 to 1942. Here are the glamorous light dragoons of the War of Independence and War of 1812, the dust-covered Bluecoats of the Indian Fighting Army, the boyish cavaliers of the North and South, and Teddy Roosevelt's raucous Rough Riders-depicted as they actually appeared in garrison or in the field. Over 100 carefully selected black and white illustrations, with their detailed, authoritative captions, supplement the plates.