Cavalry - The History of a Fighting Elite

Cavalry is a lavishly illustrated account of the rise and fall of an elite fighting force. For centuries the possession of weapons and a horse was a sign of nobility. From the relationship between warrior, horse and weapons grew the ideal of knighthood and the romantic image of the dashing cavalryman. Behind this familiar myth, however, lies a hard-edged reality. Cavalry were the shock troops of ancient and medieval warfare - a warrior on a horseback was, in general, more powerful, better armed and more manoeuvrable than a soldier on the ground. The possession of arms and a charger ensured the cavalryman his status, while the possession of cavalry ensured a ruler both spectacle and power. Cavalry describes the history of the soldier on horseback, from the early horse archers of the Middle East to the Italian mounted crossbowmen of the fifteenth century, and from the sixteenth-century Muscovite boyars to the 7th US Cavalry. An introductory account of the development of cavalry covers the history of its organization and tactics in different forces throughout the world, illustrated with 31 line drawings. Over 100 superb colour plates specially commissioned for this book, accurately depict representative cavalrymen whose actions shaped the political and military history of their day. Every picture is accompanied by a caption giving concise information about that particular type of cavalry - its history, tactics and battles as well as details of dress, weapons and armour. Those selected - the horse archers, knights, hussars, dragoons and lancers - range across 2,500 years of conflict and each one played a significant part in the cavalry's history and development.