Cavalry from Hoof to Track

by Roman Jarymowycz

Overview

• History of cavalry from horses to tanks and helicopters
• Sweeping narrative covers the ancient world, the Mongol hordes, medieval knights, the Napoleonic era, the Charge of the Light Brigade, the American Civil War, World Wars I and II, and more

Cavalry from Hoof to Track traces the evolution of the cavalry and demonstrates how its survival is a history of creative responses to the changing dynamics of modern warfare.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811735773
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	10/09/2009
Series:	Stackpole Military History Series
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Roman Jarymowycz, a retired Canadian Army officer, holds a PhD in military history and has taught at the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College and the Royal Military College of Canada. He lives in Canada.

Table of Contents

Foreword General Donn A. Starry vii

Preface xiii

1 Cavalry and the Operational Art l

2 The Classical Horse 8

3 The West in Decline: Mongol Cavalry 22

4 The Medieval Cavalry 34

5 Into the Aufklarung: Cavalry and the Lace Wars 55

6 Napoleonics, Part I: Cavalry Becomes an Operational Arm 72

7 Napoleonics, Part II: Ulm to Waterloo 78

8 The Industrialized Warhorse: From Balaclava to Gettysburg 92

9 The Warhorse versus Technology: From Mars-La-Tour to Little Bighorn: From the Sudan to Manchuria 107

10 Cavalry in the Great War, Part I: The Golden Summer 123

11 Cavalry in the Great War, Part II: Tactical Stalemate and Quest for Breakthrough 144

12 Mechanization and the Cavalry: Toward an Epiphanic Moment 153

13 Cavalry in the Second World War, Part I: The American Apocalypse 176

14 Cavalry in the Second World War, Part II: The Horse within Blitzkrieg 184

15 Cavalry in the Second World War, Part III: The Russian Warhorse and the Tank 193

16 Cold Warhorse: Pegasus ex Machina 197

17 The Warhorse in the New Millennium: Hoofed and Tracked 210

18 The Deliquescence of the Cavalry 220

Notes 229

Index 267

What People are Saying About This

Brigadier General (ret.) Huba Wass de Czege

"Roman Jarymowycz has written an eloquent and insightful grand sweep of the entire cavalry saga, as he says, From Hoof to Track. He artfully describes the long and romantic ride of the horse warrior through history, and as a descendent of many generations of Hungarian Hussars I appreciate that. But as a contemporary professional, I appreciate even more the way he captures, as few historians have, the operational role of cavalry through the ages and into the future. As he explains, cavalry is more than a mere state of mind, it is the enabler of operational art and operational level maneuver. At each technical revolution it takes some time to refine the means and methods, and he describes these struggles well. When the 21st century Cavalry takes shape we will all recognize it for what it is. The horse may be gone but the function persists."

Rob Citino

"There is no one quite like Roman Jarymowycz, a modern scholar, raconteur extraordinaire, and 18th century hussar all rolled into one high-energy package. Cavalry from Hoof to Track will thrill aficionados of the horse arm, as well as their modern descendants in helicopter and tank. The scope is epic, from Macedon to the M-1, Bucephalus to Basra, and the author's inimitable style rarely fails to delight."

Terry Copp

"In this engaging study, Jarymowycz demonstrates that cavalry really is a state of mind. He convincingly links the warhorse of the classical and medieval eras with the cavalry regiments of Desert Storm. A great read full of ideas worth pondering."

J.L. Granatstein

"Written with all the elan of a charge by Curassiers, Roman Jarymowycz's masterful study of the history of cavalry is based on deep research. For all the author's learning, his volume is great fun to read as it leads one to ponder what might have been and still is."

Editorial Reviews

Public libraries/general collections.” —Choice

“The cavalry and its doctrine are misunderstood, and its tactics and operations remain a mystery for many civilians. New technology and the increased integration of the armed forces have created the illusion that the cavalry no longer exists as a distinct military entity and philosophy. Jarymowyez clarifies these misconceptions by offering a comprehensible overview, while explaining military terminology and outlining basic cavalry principles. This well written and timely book concludes by suggesting ways in which the cavalry will continue to evolve in response to contemporary Fourth Generation conflicts, perhaps even reverting to its original, tactical role of close-quarter combat.” —Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard

From the Publisher