Riders of the Apocalypse: German Cavalry and Modern Warfare,

[Kentucky Horseman]

Has anyone read or heard of this book before, I saw it on Amazon and was wondering if it was any good or not? http://www.amazon.com/Riders-Apocalypse ... 549&sr=1-5

[BobH]

That Amazon link looks like it's a pre-release notice, for 15 May publication. Looks interesting.
The Amazon write-up attributes to Dorondo a claim that logistics failures (among other things) in mechanized arms forced continued reliance on mounted units throughout the war, and that seems to track with everything else I've read. I have Piekalkiewicz's "Cavalry of World War II" which has several letters (and translations) written by German troopers. Some of those letters relate that mounted units were expected to be able to make the same distances and be combat ready as the mech units; the troopers clearly saw the folly of that.

I'll add Dorondo to my wish list.

Bob Hillery
Stratham, NH

[mhminor]

Try these as well:
The Cavalry of the Wehrmacht 1941-1945: (Schiffer Military History)
Horses of the German Army in World War II (Schiffer Military History Book)
Axis Cavalry in World War II (Men-at-Arms)
Cavalry Divisions of the Waffen-SS
Riding East: The SS Cavalry Brigade in Poland and Russia 1939-1942

An internet link will take you to a transcription of GERMAN HORSE CAVALRY AND TRANSPORT
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/germ ... index.html
a summary of the use of horses by Germany.

I have all the books and can highly recomend them if you are truly interested in German Cavalry. There are others if you look carefully. Try the Amazon UK link for your research. Horses were used as recon, and extensively for hauling freight. According to some sources, over 70% of the army's supplies were hauled by horses.

The book you mention looks like an interpretation of German equestrian battle tactics. I recomend reading some of the books I mentioned first, for background. The Germans used horses because they had to, not because they wanted to. However, in typical Tuetonic fashion, they excelled.

[Pat Holscher]

We received a communication from the author:

Dear Mr. Holscher,

CuChullaine O’ Reilly very graciously suggested that I might make you aware of my new book published by the Naval Institute Press, Riders of the Apocalypse: German Cavalry and Modern Warfare, 1870-1945 . I have appended a copy of the cover-illustration in the attachment-line.

Though I write in great haste this afternoon, I do hope that you and the members of the Society of the Military Horse might find it of interest.

With kind regards,

D. R. Dorondo, Obl.S.B., D.Phil.
Associate Professor
Department of History
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723

Tel: 828-227-3908

Here's the cover:



The cover illustration is a classic photograph of a WWI Lancer. We have it up on the general forum in some topic. Quite the photo.

[stablesgt]

I just received the book this week. Have only glanced at three pages where the author puts to rest the myth of Polish cavalry charging German tanks. To quote the guy at the induction center upon receiving his copy of a Gideon Bible: "It ain't got no pictures!".

[Kentucky Horseman]

Try these as well:
The Cavalry of the Wehrmacht 1941-1945: (Schiffer Military History)
Horses of the German Army in World War II (Schiffer Military History Book)
Axis Cavalry in World War II (Men-at-Arms)
Cavalry Divisions of the Waffen-SS
Riding East: The SS Cavalry Brigade in Poland and Russia 1939-1942

An internet link will take you to a transcription of GERMAN HORSE CAVALRY AND TRANSPORT
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/germ ... index.html
a summary of the use of horses by Germany.

I have all the books and can highly recomend them if you are truly interested in German Cavalry. There are others if you look carefully. Try the Amazon UK link for your research. Horses were used as recon, and extensively for hauling freight. According to some sources, over 70% of the army's supplies were hauled by horses.

The book you mention looks like an interpretation of German equestrian battle tactics. I recomend reading some of the books I mentioned first, for background. The Germans used horses because they had to, not because they wanted to. However, in typical Tuetonic fashion, they excelled.

Thank you for those suggestions and I have already have copies of Riding East and The Cavalry of the Wehrmacht. I am highly interested in how they used their horse soldiers, and I wonder how much of the book is pre World War One.

[Pat Holscher]

Try these as well:
The Cavalry of the Wehrmacht 1941-1945: (Schiffer Military History)
Horses of the German Army in World War II (Schiffer Military History Book)
Axis Cavalry in World War II (Men-at-Arms)
Cavalry Divisions of the Waffen-SS
Riding East: The SS Cavalry Brigade in Poland and Russia 1939-1942

An internet link will take you to a transcription of GERMAN HORSE CAVALRY AND TRANSPORT
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/germ ... index.html
a summary of the use of horses by Germany.

I have all the books and can highly recomend them if you are truly interested in German Cavalry. There are others if you look carefully. Try the Amazon UK link for your research. Horses were used as recon, and extensively for hauling freight. According to some sources, over 70% of the army's supplies were hauled by horses.

The book you mention looks like an interpretation of German equestrian battle tactics. I recomend reading some of the books I mentioned first, for background. The Germans used horses because they had to, not because they wanted to. However, in typical Tuetonic fashion, they excelled.

Thank you for those suggestions and I have already have copies of Riding East and The Cavalry of the Wehrmacht. I am highly interested in how they used their horse soldiers, and I wonder how much of the book is pre World War One.

Angelsey gives a bit of a discussion on German cavalry pre and during WWI in his book on British cavalry, as the German and French use of it was already considerably different from British use. The British retained large formations throughout the war, whereas the French and Germans went to small formations generally attached to larger units. In that sense, the Germans repeated that conversion process to some extent in WWII.

Anyhow, this book, based on the title, would cover the Franco Prussian War, WWI and WWII, as well as, presumably, the large interwar periods. Having said that, I haven't seen a copy.

[stablesgt]

Not including appendices, the book runs to 242 pages. PreWWI pages 1-38, WWI; WWI 39-73; preWWII 74-111.

[Pat Holscher]

Not including appendices, the book runs to 242 pages. PreWWI pages 1-38, WWI; WWI 39-73; preWWII 74-111.

Rich, have you read it?

[mhminor]

Another book I failed to mention is Mechanized Juggernaut Or Military Anachronism: Horses And The German Army Of World War II (Stackpole Military History) - horses and the German Army of World War II by R. L. Dinardo. It even mentions the battle of Kursk, discussed elsewhere on this forum. I have it in storage and so are my notes –I’ll try to review it in the next few weeks after I locate the box it is in.

A memoir I was enthralled by was Will We See Tomorrow?: A German Cavalryman At War, 1939-42 by Jean R. Kuhnert . Another book in storage. I read it over two years ago, but the details stick. The author was a granddaughter of Max Kuhnert of Dresden, who enlisted 1939. There are descriptions of the invasion of Belgium, then Russia. There are anecdotes of cavorting with a drunken CO on horseback and his lady friends during a midnight adventure at Aachen on a stadium jump course, and much more. Tragic and funny, it’s a must have for anyone interested in cavalry tales. Sad to say it is only one half of the tale. Max passed away before he could finish the story and we are left hanging, like how did he get from Russia to Normandy, when he was captured by two black soldiers. The book can still be had for cheap, but I doubt it will stay that way.