I hesitate to review this book, as I am certain that it is so well known to most readers of this forum that any review I could do would be uninformative to most. Still, it is a cavalry classic, indeed a military classic, and a set of reviews that doesn't include it is incomplete. For that reason I had hoped that somebody else might review it that is more knowledgeable than I. Indeed, I would note that this book did appear on the earlier recommended reading list TMH had prior to having a review section.
Anyhow, here its goes. . .
Lucian K. Truscott is probably mostly remembered now as a character that shows up in the move "Patton" objecting to using his fatigued troops for an amphibious end run. Other than that, the name might be know to the observant as one that shows up in the credits of military movies or television shows (I saw it on the tail end of the series "JAG" once). Some might be aware that a Lucian K. Truscott is the author of a series of military novels, and has been one of the Jefferson descendants involved in the reconciliation with the Hemmings family. The movie, TV, and Jefferson Truscott is, I believe, a grandson of Gen. Truscott, who was indeed portrayed in the movie Patton.
The actual Truscott was a highly successful WWII general. Interestingly, he was not a West Point graduate, like so many other high-ranking officers of that war. Rather, Truscott left civilian life in 1917 and received a commission as a reserve officer in August 1917. Prior to that he had been employed for six years as a schoolteacher. In October 1917 he was commissioned into the regular Army. A highly intelligent man, he served throughout the peacetime interlude to go on to become a general in the Second World War.
This book is a memoir of the years between the wars. As such, it is a highly unusual one in that it is only partially written as an account of experiences Gen. Truscott lived. Rather, it is more of a series of observations. Wonderful observations they are at that. Turscott's service took him to the principal cavalry locations between the wars, he was at Ft. Riley, he served on the Mexican border, he was posted to Hawaii, and he was in Washington, D.C. during the famous Bonus Army troubles. He witnessed first hand the struggles associated with mechanization.
This small book is an excellent one, and is really a necessary book for the student of the cavalry between WWI and WWII. Unfortunately it is out of print. None-the-less, copies can still be found, and a serious student of the Army of this era should really read this book.
Pat