Napoleonic Light Cavalry Tactics (Elite)

Veteran Napoleonic historian Philip Haythornwaite explains to a modern audience just how the light cavalry of the Napoleonic era did their business. This Osprey Elite Series book is consciously a companion volume to the author's earlier volume "Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry & Dragoons Tactics" in explaining the many roles and tactics of the light cavalry."Napoleonic Light Cavalry Tactics" begins with a discussion of the origins of light cavalry and their formations and tactics. The illustrations by Adam Hook helpfully explain just how formations were supposed to look on the battlefield. Successive chapters detail some specialty ethnic light cavalry units such as Polish Lancers, Russian Cossacks, and Egyptian Mamelukes. The various light cavalry missions are explained, with examples and some very nice period art. The book closes with a detailed examination of two cavalry actions in 1814. This reviewer found especially interesting the discussion about the uses by light cavalry of swords and carbines."Napoleonic Light Cavalry Tactics" is highly recommended as a clear and readable introduction to the topic for the general reader and for the student of Napoleonic warfare.

I was born 100 years too late, and should have been a 19th century cavalryman, so I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I found the information on the various classes of cavalry (and their evolution) as well as cavalry tactics of the Napoleonic era particularly informative, and interesting.

This book was very interesting. It give good insight of the use of light cavalry.The art is great, a lot of diagrams showing formations.It was a very good read.

Another classic from osprey publishers, it's amazing how much detail can be crammed into so few pages. Definitely worth buying.

Excellent reference for the model builder.

A good reference book. Well Written with clear examples. Covers the subject well. I wish it were longer.

Excellent

As a fan of Mr. Hawthornthwait's work, I was somewhat disappointed in this volume. It relies heavily on the previously published "Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry and Dragoon Tactics" that he wrote, referring you to it in numerous locations. Whereas the Heavy Cavalry volume is stand alone, this one is not, and it would be nice if there was some indication in the title. I understand why that was done, there wouldn't be room for all of the discussions in this volume if the additional info had to be included. The book also seems to be fragmented. He starts by discussing some history of light cavalry, and starts defining different types of lights, goes on to tactics and development and returns to defining cavalry types. Another concept that seemed to cross me the wrong way is in some of the artwork. There are a number of pages, due to their landscape format, that are presented sideways. Not a problem, normally, but in this volume they face the binding, which seems wrong. Now what confounds this further, is that in the heavily referred to Heavy Cavalry companion volume, those landscape format pages face the other way, towards the open edge.Negatives out of the way, this is the companion to his previous book. It is not for uniform studies or unit histories, but deals in how these light cavalry units moved, trained and fought. This volume also discusses he increase in light cavalry units. I wish I could say it is well presented. If you have the first volume, it fits well with it.

All good, wargaming.

This is a ideal book for those who have an interest in the period and the military tactics.Good value for the price.

Une première approche haut niveau des tactiques de cavalerie légère. Doit être approfondi par d'autres lectures pour les plus intéressés.

Although rather thin, this is an excellent book!Gives VERY good description of the people, who made up light Cavalry, how they were looked upon by others, their mindset, how they did live on duty!There are some notes pointing to "Heavy Cavalry Tactics", but no loose ends, all is displayed very well.EXCELLENT Argumentation regarding Lance vs Sword, and Hussar Sabre vs heavier Cav Swords!Can only recommend it, I was very surprised in the positive sense!Hermann

姉妹本のNapoleonic Heavy Cavalry and Dragoon Tacticsと似たところはあるもののLight Cavalryの役割（任務）を理解する上では一読の価値があります。また、Mameluke, Cossack, Lancerについては詳細な記述があり、個人的にはLancerについて長所、短所の説明は参考になりました。戦場で軽騎兵は重騎兵と鉢合わせになると、逃げ出すものとおもっていましたが、軽騎兵が重騎兵を破った例も挙げられており、それは大変興味深かったです。