In the original dustsheet. Black cloth binding.

• F.B.A. provides an in-depth photographic presentation of this item to stimulate your feeling and touch. More traditional book descriptions are immediately available.

This is the first major history of the Household Cavalry, which consists of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals – the three oldest and most senior regiments in the British Army. As such they were, and continue today to be the most senior regiments in the Army. Created at the beginning of Charles II’s restoration but with an organisation based on Cromwell’s Ironsides, they were to be an integral part, not only of the coming decades but of the British Isles’ continuing history. Illustrated in full colour throughout with exclusive period paintings, objects and maps, from the Household Cavalry’s archives and museum, many never before published, this book takes the reader on a 350-year historical narrative from Cromwell and the English Civil Wars, James II and the Battle of Sedgemoor, through Wellington and Waterloo, and Victoria and the Boer Wars right through to Churchill and the Second World War – some of the most important military episodes in our history. A unique book about a unique British institution.

Reviews

• ‘A lavishly produced illustrated history of the oldest regiments in the British Army…splendid history’ — Independent on Sunday

• ‘A remarkable command performance…a rigorously researched, exquisitely written, 600-page regimental history’– Chris Horrocks, Soldier

• ‘This is a rich and colourful adventure story’ — Oxford Times

• ‘This must be one of the most impressive feats of scholarship to be published this year’ — The Field

• ‘This must be one of the most impressive feats of scholarship to be published this year…beautifully illustrated’ — The Field

  From the Publisher: It’s rare these days for a major history title to have so much primary material as this book does. Most archives have been raked over by historians for years. However, Major General Barney White-Spunner has done a terrific job delving into the archives of the Household Cavalry museums in both London and Windsor, which seem to have not been researched by many historians previously. The result is a book that is replete with first-hand accounts by men who actually fought in some of the most important military campaigns in our history. The descriptions of Waterloo and its aftermath given by the men who lived through it are extraordinary. Even more fascinating is the insight into the daily lives of the men, their families and, of course, their horses. Moreover, much of the illustrated material is unique to this book, having never been reproduced elsewhere. All in all, I believe this is something of a landmark publication.

The Author: Major General Barney White-Spunner joined the Blues and Royals from university in 1979, and has been a serving member of the Household Cavalry ever since. He commanded the Household Cavalry regiment in Windsor from 1996-98, and has served in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War. In 2005 he was promoted to Chief of Staff of the British Army under General Sir Mike Jackson. A part time correspondent for The Field magazine for many years, this is his first historical work. He lives in Wiltshire and London.