Excellent but very focused.

Indeed very targeted because one hand this book is intended for readers that do not rebuteront the incessant use of footnotes page (or rather the end of book) because this book is derived from doctoral thesis the author - this probably explains that.

On the other hand, the title is a bit misleading because the book entitled "History of Cavalry" actually deals mainly in the history of heavy cavalry in Europe focusing on this "moment paroxysmal" that constitutes the load .

So the curious reader to learn more about the tactics of the US cavalry against the Indians, raiding General Sherman during the Civil War, the use of cavalry by Genghis Khan or, more generally, on the history of the light cavalry and dragoons (mounted infantry) as well as reconnaissance, exploration and exploitation of the cavalry throughout the history of conflict remain unsatisfied.

That said, this is an extremely well researched book and the author does not just cite the facts and battles, he adds his comments to those of many historians whose works he quotes and analyzes lucidly changes the employment doctrine of heavy cavalry over the centuries. And bibliography provided is very complete.

In summary, a very well written book that remains easy to read. I can not recommend this book for the reader who seeks to better understand what role the horse played in European military history.