Galloping at Everything: The British Cavalry in the Penninsular War and at Waterloo 1808-15

by Ian Fletcher

The poor discipline demonstrated by the British cavalry commanded by general Slade at Maguilla in 1812 prompted the Duke of Wellington's famous remark that British cavalry officers were in the habit of 'galloping at everything'. This assessment has unduly coloured the view of generations of historians. In this reapraisal, Ian Fletcher contends that the British cavalry were adept at piquet work, at gathering and transmitting intelligence, and on forage and escort duties. On the field of battle they frequently forced their supposedly superior opponents to run on dozens of occasions between 1808 and 1815. The performance of the cavalry, as compared to the British infantry, suffered as a result of their very low numbers, the incompatibility of the terrain for cavalry campaigning, and the lack of a consistent cavalry commander. In fact, the majority of the cavalry's success was achieved when Wellington was not present - a fact that calls his ability as controller of cavalry into question. Essential reading for serious historians and general readers alike, Galloping at Everything rehabilitates the reputation of the British cavalry in the Peninsula and at Waterloo.

498 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 1999

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. If you are aware of the the fighting in the Peninsula, then you probably understand that many historians are disparaging of the British cavalry in the 1808-14 period. While it is true that the cavalry had difficulties, it was not all their fault. In Ian Fletcher's book, he makes it clear that topography played a major reason that thay were not able to be used in battle, but did a more-than-adequate job in reconnaisance and picket duty. However, most of the book deals with the major battles such as Salamanca and Vitoria which are fairly well-known for their cavalry actions, and some of the lesser known actions such as Camp Mayor and Maguilla. It finishes up with the great battle of Waterloo which had some spectacular cavalry encounters in the 3-day period.

It's an interesting book, but could have used maps, especially for the lesser known battles.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great work that finally manages to restore some of the cavalry's reputation during the Peninsular war and the Waterloo campaign. I would highly recommend it.

[Tim Mcphillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining account of the British Cavalry during the Napoleonic wars.