“Everything Worked Like Clockwork...”
The Mechanization of British Regular and Household Cavalry 1918-1942
By Roger Salmon
ISBN: 978-1915070968 (Helion & Company Ltd, 2016) – £25.00
It was gratifying, upon opening this book, to be greeted by a preface from the editor of the whole series of which it is a part: a tip of the hat to Helion for including this, for it does a grand job of contextualizing the work within that series – one that I felt was needed.
Salmon’s book is unashamedly a piece of academic work, and whilst it’s entirely accessible to the lay reader and could comfortably grace any wargamer’s bookshelf, its structure and style are inextricably collegiate, to the point whereby footnotes frequently take up a third of the page. That said, Salmon has one element working considerably in his favour: his subject matter is intrinsically fascinating. It’s also well illustrated throughout by a range of black-and-white photos – snapshots from private collections and some from regimental records.
