This series may have been going on for a while, but it is the first I can recall. In the past Osprey has done similar books on aviation squadrons, but this one is on a regiment. Not surprisingly it is British in origin and covers the the Royal Dragoon Guards, which is the modern day amalgamation of four different units that was activated in late 1600s.

Those units are the 4th Irish Dragoon Guards, the 5th Dragoon Guards, the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, and the 7th Dragoon Guards. After WWII, these four were combined into two regiments, the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, and the 5th Iniskilling Dragoon Guards. The current regiment was formed from these two in 1992.

Originally, Dragoons were horse mounted infantry that one could also consider to be cavalry. My understanding of the difference is minimal, but that is what I gather from reading this book. When the time came to trade lances for rifles, these soldiers needed shorter pieces and so used carbines. When mechanization became the way to do things in the 20th Century, these soldiers adapted to the change.

The book covers the organization and training of these units, then goes into a short history of all the different battles and conflicts in which they were involved from the late 1600s until today. The number of conflicts in which these units participated is truly remarkable. Pretty much every major war and conflict over the 300 plus years involved at least one of these regiments.

There are some great period illustrations as well as photographs and artwork to help tell their story. It is a fascinating read for those who are into this sort of thing and a book that can also interest those who know nothing at all about the subject. A fine addition to the Osprey catalog and one very much worth picking up.

April 2020

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