Roosevelt’s Rough Riders (Warrior, 138) - Softcover

Quesada, Alejandro De

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846033837 ISBN 13: 9781846033834

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

Osprey's examination of the brief but colorful history of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, detailing the rich experiences of the men who fought in its ranks. Founded in May 1898, the unit's actions in Cuba during the Spanish-American War (1898) have passed into military and national legend. The men who volunteered for the force came from a broad spectrum of American society, including seasoned ranch hands and cowboys, college athletes, and policemen. The unit was posted to Cuba in June 1898, where the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry fought in the battles of Las Guasimas, Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. At this time, its commander, Colonel Leonard Wood, took charge of the US 2nd Cavalry Brigade, leaving Theodore Roosevelt to assume command of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry. The unit subsequently became known as 'Roosevelt's Rough Riders', after Buffalo Bill's popular cowboy show that featured 'Rough Riders of the World'. Many of the volunteers were struck down by disease and sickness during the campaign, and the unit was eventually withdrawn, returning to a hero's welcome in the US. The last veteran of the unit died in 1975, but a rich body of source material has survived, and much of this is covered in this fascinating work.

About this title

About the Author

Alejandro de Quesada is a Florida-based military history writer, an experienced researcher and collector of militaria, photos and documents and runs an archive and historical consulting for museums as well as for films as a secondary business with a strong Military History content. He has written over 100 articles and over 25 books, including several for Osprey, and is a leading authority on Latin-American subjects. 

Author of the following Osprey titles to date: The Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection; The US Home Front 1941-45; Roosevelt's Rough Riders; The Bay of Pigs; The Mexican Revolution; The United States Coast Guard during World War Two; Spanish Colonial Fortifications in North America.

Review

“This book gives an in-depth account of the men who made up this most unusual unit... The chapters cover all aspeects of this unit from recruiting and the type of people who enlisted through training for combat, uniforms and equipment... The book has a good collection of contemporary photos and an excellent set of color plates by Stephen Walsh. This tome is a must-have for any one with an interest in the US ARmy as it fills a gap in the books available about this war.” ―Toy Soldier & Model Figure

“The author does a superlative job of telling the story of these men and the life they led while on campaign. It also covers the aftermath of the action and what happened to the unit once the battles were over. Overall a book that covers an important part of American history and one that I'm sure you will enjoy reading.” ―Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness, www.modelingmadness.com (July 2009)

About this edition

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1846033837
• ISBN 13: 9781846033834
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Walsh Stephen