Life in the Ranks

Experiences of a Light Dragoon



The author of this book, William Taylor, has left two books of his life as a cavalryman of the British Army during the early years of Queen Victoria's long reign. This volume concerns his time-principally in India-in the ranks of the 4th Light Dragoons. Its sequel, With the Cavalry to Afghanistan,(also published by Leonaur), concerns his experiences as part of the Army of the Indus in the opening campaigns of the First Afghan War as the British sought to place and maintain the puppet-ruler Shah Shuja on the throne of that perpetually troubled country. Taylor offers invaluable insights into the lot of an ordinary soldier posted to a far away and alien land for years at a time and his books are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the British cavalry of the period or those with an interested in British India generally.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.