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Rating: 
Summary: Supposed to be History, not a Novel.
Review: I must say I've read just about every book on the US Army in the 1850's...and while this book is OK it was little more than the original book by Col. Simpson "Cry Comanchee". I was surpirsed that this book was three times as thick and really offered almost NO new information...furthermore I was very trouble by the author's attmepts to make his work into an easy read novel...a very scarry trend in history today in order to reach the greater public. He describes the gut feelings of men who never left a record of how they felt that morning, nor that they knew this patrol would be different from the rest...I was disappointed as I realized that all the additional pages were filler about conjections of peoples emotions that have been long gone. He even talks about the troopers packing their saddlebags...a quick look at the VERY published inspector General reports of the 2nd shows the companies had no saddlebags! There is little academic research, there has been alot of information of the arms, equipments, etc of the old 2nd Cavalry (now 5th Cavalry) come to light in the last 20 years and it is obvious the author has not spent any real time at the US Cavalry Museum nor researched and primary sources that Col. Simpson didn't already. All in all I am not usually this harsh, but I did pay full price (which was TWICE what I paid for a new copy from the pubilsher of the long out of print "Cry Comanchee") and was very upset. The original publisher still has several copies of "CC" for sale and I sadly must suggest you go to them and buy that book instead.
Rating:
Summary: Supposed to be History, not a Novel.
Review: I must say I've read just about every book on the US Army in the 1850's...and while this book is OK it was little more than the original book by Col. Simpson "Cry Comanchee". I was surpirsed that this book was three times as thick and really offered almost NO new information...furthermore I was very trouble by the author's attmepts to make his work into an easy read novel...a very scarry trend in history today in order to reach the greater public. He describes the gut feelings of men who never left a record of how they felt that morning, nor that they knew this patrol would be different from the rest...I was disappointed as I realized that all the additional pages were filler about conjections of peoples emotions that have been long gone. He even talks about the troopers packing their saddlebags...a quick look at the VERY published inspector General reports of the 2nd shows the companies had no saddlebags! There is little academic research, there has been alot of information of the arms, equipments, etc of the old 2nd Cavalry (now 5th Cavalry) come to light in the last 20 years and it is obvious the author has not spent any real time at the US Cavalry Museum nor researched and primary sources that Col. Simpson didn't already. All in all I am not usually this harsh, but I did pay full price (which was TWICE what I paid for a new copy from the pubilsher of the long out of print "Cry Comanchee") and was very upset. The original publisher still has several copies of "CC" for sale and I sadly must suggest you go to them and buy that book instead.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating account of the pre-Civil War army.
Review: It is fairly unusual to find a military history book that breaks new ground about the men who fought as commanders in the Civil War. Best known for their exploits as either Union or Confederate leaders, the events that shaped the lives of these men are seldom chronicled. This well-written, well-researched book not only talks about the men but also the army of the pre-Civil War years.The title refers to the U.S. 2d Cavalry, formed in the 1850's to fight the Comanches on the the Texas frontier. Jefferson Davis was the Secretary of War and hand-picked his officers for what became an elite body of mounted soldiers. Known as "Jeff Davis's Own" because of his patronage, the 2d Cavalry got the best of everything available and their promotions were done outside the normal Army channels. Some of the men, like Robert E. Lee, had fought in the Mexican War of 1846 but the combat veterans also served along young officers eager to prove themselves in battle and win both brevets and glory. The 2d Cavalry found itself fighting a resourceful and clever enemy, the Comanches, and learned hard lessons about conventional tactics being used against unconventional forces. Indeed, the parallels between the 2d Cavalry's campaign against the "guerrillas" of the Texas frontier and Vietnam are startling... and very well presented. Just as in Vietnam, the Army adapted and in vicious fights, frequently without quarter, began to prevail. It was a triumph of small, dedicated groups of soldiers being used effectively by officers who lead from the front. Almost all of the officers of the 2d Cavalry became generals during the Civil War, some dying in battle. The book tells of the personal anguish these professional soldiers felt at having to decide whether to stay with the United States Army or go to the Confederacy. These were hard men who made hard choices, both on the battlefields of the frontier, facing one of the harshest climates in the world, and about the future course of their county. An excellent, excellent book. James Arnold has done a great service with this fascinating, even-handed and detailed account of the 2d Cavalry, "Jeff Davis's Own."
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks a little
Review: This book is a very smooth read on a subject of American History seldom treated. Although it is NOT the first book written on the 2nd Cavalry (Cry Comanche), it was a good treatment of the subject. It is for the most part, however, insufficiently footnoted leaving a dedicated historian to wonder where the story's facts derive.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent choice
Review: Yes, it may be a small slice of the American experience but the story will stay with you for a long time as we see history repeat itself in Iraq. Excellent writing, well researched, you will shake the dust off your worn out boots after this book.
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