Product Details

FRANCE. MINISTÈRE DE LA GUERRE. Manual of Equitation of the French Army for 1912. War Department, Office of the Chief of Staff, War College Division, General Staff No. 20. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1913. 12mo. Original tan woven cloth, title gilt on spine. Government seal on title page. A sound copy with light general handling wear, minor rubbing to extremities, several small spots to cloth, and an old red ink mark to lower front cover. Title page bearing an institutional or inventory number. Interior generally clean. Very good. Official United States War Department translation and publication of the French Army's cavalry and riding regulations, issued for study by American military officers during the final years of the horse-cavalry era. The manual covers the education of the rider and horse, principles of military horsemanship, use of aids, training exercises, cavalry discipline, and advanced equitation. French cavalry doctrine exerted significant influence on American mounted-service training in the years immediately preceding the First World War, and works of this type were utilized by officers attached to the War College and Cavalry School. An increasingly desirable military horsemanship title, sought by collectors of cavalry history, equitation, and pre-World War I military training manuals. Estimated Market Value: Good condition: $40–75 Very Good condition: $75–125 Fine copy with military provenance, ownership of a cavalry officer, or original War Department markings: $125–200+ For your catalog, I would grade this copy Very Good, assuming the text block is complete, the hinges are sound, and there are no missing pages.