A History of the 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own)

This volume traces the colorful career of the 17th Lancers, the famous cavalry regiment raised in the memory of Major‑General James Wolfe after his heroics at the Plains of Abraham. Written at the request of the regiment’s colonel and senior officers, it weaves together personal reminiscences with official military records to give a vivid portrait of the unit’s early spirit. Listeners will hear how the regiment’s identity was forged on the battlefields of the mid‑eighteenth century.

Because many original papers were lost in a 1797 shipwreck, the author turns to a patchwork of muster rolls, dispatches, drill manuals and contemporary memoirs to reconstruct campaigns across America, the West Indies, South America and later India. Detailed maps and firsthand reports bring to life the Lancers’ daring raids, harsh tropical service, and the challenges of adapting light‑horse tactics to varied terrains. The narrative stays within the first act of the regiment’s story, offering a measured yet engaging look at how a handful of determined soldiers became a celebrated cavalry force.