Hilda C. Landers Library & Archives

  • About
    • Hours
    • Directions and Maps
    • People
    • Policies
  • Research Help
    • Get Research Help
    • Research Tools
    • Research Guides
    • Get Endnote
    • Cite your Sources
    • Subject Librarians
  • Services
    • Print, Scan, Copy
    • Computers and Software
    • Group Study Rooms
    • Accessibility
    • St. Mary’s Project Resources
    • Services for Faculty
    • Borrow, Renew, Request
    • Notary Public Services
  • Archives
Library & Archives > Summer Reading > Twilight of the U.S. Cavalry by Lucian K. Truscott Jr.

Twilight of the U.S. Cavalry by Lucian K. Truscott Jr.

August 9, 2010 by Melissa Rushing

Twilight of the U.S. CavalryGeneral Lucian Truscott Jr., the only American officer to command a regiment, a division, a corps, and an army in WWII, began his storied Army career as a cavalry officer during World War I. The Twilight of the U.S. Cavalry contains his recollections about life in the cavalry as it started to transition from horses to mechanized units. However, it is not a narrative of General Truscott’s life; indeed, one learns more about the General from the preface written by his son (himself a combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam) than from the General’s own book.

General Truscott describes individuals and events at his cavalry posts, which included forts in Hawaii and on the Texas-Mexico border. He writes of being stationed at Fort Myer during the veterans’ Bonus March on Washington in 1932 and his early interaction with George Patton (indeed, Truscott is featured as one of the major characters in the movie Patton). In addition to providing vivid descriptions of the riding demonstrations and polo matches, General Truscott also provides such obscure information as the method used to guard gold shipments as they were transferred from train to the U.S. Gold Depository at Fort Knox, KY. I especially enjoyed his lengthy chapter on Fort Leavenworth KS, where I lived as a child – it was quite a jolt to read a description of my own house.

For those interested in reading more about General Truscott, H. Paul Jeffer’s Command of Honor appears to be the only full-length biography available. But for those interested in learning about cavalry life between the wars, I highly recommend The Twilight of the U.S. Cavalry: Life in the Old Army, 1917-1942 by Lucian K. Truscott Jr.; edited and with a preface by Lucian K. Truscott III.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Mary Hall
Rating: Highly                                                                                                      Add to DeliciousAdd to DiggAdd to FaceBookAdd to Google BookmarkAdd to RedditAdd to StumbleUponAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Twitter

Filed Under: Summer Reading

Recent Posts

  • UPDATED Library Hours – Spring Break 2023 March 8, 2023
  • Library Winter Break Hours 2022-23 December 14, 2022
  • Library Hours – Fall 2022 Finals Week December 7, 2022
  • Library Hours – Thanksgiving Break 2022 November 14, 2022
  • Shauna Siggelkow on “Understanding the Great Replacement Network on YouTube” November 4, 2022

Categories

  • Announcements (2)
  • Archives (12)
  • Database Trial (8)
  • Events (52)
  • Exhibits (6)
  • Faculty and Staff Profiles (4)
  • Library Building (34)
  • Library Collection (60)
  • Library Ethnography Project (2)
  • Library Hours (54)
  • Library People (27)
  • Musings (34)
  • Services (31)
  • Student Employees (21)
  • Summer Reading (284)
  • Teaching & Education (2)
  • Web Resources (11)

Archives

Contact Us:

(240) 895-4264

ask@smcm.libanswers.com

47645 College Drive
St. Mary's City, MD, 20686-3001

Follow Us:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Follow Library News

  • Directions
  • Archives
  • Directory
Support the Library
St. Mary's College of Maryland, the Public Honors College
St. Mary's College of Maryland
47645 College Drive
St. Mary's City, MD, 20686-3001
(240) 895-2000

Next Steps

  • Request Information
  • Visit Campus
  • How to Apply
  • Discover Our Value
  • Virtual Tour

Just For You

  • Current Students
  • New Students
  • Parents
  • Faculty | Staff
  • Employment

Resources

  • InsideSMCM
  • Directory
  • Events | Newsroom
  • Hilda C. Landers Library
  • College Rankings
© 2023 St. Mary's College of Maryland Consumer Information Copyright Privacy Policy Campus Rights & Responsibilities Help Desk Website Feedback
National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 BeFree Textline Text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE) More resources on human trafficking in Maryland