Until very recently, the horse has been the decisive factor in determining military success. Showing that the art of warfare from horseback with its culture of mobility has always been at conflict with the urban domesticated culture, this hugely amibitious and fascinating book argues that that tension has created much of the great art and culture of humankind. Great exponents of the art of equestrian warfare discussed here include Alexander the Great, Hannibal, King Arthur, Saladin, the Knights of the Templar, the Reivers of the Scottish Borders, the Mongols, North American Indians, the Confederate forces during the American Civil War, and the Boers. The uses of the horse by highwaymen and figures such as Ned Kelly are also examined.