Book Review—Boots and Saddles

Boots and Saddles­­–A Call to Glory, a historical novel by Paul Colt, recounts the pursuit of Pancho Villa by US Army forces led by General Black Jack Pershing. But the focus of the story is Lieutenant George Patton.

A trained cavalry officer and saber master, Patton’s career is in the doldrums owing to lasting peace and the changing nature of warfare. He joins Pershing’s expedition and eventually talks his way out of a staff assignment and into the opportunity to see some action. But when the opportunity for fighting arises, he finds himself saddled with obsolete military skills. The soldier contemplates packing it all in for civilian life but an obsession for war born in his bones will not allow it. 

Colt’s account is informative and entertaining, using the facts of history to create an action-packed story populated with convincing, complex characters.

The gait of the book’s short sections and chapters, like the trot of a cavalry horse, takes some getting used to. But once you catch Colt’s rhythm, you’re in for a fast-paced, mile-eating ride through history.