The documents surviving from the privy wardrobe, the department which administrated the Tower armoury under Edward III, Richard II and Henry IV, provide a unique insight into the use of arms and armour in late medieval England. Thom Richardson expertly brings these documents to life, showing how the previously peripatetic armoury became established in the Tower of London at the outbreak of the Hundred Years War, and grew into the national arsenal which today forms the basis of the Royal Armouries, the national museum of arms and armour.

This new book takes a close look at a variety of authentic World War II era German uniforms including examples from the Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Allgemeine-SS, Hitler Youth and Political Leaders. The pieces are shown in large full frame front and rear shots, and in painstaking detail to show tailors tags, buttons, insignia detail etc. and allow the reader to see what the genuine article looks like. Various accoutrements worn with the uniforms are also included to aid the collector.

The Littlecote House armoury is the most important surviving armoury of the English Civil Wars. This volume describes how the collection was saved for the nation (in part by a sponsored march in original armour from Littlecote to London), and includes a full illustrated catalogue of its contents.

A gloriously illustrated volume that looks at the remarkable armor of a key Habsburg commander and its relationship to contemporary Renaissance fashion This sumptuously illustrated book celebrates a curious masterpiece of German Renaissance art--the Landsknecht armor of Wilhelm von Rogendorf (1523). Recently conserved to its original glory, this magnificent suit of armor, made for a trusted courtier, diplomat, and commander of infantry units for the Habsburgs, deceives the eye: the steel sleeves drape in graceful folds, with cuts in the surface, suggesting the armor is made from cloth rather than metal. The author of this fascinating volume explores the question: why does the armor look this way? Stefan Krause delves back five centuries to the political, social, and cultural context in which von Rogendorf lived. Among other key venues in the Holy Roman Empire, this story takes the reader to the court of Emperor Charles V in Spain and to Augsburg, the leading center of armor making, where Rogendorf was introduced to the court armorer of Charles V, Kolman Helmschmid (1471-1532). Helmschmid was famous for his inventive and masterfully sculptured works, and this book elaborates on his unique contributions to the history of armor, and how and why von Rogendorf's suit was informed by contemporary fashion. Distributed for the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

This detailed, highly-illustrated study presents a unique and comprehensive collection of uniforms, insignia, and equipment used by the French Foreign Legion in Indochina from 1946 to 1956. More than 400 original pieces are shown in over 1,000 high-quality, color photographs. Over 200 rare war-era photographs of the Legion in Indochina show the vast variety of uniforms and equipment in use. Much of the information included here is presented for the first time in English. This book will become a standard reference for Foreign Legion collectors and historians.

A perennially popular topic the ancient world continues to yield incredibly rich archaeological finds. Based on years of detailed research, Dr Raffaele D'Amato now presents a new history on the dress and equipment of Roman Centurions from the Roman kingdom to the height of the Republic. In addition, thanks to his detailed research amongst Roman gravestones, the book also includes several reconstructions of actual named individuals and two lavish scenes showing combat between two Centurions and a Triumphal procession.

The Franco-German War of 1870-71 saw the demise of one empire, that of Napoleon III and the birth of another, a German empire under the rule of the king of Prussia. Many books have been written on the campaigns and battles of the war, this is the first to centre on the armies themselves: how they were organised, how they were armed, what uniforms they were dressed in and how they were supplied with the essentials of war. Technical innovations changed the way armies behaved in the field, railways speeded up movement, the telegraph delivered orders in a fraction of the time and new weapons altered tactics used on the battlefield. How many uniforms did a Prussian soldier have and who made them? The newest and best uniform was reserved for ceremonial use and to go to war in! Other orders of dress were issued from regimental stores for parades, day to day wear, field exercises, fatigue duties and walking out. If a man had the cash, he could buy a uniform for going to the pub on Saturday night! And the French were not to be outdone, a description of a Guards' officer's kit lists nine different orders of dress, without including ball and evening dress. In France most uniforms were made by private contractors working to government contracts while Prussian battalions, squadrons and batteries had a depot company of artisans who made up soldiers' uniforms from government supplied cloth. Officers had their uniforms made by private tailors. Developments in armaments were not limited to the French, the chassepot rifle was a marvel and the mitrailleuse (a volley gun) could have been a war winner if used properly. The Bavarians had a mitrailleuse of their own design and they developed a modern rifle firing a metallic cartridge at a rate of 20 shots a minute. As well as recently published references, many contemporary works have been used either in their original form or now available as digital copies from French and German sources. Many English language sources have also been used, Australian, New Zealand and American newspapers all reported on the war for their readers. There were also many memoirs from soldiers, officers and men as well as diplomats, volunteers, combatants and those ministering to the wounded. Equipment is described as well as the medals many men wore on their chests. The colour section illustrates many of the lesser known uniforms worn during the war. Annotated reading list.

This book is the first part of a two-volume investigation into the clothing orders of the British late Georgian army, combined and contrasted with an analysis of fashion in the same army - comparing the regulated dress with the 'modes of the army' as revealed by contemporary writing and illustrations. The first quarter of the nineteenth century witnessed a refinement of fashionable masculine dress that has not since been surpassed. Military tailoring inspired a parallel flowering of uniform splendour that continued into the 1830s and sparked an enduring fascination with military costume that still rages today. The army that operated in these cumbersome uniforms managed to achieve fame as one of the most effective British fighting forces ever recognised, and is still remembered and honoured for its achievements. These three strands: the flowering of late Georgian civilian tailoring; of its martial equivalent; and of military excellence on campaign, have gripped the interest and the imagination of the public, and are endlessly revived and recycled through popular culture, on television, film, through books and all of the other new media. The reader then might properly ask why another book on uniforms of this period is necessary. Quite simply, it is because the amount of material available to the researcher has increased exponentially since the advent of the internet, especially in regard to the now widely available digital archive files of institutional collections. The huge amount of accessible material makes the task of assembling accurate information much longer and much harder, but the results are consequentially more satisfying and accurate than hitherto.

This book provides a unique insight into the uniforms and equipment used by British Empire forces between the two world wars. Including descriptions of deployments and incidents during the period, it features detailed photographs of individual artefacts as well as accurate uniform reconstructions in full colour. There are detailed descriptions and background information on subjects such as khaki uniforms, webbing, water bottles, communications equipment and so on. The equipment and uniforms portrayed in the book are derived from a broad range of collections, in order to provide comprehensive coverage of the uniforms and other items used by British Empire forces of the period. Covering British deployments in China, India, the North West Frontier and Palestine, this book is an indispensable guide to British Empire forces from the end of the First World War to the eve of the Second World War.

Three talented French artists, Carle Vernet, Horace Vernet (son of Carle) and Eugene Lami, capitalised on the wave of nostalgia for the First Empire brought on by the death of Napoleon in 1821 by producing a series of prints of French military uniforms of the French revolutionary and imperial armies. These colourful lithographs, each accompanied by a text by an unidentified author describing the unit depicted, were published in book form in 1822 as Collection des Uniformes des Armees Francaises de 1791 a 1814 (Paris: Gide fils, 1822). The broad range of uniforms depicted includes many from infrequently-illustrated foreign and auxiliary units in the French army. The images also include unusual back and side views of uniforms. The images in this book are contemporary watercolour copies of the prints and are reproduced with permission from the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, where they currently reside.

The restoration of the Meiji Imperial dynasty in 1868, after 250 years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, decisively opened Japan to the outside world and the monarchy embraced modernization, including the creation of a new Westernized army. However, this modernization process was resisted by the traditional Samurai feudal nobility, leading to a series of battles. The first clash between the two cultures came swiftly. During the Boshin War of 1868 -69, a French military adviser, Jules Brunet, changed sides to join the insurgents. They won several engagements before the final crushing of the rebel Ezo Republic. After this point, the Imperial Army continued to modernize along French lines, and social changes began to impoverish Samurai noblemen, who lost their social and political role and their associated privileges. During 1876, the powerful Satsuma Domain, around Kagoshima in south-west Kyushu, became a focus for discontent. Its leader Saigo Takamori effectively ignored the central government, and in January 1877, increasing unrest broke out into open rebellion. The Imperial forces were now much stronger, and the Navy could land troops and bombard Kagoshima. The bitter Satsuma siege and attempted capture of Kumamoto Castle finally failed in April, and the Samurai made a last stand at Shiroyama on 24 September, choosing to go down fighting. This marked the final defeat and displacement of the Samurai class. This fully illustrated title explores the fall of the Samurai in detail, examining the arms, tactics, key figures of both sides, and charting the increasing Westernization of the Imperial forces.

This is part two of a comprehensive two-volume reference that shows all the camouflage uniforms of the Waffen-SS. Using predominately modern color photographs, Volume 2 covers SS camouflage M44 Drill Uniforms, Fallschirmjager Uniform, Panzer Uniforms, Winter Clothing, SS-VT/Waffen-SS Zeltbahnen, and concludes with a detailed look at each camouflage pattern including samples. Each example is displayed on a full mannequin with numerous photos showing how the clothing appeared from various angles. In addition, numerous detail images are used to clearly expose key features of the uniforms and equipment. The text explains the important details about the creation, manufacturing, and wear of each item. Period photos establish the wear of each item presented in the book.

This beautiful book combines archaeological documents, paintings and photos of a reconstruction of the first wooden amphitheatre at the Coliseum. It is a complete documentation with all categories of gladiators with their particular equipment up their fighting methods and ways of dying. This excellent reference guide is a must-have for all fans of archaeology and the Romans. - TEXT IN FRENCH -

This new, extensively researched volume is a comprehensive guide to the history, development, wear, and use of uniforms and equipment during America's involvement in the Vietnam War. Included are insignia, headgear, camouflage uniforms, experimental items, modified items, flak armor, boots, clothing accessories, paper items and personal items from the year 1965 to 1971, all examined in great detail. Using re-constructed photos the author recreates the look and appearance of the American Soldier in Vietnam. Rangers, medics, scouts, RTO's, machine gunners, Pathfinders, and riflemen are all here and accompanied by detailed text. For the first time, see easily recognizable dating system used by the U.S. Government supply system to date the items on the manufacturer tag. A helpful appendix shows, for the first time ever, all forms of post war gear such as ALICE and camouflage like BDUs and the Rapid Deployment Force pattern, and all those that were never used in South East Asia during the Vietnam War. Included is also an easy to follow, detailed description of each item along with a comparison showing the actual wartime produced item side by side with the undesirable so the collector/Historian/Re-Enactor will never make the mistake of utilizing Post War Produced items again. Packed with over 500 detailed color photographs, and over 100 never before seen original photos from veterans, as well as many close-ups, this book fills an important gap in the collectors reference library and will be invaluable for collectors, living historians, re-enactors, modelers, curators, and artists alike.

The Roman military was one of the most powerful forces of the ancient world. But what did its soldiers wear? This book presents an accurate and illuminating study of a popular yet understudied subject. Spanning 1000 years from the Late Republic to the Byzantine Empire, including every item from helmet linings to leg wrappings, Graham Sumner presents an original and detailed interpretation of wide-ranging evidence, drawing on recent textile finds, ancient artwork and original literary sources from across the Roman Empire. With the help of informative illustrations, we understand how the garments were worn and by which soldiers, both on and off the battlefield. Materials used, methods of manufacture and dying, and the second-hand trade are also discussed. Including stunning colour images and reconstructions, this book will be of great value to students and re-enactors of the Romans, as well as costume and fashion students.

The Luftwaffe, honed in the Spanish Civil War, played a vital part in Germany's 'Blitzkrieg' victories during the 1939-41 period of World War II. Badly overstretched by war on three fronts in 1942-44, it was crippled by an incompetent commander-in-chief, the losses among experienced aircrew, and shortage of fuel. In 1944-45 it faced a final battle of attrition in skies ruled by the Allies as the Eastern and Western pincers closed on the Reich; but until the very end the dwindling band of veteran pilots - among them the greatest 'aces' the world has ever known - presented a potent threat. This fact-packed review of Luftwaffe uniforms and flying kit is illustrated with rare personal photos, insignia charts, and two dozen meticulously detailed colour figures.