This title details the culture, weapons, armour and training of the elite samurai warrior class in the fascinating Age of Battles period (1550-1600). This was a period of vital importance not only because of the political effects of the chaos but also due to the changes in warfare that occurred. In 1542 the Portuguese introduced the matchlock musket into Japanese warfare, and this book traces the effect that this important innovation had on the samurai. Life outside the field of battle is also examined, making this an unmissable book for those interested in this brave warrior caste.

An accessibly written and superbly illustrated introduction to armor used for battle, tournament, and ceremony This engaging book offers an introduction to and overview of armor in Europe from the Middle Ages through the 17th century, focusing in particular on the 16th century when plate armor reached its peak of stylistic beauty and functional perfection. Created by highly skilled armorers, often in cooperation with noted artists and commissioned by wealthy patrons, armor was worn for centuries on the battlefield, in festive tournaments, and for ceremonial events. Through informative discussions of representative works from the Metropolitan Museum's world-renowned collection, this new addition to the popular How to Read series shows what to look for when examining armor, the pieces that make up a typical suit of armor, how the parts work, the various methods used to decorate armor, and how armor became an important part of so many museum collections today. The book features a wealth of new photography of historically important armor and other works of art from the Metropolitan Museum and select pieces from other institutions. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

Preceding and simultaneously with the conquest of England by Duke William, other ambitious and aggressive Norman noblemen (notably the Drengot, De Hauteville and Guiscard families) found it prudent to leave Normandy. At first taking mercenary employment with Lombard rulers then fighting the Byzantine Empire in southern Italy, many of these noblemen achieved great victories, acquired rich lands of their own, and perfected a feudal military system that lasted for 200 years. As news of the rich pickings to be had in the south spread in Normandy, they were joined by many other opportunists - typically, younger sons who could not inherit lands at home. Steadily, these Norman noblemen fought their way to local power, at first in Apulia, then across the Adriatic in Albania, and finally in Muslim Sicily, defeating in the process the armies of Byzantium, the German 'Holy Roman Empire', and Islamic regional rulers. Finally, in 1130, Roger II founded a unified kingdom incorporating southern Italy and Sicily, which lasted until the death of Tancred of Lecce in 1194 - though its legacy long outlasted Norman political rule. This beautifully illustrated title explores not only the Norman armies, but the armies of their opponents, with full-colour plates and expert analysis revealing fascinating details about the fighting men of Normandy, Byzantium, the Arab armies and more.

A paperback edition of this classic work, which describes and illustrates the uniforms and equipment of the WWII British soldier using original items worn by live models in authentic settings. A huge range of subjects is covered, from the uniforms and equipment of the front line infantryman, to the officers' and men's walking-out dress, the special kit issued to tank crews, air-landed and mountain troops, motorcyclists, medics, arctic clothing, anti-gas kit and assault kit, even down to the demob suits issued to discharged soldiers in 1945.

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 is part one of a comprehensive two-volume reference that shows all the camouflage uniforms of the Waffen-SS. Using predominately modern color photographs, Volume 1 covers SS camouflage helmet covers and smocks. Each example is displayed on a full mannequin with numerous photos showing how the clothing appeared from various angles. In addition, 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.

Royal Navy Uniforms 1930 - 1945 uses over 400 illustrations - both period images and new colour photographs of original items - to show the clothing of both Officers and Ratings in World War II and during the years leading up to it, when Naval uniforms underwent significant modernization. The illustrations are supported by detailed text describing the development and use of Naval clothing of the time. Its contents include Officers' clothing and effects; Class 1 and III Ratings' clothing and effects; seamens' clothing and effects; battledress and tropical clothing; miscellaneous clothing, personal effects and substantive and non-substantive insignia. This is the first book to offer a detailed study of Royal Navy clothing in the 1930s and World War II and will be a vital resource for collectors, historians and enthusiasts.

An unprecedented, fully illustrated study of every regimental uniform of the five most powerful empires of the period, with more than 700 photographs, illustrations, and diagrams gathered from sources across the globe

During the period 1880-1914, the soldiers of the great empires of Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States were dressed in a rainbow of colors. Bedecked in elaborate helmets, with ornate weapons and finery, their uniforms represented centuries of regimental history and tradition, and often bore reminders of famous victories and heroic last stands. This book is the definitive study of every regimental uniform in the five empires, including those of the colonies of India, the Philippines, and North Africa. It explains the history behind sartorial peculiarities--such as why the Russian 15th Hussars wore a bright pink uniform and the Wiltshire Regiment had dents on their buttons--and reveals the lives and service experiences of the men who served. This book will be used as both a one-stop reference work and as a brief narrative history of the period.

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 second part of an investigation into the clothing orders of the late-Georgian British 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 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, the second of two books on the topic, pays particular attention to the 'Prince's Regulations,' of 1812, which exhibit the full extent of the Prince Regent's excursions into military taste.

In medieval times an individual often needed to defend his life, his family and his property. Mercenaries earned their living by hiring out their skills, while feudal noblemen regularly mustered their men-at-arms and their subordinate vassals and tenants to provide military service, even to the point of leading them on Crusades to the Holy Land and elsewhere. In the later medieval period the growing cities required their citizens to take up arms as militia in defence of the community during times of external threat. In The Medieval Fighting Man - Europa Militaria Special No 18, meticulous use is made of the sources available to enable the materials, colours and patterns used for reconstructed clothing to represent the 'real thing' as accurately as possible. Fortunately, great numbers of medieval weapons and pieces of armour survived and can now be viewed in displays, and these form the basis of the arms presented in this book.

The Royal Flying Corps was formed by Royal Warrant on 13 April 1912, and came into being a month later when the Air Battalion was absorbed into the Military Wing of the new Corps in May. In the days following the outbreak of war in 1914, the programme for mobilization of the RFC was, in the main, successfully carried out. The first aircraft set out across the Channel on the morning of 13 August, taking off from Dover at 06.25 hours. The first pilot to land in France was Lieutenant H.D. Harvey-Kelly of No.2 Squadron. In due course, all four of the initial RFC squadrons deployed to the Western Front were ready for operations. They represented, noted the Official Historian of the RFC, the first organized national [air] force to fly to a war overseas'. As the Great War raged, the developments in military aviation were profound, not only in terms of aerial warfare but, as this book reveals, the uniforms and equipment the aircrew used. All the objects that a Royal Flying Corps pilot or airman was issued with for sorties over the Western Front during the First World War are explored in this book in high-definition colour photographs, detailing everything from the differing flying clothing, to headgear, personal weapons, gloves, goggles and early life preservers. Each item is fully described, and its purpose and use explained. Fly with the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s and Sopwith Camels over the trenches and see what the RFC aircrew wore as they took on their German foe in what were the formative years of military aviation.

This book throws new light on the men who fought for the Stuarts in Scotland from the beginning of the Jacobite cause in 1689 to Glenshiel in 1719 by drawing on the work of historians and a wide range of primary sources and therefore presenting a picture based on the evidence available. I am minded to rise looks at the variety of clothing and weapons used by the different Jacobite armies in this time period as well as their material culture used by them to show their allegiance to the Stuarts and the Jacobite cause. This book will appeal to those interested in the Jacobite Risings reenactors, wargamers, fans of Outlander, anyone with an interest in Scottish clothing from 17th and 18th centuries and the Scottish diaspora who, thanks to a growing interest in family history, are keen to know more about their Scottish heritage.

GPS Declassified examines the development of GPS from its secret, Cold War military roots to its emergence as a worldwide consumer industry. Drawing on previously unexplored documents, the authors examine how military rivalries influenced the creation of GPS and shaped public perceptions about its origin. Since the United States’ first program to launch a satellite in the late 1950s, the nation has pursued dual paths into space—one military and secret, the other scientific and public. Among the many commercial spinoffs this approach has produced, GPS arguably boasts the greatest impact on our daily lives. Told by a son of a navy insider—whose work helped lay the foundations for the system—and a science and technology journalist, the story chronicles the research and technological advances required for the development of GPS. The authors peek behind the scenes at pivotal events in GPS history. They note how the technology moved from the laboratory to the battlefield to the dashboard and the smartphone, and they raise the specter of how this technology and its surrounding industry affect public policy. Insights into how the system works and how it fits into a long history of advances in navigation tie into discussions of the myriad applications for GPS.

This new comprehensive look at the evolution of the American flight jacket from World War I to Desert Storm addresses not only the types worn, but focuses primarily on the art and adornment applied to the jackets. The most colorful and creative period for flight jacket art was World War II, and it is this era that comprises a major portion of this book. Additionally, many of the pieces are attributed to the original owner with biographical information, contemporary photographs of the individual, and the aircraft on which he served. Personal combat accounts are also included. Also covered are other military jackets used by flyers. American Flight Jackets, Airmen & Aircraft was compiled over a number of years by Jon Maguire and John Conway. The authors became friends through a mutual passion for aviation history and collecting. This book provides a valuable reference for the historians and collectors alike, and includes over 1000 photographs.

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 Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the Department of Defense (DOD), supplies more than 8,000 different items ranging from uniforms and body armour to tents and canteens. Military uniforms are procured through competitive contracts. This book provides an overview of military uniform assessment and procurement.

Academical dress has been worn by students and graduates for hundreds of years and even in this modern time shows no obvious sign of becoming obsolete. Each new university, on receiving its charter, adopts its own distinctive robes. This is an updated and expanded third edition of Dr George Shaw's comprehensive guide to the academical dress of British and Irish universities, produced in accordance with the original author's wishes, and published by the Burgon Society.

As witnesses to History's ups and downs, flags - and in particular infantry flags - reveal how short-lived ideas and their symbols can be when they are the unfortunate victims of auto-da-fe's thought up by different regimes. Today museums have only managed to preserve a few rare specimens and the period texts and documents are mostly incomplete. This is particularly true for the Army of Italy flags, those of the volunteers and those of the half-brigades from 1794-1803, which are still mainly unknown to this day. Faced with this type of major difficulty, and if a coherent picture of the flags is to be painted, a whole gamut of particularly inescapable assumptions has to be made. Nevertheless since historical exactitude does not allow for even the smallest unverifiable interpretations, it is up to us to warn our readers that the flags illustrated here are those that our research has enabled us to reproduce. Each individual regimental history has been established so as to follow the trail these flags left as they changed from regiment to half-brigade. These histories are not always able follow the rank numbering in the corps since there was often no direct association between them. For the reader to find his way around, an asterisk designates a battalion which was in at the foundation of the new regiment, and also shows that this unit's flag was most certainly adopted provisionally.

A quarter of a century since the award of the last honours and decorations of the southern African country of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), this is your chance to own the definitive roll of medal recipients. Rhodesia Medal Roll is the first book to list all gazetted recipients of Rhodesian honours and decorations from their inception in 1970. It even includes over 1,700 previously unpublished awards made between September 1979 and the abolition of the Rhodesian honours system in October 1981. Authoritative: the product of two years' research in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Comprehensive: listing over 12,000 separate awards, including awards to foreign nationals and former members of the Rhodesian security forces Accessible: fully indexed by surname With a separate chapter for each award, Rhodesia Medal Roll's large type, spacious layout and generous size (over 6" by 9") make it a pleasure to use-whether researching medals or family history, or simply browsing. Awards are presented in date order, and a full alphabetical index means that it is simple to cross-check awards and confirm entitlements. A definitive record of the award of Rhodesian honours and decorations, and an indispensable companion for enthusiasts of genealogy, medals or military history of southern Africa.

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.

Depicts the uniforms, insignia, decorations, horse equipment, and weaponry of cavalry regiments against the background of events in American military history.