This is an expert guide to the uniforms of Britain, America, Germany, USSR and Japan, together with other Axis and Allied forces. It is an incredible directory of the military personnel of the period, with 600 images, including photographs and illustrations of uniforms, kit, weaponry and equipment. It analyses the context of the conflict, and the ideology and politics that motivated the various national forces, as well as the experience of the soldiers who fought on the front lines. World War II was a huge conflict, fought on different fronts, covering diverse terrain and involving the fighting men of dozens of nations. At the outbreak of war in 1945 military uniforms had changed little from those worn by the soldiers of World War I, but as the conflict progressed changes were made to adapt to fighting and living conditions. This book covers in detail what the soldiers who fought in the war wore, from British infantrymen in Normandy to Japanese troops in Burma, and from Finnish ski divisions to female Chinese partisans. Lavishly illustrated, with intricate insignia detail, this book offers a definitive visual study of a pivotal period of history.

This unique illustrated book charts the development in military uniform in relation to a shifting world, in an incredible visual directory with expert analysis and commentary.

For many years, military historians and artists, collectors of militaria, war-gamers and war enthusiasts in general have felt the need for a comprehensive record of the uniforms, insignia and organisation of the fighting men of World War II. This remarkable book provides just such a record. Andrew Mollo is one of the leading British military historians with a worldwide reputation and his book is the result of years of study and research. His text not only details the design of uniforms and insignia but also describes their effectiveness in the field and how this affected the fighting ability of the troops themselves. An impressive series of 350 full-colour drawings has been specially commissioned for this book. These are supported by 160 photographs of the combatants in action, along with 53 plates of insignia. The authenticity of the drawings, together with the comprehensive descriptions, make The Armed Forces of World War II an invaluable source of reference for all students of military uniform.

Features over 250 full-color illustrations of uniforms from 30 countries in World War II, accompanied by detailed histories and descriptions.

The Crimean War is sometimes considered to be the first modern conflict and introduced technical changes which affected the future course of warfare.

This title details the uniforms of the Roman army and its enemies, from the first decades of tribal warfare in Italy, through the republican and imperial periods, up to the end of the eastern Roman Empire.

In the years after World War I, the defeated and much-reduced German Army developed new clothing and personal equipment that drew upon the lessons learned in the trenches. In place of the wide variety of uniforms and insignia that had been worn by the Imperial German Army, a standardized approach was followed, culminating in the uniform items introduced in the 1930s as the Nazi Party came to shape every aspect of German national life. The outbreak of war in 1939 prompted further adaptations and simplifications of uniforms and insignia, while the increasing use of camouflaged items and the accelerated pace of weapons development led to the appearance of new clothing and personal equipment. Medals and awards increased in number as the war went on, with grades being added for existing awards and new decorations introduced to reflect battlefield feats. Specialists such as mountain troops, tank crews and combat engineers were issued distinctive uniform items and kit, while the ever-expanding variety of fronts on which the German Army fought – from the North African desert to the Russian steppe – prompted the rapid development of clothing and equipment for different climates and conditions. In addition, severe shortages of raw materials and the demands of clothing and equipping an army that numbered in the millions forced the simplification of many items and the increasing use of substitute materials in their manufacture. In this fully illustrated book noted authority Dr Stephen Bull examines the German Army's wide range of uniforms, personal equipment, weapons, medals and awards, and offers a comprehensive guide to the transformation that the German Army soldier underwent in the period from September 1939 to May 1945.

Employs hundreds of images and written records from Japanese periodicals during World War II to trace the nation's transformation from a colorful, cosmopolitan empire in 1937 to a bleak total war society facing imminent destruction in 1945. This volume offers a representation of the official Japanese narrative of the war in contemporary terms.

Traces the origins and course of World War II across the globe, from the invasion of Poland to the destruction of Hiroshima. The book includes numerous contemporary photographs, as well as features and maps on particular aspects of the conflict and the military hardware used by both sides.

army branches - infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers - as well as the service and support branches comprising doctors and nurses, chaplains, musicians, quartermasters, military police, and the many others who have made up the U.S. Army. Insignia worn by all soldiers, such as eagles, devices with the letters US, and other letters and numbers, are also described and illustrated. Historians, military collectors, military reenactors, antique dealers and collectors,