Battledress: The Uniforms of the World's Great Armies - 1700 to the Present

by I.T. Schick (Editor), Alun Chalfont (Introduction)

The advantages of a standardized uniform are perhaps very obvious to us in the twentieth century - easy identification of friend or foe and better discipline, to name but two - but the idea of 'uniform' only appeared with the standing army of the late seventeenth century, and the word 'uniform' did not reach Germany from France until the eighteenth century. This book traces the development of the uniforms of the great armies of the world from the Wars of European Succession to the Atomic Age; from the irregular and sometimes not very practical garb of the armies of the eighteenth century to the highly sophisticated and well-camouflaged uniforms and machinery with which we are familiar today. Not only are the essential types of uniforms methodically described but the history as well as the psychology of uniform is discussed by leading experts in the field. This book is also a remarkable artistic achievement; its 96 pages of full color include over 700 original drawings of individual soldiers by Wilhelm von Halem - a German painter with a lifelong interest in historical uniforms and customs - as well as splendid battle scenes by some of the world's most authoritative painters. There are also 60 black and white paintings and engravings.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, World War II, World War I, Military Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1978

Reviews

[Roger Burk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, how much can you read about the colors of facings and the placement of buttons?

[Cameron Flint · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book off the shelves of the Orrville, Ohio Public Library about 5 times during my childhood during the 1980s. While it is in no way a scholarly book, rather one of pictures and illustrations of military uniforms from the 1700s to the present with only minimal text-it fired my young imagination and love for history. I found, or rediscovered this book at a used book store when I was an adult, and I immediately remembered all of this childhood hours looking at the beautiful military uniforms of centuries past and my attempts to draw them! I bought it immediately and now it is a favorite of my son. Funny how books, even simple ones like this one, stay with one.

[Tom Axworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book with beautiful illustrations of uniforms from 1700 to the present: it is a wonderful companion to anyone who enjoys the hobby of toy soldiers.My son enjoyed its colorful illustrations while growing up and now my grandson is doing the same.

[Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a comprehensive guide to European military uniforms over the past three centuries. If you are at all interested in military uniforms, then this book is worth a look.

The best part of the book are the plentiful illustrations of various uniforms. They are detailed and cover a vast portion of all the different types of uniforms that existed. In particular, the sections covering the years from 1700 to the mid 1800s take up the majority of the drawings, and to me are the most interesting. It is fascinating how many units there were; chasseurs, carabiniers, cuirassiers, dragoons, hussars, and more! It is also quite interesting to note the differences (and similarities) between nations.

While the drawings are the highlight of the book to me, the accompanying text was a valuable source of information as well.

Overall, this book is a great read, whether you are just looking to browse through colorful and entertaining uniforms, or looking to study the evolution of military uniforms.

[P.D.R. Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent historical details, a bloomin' pain if you think each regiment had a set uniform as they changed with fashions and commanders!

Good background history, good illustrations, useful details for writers.