The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Insignia of the 20th Century: A Comprehensive A-Z Guide to the Badges, Patches and Embellishments of the World's Armed Forces

THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MILITARY INSIGNIA is a comprehensive, illustrated guide to the insignia of the world's major armed forces in the twentieth century. It covers the badges of the armies, navies, air forces, special forces and paramilitary formations from World Wars I and II to the present day.As with many other objects used by our predecessors, badges are historical symbols which identify a group or nation and represent the taste and the technological limit of those who used them. The history of military insignia is explored, in a 64-page introduction, from their early beginnings in the days of chivalry to their application in modern military history.The main part of the book is an A-Z directory of every aspect of insignia, from aigrettes to wings. Organized by country, each section covers shoulder patches, proficiency badges, skill-at-arms badges, and badges of rank - from pips and stars to trouser seams and helmet markings. For each type there are details of its purpose, forces in which it was introduced, methods of wear, dates of service, and information relating to the national variations.Full-colour illustrations of rare badges and an extensive bibliography with references throughout the text make THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MILITARY INSIGNIA a must for the collector, the military historian, the researcher and the general military reader INTRODUCTION THE NEED TO distinguish between enemy and ally, leader and led, expert and novice has been a feature of war ever since men banded together to attack or defend their property. The Romans, with their large armies composed of men from many nations, formalized rank and skills, although often the specialists could be recognized by the fact that they marched and fought beside their special instruments of war. The early Middle Ages and the rather unstructured wars that followed saw a new development in insignia. THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MILITARY INSIGNIA OF THE 20TH A COMPREHENSIVE A-Z GUIDE TO THE BADGES, PATCHES AND EMBELLISHMENTS OF THE WORLD'S ARMED FORCES. [Hardcover] Guido Rosignoli