History

Throughout history, the world’s finest warriors have been defined by the equipment they use and the uniforms they wear. This splendid collection of artwork illustrates famous combatants from the Ancient world to the present day, revealing how echoes of tradition and the latest developments in warfare have often combined to influence military costume.

From the gleaming plate armour of the medieval knight to the sleek camouflage gear of modern special ops forces; from the distinctive attire of the Japanese samurai to the ballistic armour and modern electronics of Russia’s elite Spetsnaz – this is the premier guide to the appearance of history’s greatest warriors.

(Quoted from the back cover of the book.)

The Book

Osprey Publications Ltd has released Warriors – Fighting Men and Their Uniforms as a hardback book with 320 pages. The size of the book is 5.8” wide x 5.8” high x 1.2 inches thick. Included with the text are several color illustrations by 28 different contributing artists. It has a 2015 copyright and the ISBN is 978-1-4728-1297-1. The book details various countries’ soldiers and their uniforms throughout history.

The Contents

• Introduction
• The Ancient World 1300 BC - AD 500
• The Medieval World AD 600 - 1500
• Early Modern Warfare 1500 - 1700
• Imperial Wars 1740s - 1815
• 19th Century Wars c. 1825 - 1900
• World War I 1914 - 1918
• World War II 1939 – 1945
• Modern Warfare 1945 to present day
• About The Artists

The Text

The text in the book is well written and detailed. Author Martin Windrow provides a brief history with each illustration shown. Each illustration comes with an average of a page and a half of text describing the time frame and the military shown. The text also discusses and gives details about the individual uniforms, weapons and equipment shown. As I read through the text I didn’t notice any spelling or grammatical errors. Grammar and spelling might not be an important factor to everyone however it is something that I take notice of and pass on my findings. I feel that if the text is well written then it shows that the author has taken the time to be a professional with their writing. Anyone wanting to add a nice uniform reference history book to their personal library will be pleased with this informative and interesting book.

(Please refer to the scans that I have provided so that you can judge the text for yourself.)

The Photographs

There are no photographs contained in this volume.

The Illustrations

There is a total of 158 color and 3 black and white illustrations included in this volume, not counting the illustrations shown on the front and back covers. The illustrations are very well done, nicely detailed and are what one has come to expect from the talented artists whose work is featured in other Osprey Publishing titles. The illustrations are by the following 28 artists:

• Adam Hook
• Andrei Karachtchouk
• Angus McBride
• Bryan Fosten
• Christina Hook
• Darko Pavlovic
• Elizabeth Sharp
• Gerry Embleton
• Giuseppe Rava
• Graham Turner
• Guido Rosignoli
• Jeffery Burn
• Johnny Shumate
• Jonathan Smith
• Michael Perry
• Michael Welply
• Mike Chappell
• Patrice Courcelle
• Peter Dennis
• Raffaele Ruggeri
• Ramiro Bujeiro
• Richard Hook
• Rick Scollins
• Ronald Volstad
• Sam Embleton
• Simon McCouaig
• Stephen Andrew
• Stephen Walsh

Please refer to the scans that I have provided so that you can judge the illustrations for yourself.

This book was provided to me by Osprey Publishing Ltd. Please be sure to mention that you saw the book reviewed at Armorama when you make your purchase.

Conclusion

All in all I like book. This is a nice reference book that contains many excellent illustrations and well detailed text. This volume will be beneficial to anyone interested in military uniforms throughout history. I would have no hesitation to add other Osprey titles to my personal library nor would I hesitate to recommend this book to others as it will be a welcome addition to one’s personal military reference library.

References

Arms and Uniforms
The First World War Part 1
Liliane and Fred Funcken
Ward Lock Limited - London

Military Uniforms & Weaponry
The Poster Book Of World War I
90 Authentic Figures in Color
Illustrated by Pierre Turner
Introduction By Andrew Mollo
Military Press

G.I. – The Illustrated History Of The American Soldier, His Uniform And His Equipment
The War in Europe
From Kasserine Pass to Berlin 1942-1945
John P. Langellier
Greenhill Books

Tank And AFV Crew Uniforms Since 1916
Martin Windrow
Color Illustrations by Gerry Embleton
Squadron/Signal Publications

Native American Clothing An Illustrated History
Theodore Brasser
Firefly Books

World War 2 Combat Uniforms and Insignia
Squadron/Signal Publications, #6013
Published in 1977
Martin Windrow with color illustrations by Gerry Embleton

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