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.
#2541968 in Books Greenhill Books 2006-02-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 1.18 x 6.38l; #File Name: 1853674354288 pages
Review
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Good Book ?By Robert MartinI am not a great Napoleon reader ; but I found this book to be a very good read on the subject .I like how the book went into the battle and also the paragraphs by the Soldiers themselves . The describtion of the course of the battle was very good . Would like to have seen more Maps about the different sections of the battle ; a lot of the towns and villages fought over were not on the maps giving. Outside of that enjoyed the book .18 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Decent Account of the "Battle of the Nations"By Aussie ReaderI had great expectations when I started reading this book. As soon as I saw the cover I knew that I had to read it; since there have been so few decent accounts of this pivotal battle. At long last a new book on the 1813 battle of Leipzig; the `Battle of Nations'.Alas it was not as good as I hoped. Although I found the research excellent and the first hand accounts very interesting the book was missing something. What it lacked; for me anyhow; was a story. The narrative was dry with lots of detail but it didn't seem to flow; to get you involved; as a good story should. I know the author is not writing a novel but a book that is just full of facts and details will lose its audience if its too dry to keep the reader awake.I found the maps to be OK but I still found times when the author mentioned a place and I failed to locate it. This book will be of great benefit to the war-gamers and hardcore Napoleonic War readers. However for a person who is looking for a free flowing account that just pulls you into the story and at the same time gives you the facts required to understand what happened and why this book may be a hard slog.15 of 20 people found the following review helpful. Leipzig Made Simple!By A CustomerI have been struggling to find a manageable book about the Leipzig campaign for some time. It's a big battle and hard to find a good balance between extremely detailed (long-winded?) accounts; or accounts which are simply too basic and superficial. After all; it is THE battle of Napoleonic wars in terms of size and duration!I found this Digby Smith book very accessible. He writes well; and the book is beter laid out than; say; the Bowden triology; which to my mind dont engage the reader as well; and focus unduly on the French perspective of the campaign - at the expense of the rest. Importantly for me; (and where he scores over the excellent Osprey title on Leipzig) he has a good set of orders of battle in the appendix. Digby Smith is always hot on providing lots of data in his books; and this book is no exception. Its not the extreme detail of a Nafziger orbat; but it tells you all you need to know. An excellent overall text; and; for me; just the right balance between content and detail - and in just one volume!
