This encyclopedic art book charts the history of camouflage from its inspiration in nature, through its adoption by the military, to its current uses in design and popular culture. Divided into two books totaling 944 pages, DPM offers comprehensive coverage of this multifaceted and highly engaging subject. It contains more than 5,000 images by the world's leading nature, military and fashion photographers. It includes a comprehensive guide to the camouflage patterns issued to soldiers of 107 nations around the world and documents the rise of camouflage outside the armed forces - its use by anti-war protestors in the 1960s, further exploration by modern artists, and reinvention within areas such as fashion, architecture, music, film and sport. Depictions of camo-clad cultural icons such as David Beckham, Robert De Niro, U2, Notorious B.I.G., Ali G, Neneh Cherry and Joe Strummer illustrate the theme. Rescuing camouflage from its unhappy associations with war and conflict, this book emphasizes its natural beauty. It is the modern reference guide for both the novice and the seasoned camoufleur.

Camouflage has come a long way from jungle drab to modern-day colorful fluorescents—and this volume covers its history and development, with 450 patterns from around the world. It includes the pioneering and now highly collectible camouflage equipment of the German Army in World War II; the famous Tigerstripe worn by American soldiers in Vietnam; and the classic designs worn by today’s armies, including the U.S. Military “woodlands” pattern and the British DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material).