In the years after World War I, the defeated and much-reduced German Army developed new clothing and personal equipment that drew upon the lessons learned in the trenches. In place of the wide variety of uniforms and insignia that had been worn by the Imperial German Army, a standardized approach was followed, culminating in the uniform items introduced in the 1930s as the Nazi Party came to shape every aspect of German national life. The outbreak of war in 1939 prompted further adaptations and simplifications of uniforms and insignia, while the increasing use of camouflaged items and the accelerated pace of weapons development led to the appearance of new clothing and personal equipment. Medals and awards increased in number as the war went on, with grades being added for existing awards and new decorations introduced to reflect battlefield feats. Specialists such as mountain troops, tank crews and combat engineers were issued distinctive uniform items and kit, while the ever-expanding variety of fronts on which the German Army fought – from the North African desert to the Russian steppe – prompted the rapid development of clothing and equipment for different climates and conditions. In addition, severe shortages of raw materials and the demands of clothing and equipping an army that numbered in the millions forced the simplification of many items and the increasing use of substitute materials in their manufacture. In this fully illustrated book noted authority Dr Stephen Bull examines the German Army's wide range of uniforms, personal equipment, weapons, medals and awards, and offers a comprehensive guide to the transformation that the German Army soldier underwent in the period from September 1939 to May 1945.

Through periods of glory, defeat and renaissance, the German Army uniform has evolved. Prussianistic and Germanic traditions have remained strong throughout the uniform's history, and can still be found in the insignia and equipment of the present-day soldier. In 1870 the uniforms worn by Imperial German soldiers varied between the different principalities. The spiked helmet (pickelhaube) was first adopted by Prussia in 1842, but it was later used throughout Germany. The pickelhaube was made out of leather, with metal reinforcement and a metal spike. It went through a number of modifications, such as the introduction of a round visor and the replacement of the rear spine. Within the colonies, there was even greater variation in uniform and equipment. In German East Africa, the soldiers wore white service uniforms with white tropical helmets and the national cockade of black, white and red. The East Asia Brigade wore a field gray jacket with four front pockets lined with leather, designed for carrying cartridges. Uniforms of the German Soldier has more than thirty color photographs and more than 300 black-and-white photographs, giving the reader an unparalleled analysis. Each photograph is accompanied with a detailed caption, explaining interesting aspects of the soldier's uniform, insignia and equipment.

Kraus Jürgen, Verlag Militaria , Austria , 2004 (English) Massive and wonderful, this 640 page tome in English is not just a helmet book. Everything from uniforms, hats, ammo pouches to mess tins are covered. The photographs are simply outstanding and the text goes where no text has gone before. The sheer breadth of topics is overwhelming. The approach is museum like and the proof is there. The English language version is just fine. The translation works it is not like babelfish. Much of the photo lexicon is based around "Probe" tagged items. These were examples placed in the Army museum at Rastatt. By having the example a standard could be made for that specific producer of that item. The pictures in the book mainly come from Rastatt and the Bavarian Army Museum. This is a look at the field uniform and equipment. The author envisions several volumes to deal with other parts of the Imperial German army. There are tons of period photos backing up the artifacts. This is 1914-1918 so wartime. Ersatz and wartime helmets are shown in a detail offered no where else. There are 4 main sections to the book 1. Development of the field gray uniform 2. The basic items of uniform 3. Uniforms and insignia of branches of service. Biggest part not based on regiment but branch. 4. Equipment. There is never enough in the write ups but the author admits there is too much subject. I will continue to read but this is amazing. There is a qualitative difference between the books published by Verlag Militaria and other publishers. Verlag Militaria books are so much higher quality. The books by Schiffers are attractive but do not contain the quality in the narration, pictures, or research provided by Verlag Militaria. This is wartime unlike some of the other books from by Verlag Militaria which cover the prewar only.

These groundbreaking volumes present, for the first time, a comprehensive view of the World War II German Armys most elite formation: Grodeutschland. Exceptional detail of rare uniforms and unique insignia are woven with Grodeutschlands history and development from an independent motorized regiment in 1939 to a panzergrenadier division within a corps that adopted its name in 1944. Its two closest sister units, the Wachbataillon Berlin and the Fhrer Begleit Battalion are also covered in the same superb level of detail. Awards, decorations, portraits and personal effects of common soldiers and noted personalities, covering every arm of service within the units, are presented in over 4,000 spectacular color and black and white images.

This book is the most complete study in English on East German (DDR) military and police service, parade and combat uniforms. With over 1,000 images - hundreds in full color - the uniforms, headgear, and insignia of all military service branches as well as police and border forces are covered in superb detail. Also presented are official regulations, dress codes, women's uniforms, accessories, and a wide selection of period images covering the entire DDR period from 1949-1990.

During the Third Reich, almost every German wore a uniform, whether military or civil. Nearly 250 of the most important ones appear here, modeled by their most typical wearers. The paintings -- based on contemporary photographs for accuracy-depict all the primary styles ptive sections explain each uniform's place in the hierarchy, the battle roles of the wearer, and a fascinating range of detail.