Can anyone recommend a reference book or two?

[MrEd]

As per title, can anyone recommend a reference book or two about British uniforms (can be wider period than Great War but I am not really that interested before 1st boer or beyond ww2 tbh)

had a search in the forum and have found a few references to a few different books, but is there one that’s considered the ‘bible’?

 

thanks

ed

[FROGSMILE]

18 hours ago, MrEd said:

As per title, can anyone recommend a reference book or two about British uniforms (can be wider period than Great War but I am not really that interested before 1st boer or beyond ww2 tbh)

had a search in the forum and have found a few references to a few different books, but is there one that’s considered the ‘bible’?

 

thanks

ed

The two I could not do without are both by Michael Barthorp:

1. British Infantry Uniforms since 1660. ISBN 1 85079 009 4

2. British Cavalry Uniforms since 1660. ISBN 0 7137 1043 8

If my house was on fire those are the two that I would take.  You can get used copies for around £10 each.  Worth every Penny.  There are other, similarly focused books by the likes of W Y Carman, but they are not so readable or well laid out.  It’s a rare day that I don’t take the Barthorp books out to check something.  

Edited 30 October , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[MrEd]

53 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

The two I could not do without are both by Michael Barthorp:

1. British Infantry Uniforms since 1660. ISBN 1 85079 009 4

2. British Cavalry Uniforms since 1660. ISBN 0 7137 1043 8

If my house was on fire those are the two that I would take.  You can get used copies for around £10 each.  Worth every Penny.  There are other, similarly focused books by the likes of W Y Carman, but they are not so readable or well laid out.  It’s a rare day that I don’t take them out to check something.  

Great thank you, I will email Paul Meekins who I usually get my military and history books from and see if he has them

 

thanks 

Ed 

[FROGSMILE]

13 minutes ago, MrEd said:

Great thank you, I will email Paul Meekins who I usually get my military and history books from and see if he has them

 

thanks 

Ed 

Just Google the titles and you can pick the best price, they are both currently available, and Paul Meekins is not necessarily the best source.  You sound like his publicist!

[MrEd]

2 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Just Google the titles and you can pick the best price, they are both currently available, and Paul Meekins is not necessarily the best source.  You sound like his publicist!

Just have had good stuff from him before, for good prices is all. I just try to avoid Amazon tbh, abebooks is another one, as is worldofbooks

Edited 29 October , 2022 by MrEd

[FROGSMILE]

Just now, MrEd said:

Just have had good stuff from him before, for good prices is all. I just try to avoid Amazon tbh, abebooks is another one

You can get them anywhere, even EBay and Oxfam. 

[MrEd]

11 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

You can get them anywhere, even EBay and Oxfam. 

Found them both on abebooks for less than £9

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, MrEd said:

Found them both on abebooks for less than £9

Like I said…pick the best price.  I cannot recommend publications by Michael Barthorp highly enough.

[MrEd]

11 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Like I said…pick the best price.  I cannot recommend publications by Michael Barthorp highly enough.

Look forward to receiving them, thanks for the recommendation  

[FROGSMILE]

12 minutes ago, MrEd said:

Look forward to receiving them, thanks for the recommendation  

There is one error in the appendices.  The RWF fur cap plume was on the right, as with the RF and RSF.  A minor slip given all the information contained.

Edited 29 October , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[MrEd]

44 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

There is one error in the appendices.  The RWF fur cap plume was on the right, as with the RF and RSF.  A minor slip given all the information contained.

Thanks, will annotate accordingly  

[KENDO]

One of a range in Brassey's History of Uniforms range

[MrEd]

Thanks

[Grovetown]

22 hours ago, MrEd said:

Thanks

The Brassey's book has it's moments, but isn't that great overall.

In terms of "bibles" as you asked above, when it comes to service dress, you would want:

Campaign 1914 and Campaign 1915, both by Chris Pollendine; British Uniforms and Equipment of the First World War by John Bodsworth and, if money were no object, Uniforms & Equipment of the British Army in World War I: a Study in Period Photographs by Stephen J. Chambers

The Pollendine and Chambers books are still in print:

https://militarymodepublishing.com/shop.php?code=20014

https://militarymodepublishing.com/shop.php?code=20010

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0764321544/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CTKW7C549FCH71JXMMTB

The Bodsworth book is only available second-hand (if you can find it) and the production quality of some of the early editions wasn't all that, but the publishers do sell it still as a PDF.

https://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/product/item1097.html

Cheers,

GT.

[MrEd]

Thanks will add those to the wish list for Xmas!!!

[MaureenE]

 

 

On 30/10/2022 at 03:48, FROGSMILE said:

The two I could not do without are both by Michael Barthorp:

1. British Infantry Uniforms since 1660. ISBN 1 85079 009 4

2. British Cavalry Uniforms since 1660. ISBN 0 7137 1043 8

If my house was on fire those are the two that I would take.  You can get used copies for around £10 each.  Worth every Penny.  

 British Infantry Uniforms since 1660 is available to read online at Archive.org as a "Book to Borrow". Download is available for 14 days if you Borrow for  the 14 days  option.

https://archive.org/details/britishinfantryu0000bart/mode/2up

Maureen

Edited 30 October , 2022 by MaureenE

[MrEd]

Thanks Maureen