Encyclopedia of United States Army Insignia and Uniforms (Hardcover)

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Emerson, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, is the author of Chevrons, a detailed book on U.S. Army insignia, and a member of many collectors organizations. This massive reference book is intended for researchers, historians, collectors, dealers, and curators. It covers insignia and uniforms of the U.S. Army from 1782 to the present. Before insignia became common, the design of the uniform was especially important in identifying nationality and branch of service. Thus, one-third of this book is devoted to the study of uniforms, and two-thirds covers insignia. The book is divided into 22 sections and 80 chapters that are arranged to allow the identification of like objects (e.g., section 8, Musician's Insignias; chapter 13, "Lyres"; chapter 14, "Bugles, Horns, and Trumpets"). Coverage includes all branches of the army and everything from field clothing to dress uniforms. Insignia and uniforms for chaplins, medical personnel, foreign units, Indians, and women are covered in detail. The text is profusely illustrated with more than 2,000 black-and-white photographs and occasional line drawings. The illustrations are appropriately placed throughout the text and frequently show the items being worn. In an appendix is a well-illustrated seven-page essay on insignia fasteners. The bibliography has 249 listings for books, government documents, periodicals, and catalogs. Also assisting users is a nine-page index with appropriate see and see also references. Italic designations for illustrations in the index are hard to distinguish from regular type.

The only comparable work is the much smaller Military Dress of North America, 1665^-1970 by Windro (Scribner, 1973). It contains approximately 100 color and line drawings and 100 black-and-white photographs. Approximately one-third of that book is devoted to coverage of pre-Revolutionary armies in North America. Except for this small time period, Emerson is far more extensive in coverage and detail. Academic, public, and special libraries will want to consider this excellent book for their collections.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 674 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806126221
• ISBN-13: 978-0806126227
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #611,453 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great reference work, March 14, 1999

By A Customer

This book would primarily appeal to collectors. It is extensive in its coverage of the history of insignias and it also is liberally illustrated. A definite must have for the collector.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for collectors of US army insignia, March 9, 2002

By	P. P. Lockett (Auckland, Auckland New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As an avid collector of US Army cloth insignia from WWI to modern day,I had failed to do any research on branch insignia preferring the more colourful shoulder sleeve insignia.However as with all collecting one finds themselves the need for more information on all types of insignia worn on the uniform.This masterpiece of work fills this for all collectors of US Army insignia.This is a must have and an indispencible tool for the serious collector/historian.I personally rank William K Emerson's book along side that of Shelby L Stanton's order's of battle books for the amount of time, energy and finally the monumentous task of gathering and putting all this information together in one single volume. To this I must add the name of J Duncan Campbell listed in the preface.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Work for the Library, December 29, 2001

By	El Cutachero (MD USA) - See all my reviews

I have been acquainted with the author for many years so when I heard this work was to be published I looked forward to acquiring it.
As I was scheduled to retire in January 1998, I went to the planners of my party and told them rather than perhaps giving me an inappropriate, useless or redundant gift (After all I have been collecting books for forty five years.) I would like a gift certificate from a book store. Well, I got enough to get this and a fine thing it is too.
Every place I looked where I knew somthing about the subject, especially the post Korea-pre Vietnam Cold War when I served, I had no quarrel with what Bill said. So you can depend on the nineteenth century material which is just as well researched.
This book is much improved by not just being a catalog of insignia but identifies the clothing upon which it was worn, thus facilitating its use for identification.
Every major research library should have this in its collection along with his other mighty work Chevrons.