World War One: German Army (Brassey's History of Uniforms)

This is an essential book for everyone with an interest in the German Army and the First World War. It is a thorough analysis of the uniforms, weapons and equipment employed by German forces between 1914 and 1918. From the mud and trenches of the Western Front to the snow and forests of the Eastern Front, it is the first book to take a comprehensive look at what the German soldier wore and fought with and how this was transformed by the experience of battle.The First World War was a cataclysmic combat, bringing home to European armies the full effect of modern industrialized warfare. The German Army, like its opponents, entered the war with uniforms more suited to the parade ground, but this was soon to change, bringing about the birth of the modern soldier in combat clothes. The ornamental spiked Picklehaube gave way to the steel Stahlhelm designed to protect the wearer against shrapnel wounds, the greatest killer of soldiers at the front. Camouflage appeared for the first time. Battlefield tactics were revolutionized and German soldiers became stormtroopers equipped with grenades and submachine guns.Stephen Bull's authoritative text is highly illustrated with over 150 colour and black and white photographs, and leading military artist Christa Hook has created four color plates for the book.