This book was published in 1852 by subscription, so it is now a rare item indeed. The Library of the Royal Armouries at Leeds holds one copy, which has been chosen for reproduction by Naval and Military Press because of the scarcity of the book, the importance of its subject, and the expert and detailed descriptions given by the author. Col. Luard starts his history of uniforms with the ancient Britons, describing the dress of the soldiers of the Romano-British period, followed by the Anglo-Saxon and Norman invaders. As he approaches his own time his descriptions become more detailed. He describes the dress of British soldiers during the reigns of every sovereign from William Rufus to Victoria, and includes the Indian Army. He also includes their weaponry, marching drill, describes how armies were raised and formed in the various periods and explains the detail of armour, including armour for horses. The book is ideal for research into the changes in dress from the earliest times to the mid- 19th Century, and the illustrative plates add an extra dimension to the text. The excellent illustrations cover the whole period, from Roman soldiers via knights, cavalry and the New Model Army to the infantry, cavalry and artillery of 1852, Luard's own era.