Brassey's Book of Uniforms

- The British army collected urine from pubs as a vital ingredient for dyeing uniforms scarlet - Mongolian horsehair and Tibetan yak hair are used to make the plumes for the Royal Household Cavalry - Confederate Gray in the Civil War was anything but gray, ranging from brown to blue to white - Britain's Special Air Service wears black Introduced as an attempt to civilize soldiers and make their presence acceptable to civilians, the very fabric of uniforms contains references to a darker, barbaric past when warriors wore furs and feathers and painted their bodies to frighten their opponents and victims. Following on the popular interest in Brassey's Book of Camouflage (see page 33), this book will appeal not only to the military enthusiast but also to the social historian and the worlds of design, art, and fashion.