The Book of Camouflage ― The Art of Disappearing

Covering the origins of camo patterning, from Wehrmacht field gray, to US Army green, and Commonwealth khaki, to its use in combat today, The Little Book of Camouflage tells the history of camouflage patterning in conflict.

The collection of images for the The Book of Camouflage was put together by the author and his father, Peter Newark, whose personal library dates back to the late 1960s when he started collecting historic images from antique books, magazines, newspapers and photographic collections. Notable artists include George Caitlin, Charles Hamilton Smith, Richard Simkin, Ernest Shepherd and Edward Wadsworth. Some of the most striking series of images in the book are the unique camouflage paintings from a French publication dating back to 1920 which the Imperial War Museum reproduced for their Camouflage exhibition.

Author Tim Newark provides a field guide to camouflage from conception to uses, colors to key patterns including the German uniforms of World War II, the iconic American uniforms worn during Vietnam, the British DPM, and all the way up to the varied patterns in use in the armies of present day. Illustrated throughout with the patterns themselves and images of camouflage in use, Tim Newark presents a quick and detailed look at the most prolific camouflage patterns.

In 1996, Tim wrote Brassey’s Book of Camouflage – the first book to tell the entire story of camouflage uniforms. It stuck a chord with the fashion industry and was a hit among design students, with Tim appearing on the BBC TV Clothes Show. He has continued his research into the history of camouflage and in 2007 he was the author of Camouflage (Thames & Hudson), the book accompanying the Imperial War Museum exhibition, the first to show the entire history of camouflage from the First World War to its impact on contemporary fashion.