Uniforms of the SS: Allgemeine-SS 1923-1945

The multi-volume work of Andrew Mollo on the uniforms of the SS remains the single best treatment of the subject in the English language, not the least because of the extensive use of footnotes to acquaint the reader with his sources. While the books are as much as thirty years old, no more recent work can match the breadth and depth of this series. Subsequent works may boast more photographs in color and more detailed illustrations of certain pieces of militaria, but they have not reached or surpassed the level of historical scrutiny achieved by Mollo and his artist collaborators. These later works are more attractive to the eye, but they fail to inform the reader about the nature of the material in the manner necessary for the task. The sole exception to this generalization is the work of the mid-1980s of John Angolia on cloth SS insignia and the recent work on camouflaged uniforms of the W-SS. However, neither of these includes all facets of the subject, as do these seven volumes.