Books on Military Symbols and Heraldry

Forbe!

I am looking for some books on modern military symbols and heraldry, most specifically their meanings and uses. I'm looking for works relating mostly to the use of symbols in military regalia and uniforms (medals, patches, etc etc).

I'm not looking for collectors guides, unless they specifically describe what each symbol means. Most collectors guides talk about what the patch is made of and where it was made.

A general guide to military symbols would be great (not map symbols), but specific military regimes are fine (Nazi, Soviet). Essentially, I am looking for a book with a historical, or academic focus, not necessarily for collectors.

Please don't just type in military symbols on amazon and link me to it.

So with that, anyone have any ideas where I can find any books like this.

theclam

I actually looked through Wikipedia a couple weeks ago on this very topic and found a ton of stuff. Try looking at a Wikipedia page and go through the sources that it cites from.

JustPlainPavek

This may not be exactly what you're looking for, but the Institute of Heraldry is a US Army office responsible for creating badges, medals, unit insignias, and more. Check out their website; links on the righthand side offer an exhaustive listing of all of these symbols, as well as an explanation of their heraldic origins and meanings.

Forbe!

Amazing, thanks.