Ray Westlake

A Guide to Military Art Bands, Bandsmen and Sheet Music Covers Ray Westlake

Following the success of his volumes featuring the works of Thomas Rowlandson and Charles Hamilton Smith (both in his 'Guide to Military Art' series and published by the Naval & Military Press), Ray Westlake has this time turned his attention to military music. Delving into the many thousands of prints and original artworks available from his own and other collections, he has selected for this volume some 150 images featuring military musicians, bands and sheet music covers, each one the colourful and informative work of a talented artist.

The book is divided into two sections. The first shows images of military bands and those who played in them-drummers, trumpeters, buglers, pipers and players of brass instruments of all shapes and sizes, marching or standing still. Section Two then moves on to what we believe to be the first ever published account of sheet music covers featuring military subjects. As in Section One, these images will prove to be of equal interest and value to the uniform historian as any specialist painting or published print. A delight to look at, military sheet music covers will surely become a major collecting theme of the future.

There is much to be learnt from looking at pictures. 'Of all of our inventions for mass communication', noted American animation pioneer Walt Disney, 'pictures still speak the most universally understood language.' And, of course, we must not forget the wider use of, 'A picture is worth a thousand words.' A Guide to Military Art - Bands, Bandsmen and Sheet Music Covers keeps these words in mind and, in doing so, offers a colourful and informative record of this important aspect of military history.