This was part of a comprehensive 3 vol. history of British military bands. The purpose was to document the history and pictures of these bands before many were downsized and amalgamated in the early 1990s. The book succeeds very well in accomplishing this goal. Lovers of military music will be saddened by how many of these bands are no more. Still, there is a lot here to enjoy. This volume covered mostly cavalry bands and staff bands. The color photos are great. Each band has its history, showing regimental music played, noteable events, famous bandmasters, etc. Considering how sketchy much of this history is, the author has done a fine job collecting what info. is available. Since these are out of print now the price tends to be high, but they are well worth collecting. The accompanying audio CD played by the band of the Royal Signals provides some of the appropriate regimental music for many of the bands listed. A true gem for the military music buff. The cover shows the massed bands of the Royal Armored Corps at one of their last occasions together during the Royal Tournament of 1991.