Anzac Elite: The Airborne and Special Forces Insignia of Australia and New Zealand.

by Cliff Lord and Julian Tennant. Published by IPL Books, PO Box 10-215 Wellington, New Zealand and 57 Sir Thomas Mitchell Drive, Davidson, NSW 2085 Australia, 2000. Distributed by IPI, Transpress, 26 Ascot St, Wellington 6000, New Zealand and John Reed Book Distributors, Unit 4F, 9- 13 Winbourne Rd, Brookvale, NSW 2100 Australia. ISBN 0-908876-10-6. Hard cover, 160 pp, well over 800 colour illustrations (most of cloth badges) plus 8 b & w and 2 maps, 297 x 210 mm (A4). Price $NZ69.95, $A59.95 plus p & p.

The authors, both with military backgrounds, have provided collectors of militaria with an invaluable reference tool that provides both an identification guide and a history of the units involved. The array of cloth patches and badges illustrated is stunning indeed, and this book has guaranteed itself a place on the shelves of collectors, museum curators and militaria traders.

The timespan covered is from 1939 to the present, and this was sufficient to generate a bewildering array of badges and patches of the 1st Australian Parachute Bn, Z and M Special Units, RAEME Rangers, the NZ LRDG, the SAS (of both countries), the RAN Clearance Divers. etc etc.

Besides the picture gallery, the identification guide and the unit histories, there is also a very useful glossary of abbreviations and terminology. Anyone who wishes to supplant this important work will really be working hard. In short, very highly recommended.