Heraldry can be traced back to the dawn of history, before writing, when pictorial representations were used to identify individuals, families and tribes. 

Early on, heraldry took its place as an integral part of warfare. 

By the Middle Ages, it had blossomed into a complex system of fabulous coloured images emblazoned upon the shields, helmets and surcoats of lords and knights.

Gradually this rich display became formalized, part of the social order and integral to the qualifications of nobility, regulated by the king through his offices of heraldic orders. 

It remains alive today as an advertisement of a family's claim to gentility.

And the arts of heraldry have been applied to other fields; to offices of state, institutions and to nations themselves.

Here, in one compact volume, is a concise guide to the intricate language and colourful symbolism of heraldry. 

The evolution of emblems is explained along with shapes, colours, how they combine and what they mean.