After investing seven years' effort and £60,000 of his own money, Twyford writer and broadcaster, Brian Matthews, has finally seen a unique reference book, The Military Music and Bandsmen of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich 1933-1945 make it into print.

Having declined offers from specialist military publishers, the former Peter Symonds' student opted to fund and publish his enormous feat of research through his own company, Tomahawk Films.

The book only came about by chance.

"I was producing and narrating World War II documentaries for television when I began receiving requests for the German music soundtracks. I eventually moved into WW2 German music production and, over the past 10 years, I have released 18 albums," said Brian.

"My company has become well-known in this particular field, leading to MGM in Hollywood asking me to help with the soundtrack for their current Bruce Willis movie, Hart's War.

"But it was only when I began receiving requests worldwide to supply the song lyrics that I realised that I actually knew less about the overall subject than I first thought!

"Though the tunes were among the many enduring memories of World War II, I began to question who exactly were the soldiers behind this evocative music and from where did these famous Korps songs originate?

"I then tackled a number of leading military authors and it soon became clear that nobody had really touched on this subject before, so I decided that I would have a go!

"Almost immediately, I had a vital break in meeting with representatives of the Waffen-SS Old Comrades' Association which led to my invitation to meet one of Adolf Hitler's favourite band conductors, Gustav Weissenborn, in Germany.

"This started the ball rolling and, after that, I simply carried on asking all the questions I needed answers to!"

That seven years of dogged, in-depth research has now resulted in a 100,000-word, 320-page, full-colour reference book documenting the illustrious history of German military music, from its creation in Turkey in the Middle Ages up to the modern Musikkorps of the Bundeswehr.

Early chapters examine the training and lives of the musical soldiers, documenting their instruments and uniforms.

Others chronicle the famous military music composers, tracing the Lili Marleen story and looks at life on the German "home front", with its fledgling network radio and recording industry, before reaching the dying days of the Reich and the fate of many of the superb military musicians.

The work comes up to date via the musical activities of East Germany's National Volksarmee and the modern bands and musicians of a reunified Germany.

Brian's next book is to be A Collector's Guide to Song Lyric Postcards of the Third Reich and he may be heard currently narrating a new series of holiday programmes for Sky Television's Travel Channel.

* The Military Music and Bandsmen of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich 1933-1945, price £50, is available from Tomahawk Films, PO 279, Winchester, SO21 1XT.