In 1870, after completing a 1000-mile trek across Canada, Lt. W.F. Butler, an officer of the British Army, recommended the establishment of a 'well-equipped force from 100 to 150 men, one-third to be mounted' for the purpose of policing the North West; three years later, the North West Mounted Police was established. By the late 1980s, this force, now the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), had grown to include 18,000 members, with a budget of more than $1 billion. This book outlines the origins and evolution of the RCMP, detailing its formation, tasks, uniforms and insignia.