There is certainly quite a strong connection between heraldry and orders/ decorations/ medals.
1. Recipients of orders and decorations often display the insignia as external ornaments to their arms.
Example : the arms of
Sir Ninian Stephen, a former governor-general of Australia, bedecked with no less than six orders, i.e. the Order of the Garter, the Order of Australia, the Order of the British Empire, the Order of St Michael & St George, the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of St John.
2. Then there are arms which contain the insignia of orders or medals as charges.
Example : the arms of
Malta, which display the George Cross awarded to the population for their bravery during enemy air bombardment in World War II.
3. And there are plenty of gongs which display coats of arms.
Example : the (US Army)
Distinguished Service Medal.
Odd, though, that the designer of Prof Clark's book's dust jacket chose to illustrate it with the UK campaign medals for World War I. While honourable, they are not "honours" as such, and they can hardly be status symbols when millions of them were issued to all ranks. The badges of a few orders would surely have been a more appropriate design.