Somme 1916: A Battlefield Companion

The comprehensive guide to the triumph and tragedy of the battle of the Somme Gerald Gliddon’s classic survery of the Somme battlefield in 1916, first published in 1987 to great acclaim, has been greatly expanded and updated to include the latest research and analysis. Supported by a wide selection of archive photographs and drawing on the testimony of those who took part, this new edition covers both the famous battle sites, such as High Wood and Mametz Wood and lesser known villages on the outlying flanks. It includes a day-by-day account of the British build-up on the Somme and the ensuing struggle, British and German orders of battle and a full history of the cemeteries and memorials, both ‘lost’ and current, that sprang up in the years following the First World War. The author also provides thumbnail biographies of all the senior officers to fall, as well as the winners of the Victoria Cross and those who were ‘shot at dawn’. In addition, Somme ‘personalities’ such as George Butterworth are covered in far greater detail than before. AUTHOR: Gerald Gliddon is a leading authority on First World War history and his Somme 1916 has become an indispensable reference guide for anyone wanting to understand this theatre of warfare. He has written extensively on this period, including: ‘VCs of 1914, The Final Days 1918’ and ‘VCs Handbook: The Western Front 1914-1918’. He has also recently written a study of Lutyens’ war memorials.
SELLING POINTS: . New and updated edition of this classic work . An A Z reference guide to the Somme . Includes detailed analysis of the tactics, terrain and personalities of the Somme . This book is essential to complete any military historian’s library 100 b/w illustrations