Somme 1916: A Battlefield Companion (Battlefield Companions) Book

Gerald Gliddon's classic survey 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 the famous battle sites, such as High Wood and Mametz Wood, as well as the 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, the winners of the Victoria Cross and those who were 'shot at dawn', as well as Somme 'personalities' such as George Butterworth. This new edition honours the centenary of one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War.Read More