The Somme Campaign

The five and a half month long Somme campaign in the summer and autumn of 1916 was a defining moment in the history of the British Army. From the disastrous opening day on 1 July to the final attacks in November, each large battle and minor action is given equal treatment inside these pages.

The book concentrates on the British Army's repeated efforts to first break through the enemy lines, and then to wear down the Germans in a bloody war of attrition. By compiling information from the Official History and the printed histories we get a balanced view of the most talked about side of the campaign, the British side.

You will find plenty of information on the reasoning behind each battle and the objectives. There is discussion on artillery bombardments, tactics, zero hours, the terrain and insights into the successes and failures of each attack. Over ninety new maps chart the day-by-day progress of Fourth and the Reserve Army across the rolling chalk downs of the Somme.

Together the narrative and maps provide an insight into the British Army's learning curve during that fateful summer; a learning curve which set the scene for future battles on the Western Front. We can see the hard lessons learnt and the solutions used to solve a multitude of problems, from communication and all arms co-operation, to the inclusion of tanks and the growing role of the Royal Flying Corps.