Author(s): Julian Thompson

History

Verdun and the Somme were two of the most cataclysmic battles of the First World War on the Western Front. The carnage on that front in 1916 was unprecedented for all sides, and had a profound effect on the eventual outcome of the war. On the first day of the Somme, Britain and her Commonwealth suffered almost 60,000 casualties, the worst day's loss in British military history. Many people think of the battle solely in terms of that first disastrous day. In fact it lasted for four and a half months and would witness the arrival of the tank on the battlefield. Likewise Verdun lasted ten months and the steadfastness of the French soldiers remains legendary to this day. Relive and appreciate this shocking period in history by examining rare items of memorabilia such as maps, diary extracts, letters, sketches, secret memos and reports which had been filed away in museums and other collections around the world. Julian Thompson explains the battle in and engaging and informative way, with over 200 photographs from the Imperial War Museum, French and German museums.