Major and Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide to the Somme is, without doubt, one of the best-selling guide books to the battlefields of the Somme. This latest updated edition, includes four recommended, timed itineraries representing one day's traveling. Every stop on route has an accompanying description and often a tale of heroic or tragic action.Memorials, private and official, sites of memorable conflict, the resting places of personalities of note are all drawn together with sympathetic and understanding commentary that gives the reader a sensitivity towards the events of 1916.
Thoroughly updated for this new third edition, Bradt’s World War I Battlefields remains the only compact practical travel guide to cover both French and Belgian battlefield sites involved in one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, which changed the face of foreign policy and European geography forever. The 2014-18 centenary of the First World War was a huge catalyst for battlefield tourism, leading to a proliferation of innovative new museums, memorials, commemorative trails, statues and more – which are comprehensively covered in this update. Co-authored by two award-winning travel writers, this lightweight and pocket-friendly guidebook is perfect for visitors. It covers all the main sites, memorials and museums of the entire Western Front alongside practical information such as travelling there and getting around, and how to book the best guided tours. In the Belgian section of the book, chapters cover Ypres and the Ypres Salient; Poperinge, Heuvelland and Messines (Mesen); Diksmuide, Veurne and Nieuwpoort; and Mons. In the French section, as well as the Somme, battlefields in Le Nord and Lille are featured, as are those in Pas-de-Calais; Aisne; and Marne, Champagne and Verdun. Visiting well-known Somme sights – such as Thiepval, the Somme 1916 Museum, Longueval, Le Hamel and Villers-Bretonneux – is a must for many visitors. But so, too, are Arras and the information centre dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Battle of Fromelles Museum, the Cambrai Tank 1917 museum, the Marne 14-18 Interpretation Centre, and the Sir John Monash Centre, which tells the story of Australian soldiers’ Western Front experiences in both countries. This updated and expanded edition features new information on the valuable contribution made by Black, Indian and Caribbean soldiers. There is also refreshed, detailed advice on how to find the resting place of family members lost in battle. For history buffs, those on battlefield tours, relatives of those who fought, school groups and students, there is no finer guidebook to visiting Great War sites in both countries than Bradt’s World War I Battlefields.
The Missing of the Somme is part travelogue, part meditation on remembrance—and completely, unabashedly, unlike any other book about the First World War. Through visits to battlefields and memorials, Geoff Dyer examines the way that photographs and film, poetry and prose determined—sometimes in advance of the events described—the way we would think about and remember the war. With his characteristic originality and insight, Dyer untangles and reconstructs the network of myth and memory that illuminates our understanding of, and relationship to, the Great War.
A history of the British Army’s experience at the Battle of the Somme in France during World War I. After an immense but useless bombardment, at 7:30 AM on July 1, 1916, the British Army went over the top and attacked the German trenches. It was the first day of the battle of the Somme, and on that day, the British suffered nearly 60,000 casualties, two for every yard of their front. With more than fifty times the daily losses at El Alamein and fifteen times the British casualties on D-day, July 1, 1916, was the blackest day in the history of the British Army. But, more than that, as Lloyd George recognized, it was a watershed in the history of the First World War. The Army that attacked on that day was the volunteer Army that had answered Kitchener’s call. It had gone into action confident of a decisive victory. But by sunset on the first day on the Somme, no one could any longer think of a war that might be won. Martin Middlebrook’s research has covered not just official and regimental histories and tours of the battlefields, but interviews with hundreds of survivors, both British and German. As to the action itself, he conveys the overall strategic view and the terrifying reality that it was for front-line soldiers. Praise for The First Day on the Somme “The soldiers receive the best service a historian can provide: their story is told in their own words.” —The Guardian (UK)
Released in 1969, the film Battle of Britain went on to become one of the most iconic war movies ever produced. The film drew many respected British actors to accept roles as key figures of the battle, including Sir Laurence Olivier as Hugh Dowding and Trevor Howard as Keith Park. It also starred Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer and Robert Shaw as squadron leaders. As well as its large all-star international cast, the film was notable for its spectacular flying sequences which were on a far grander scale than anything that had been seen on film before. At the time of its release, Battle of Britain was singled out for its efforts to portray the events of the summer of 1940 in great accuracy. To achieve this, Battle of Britain veterans such as Group Captain Tom Gleave, Wing Commander Robert Stanford Tuck, Wing Commander Douglas Bader, Squadron Leader BolesÅaw DrobiÅski and Luftwaffe General Adolf Galland were all involved as consultants. This detailed description of the making of the film is supported by a mouth-watering selection of pictures that were taken during the production stages. The images cover not only the many vintage aircraft used in the film, but also the airfields, the actors, and even the merchandise which accompanied the filmâs release in 1969 â plus a whole lot more. There are numerous air-to-air shots of the Spitfires, Messerschmitts, Hurricanes and Heinkels that were brought together for the film. There are also images that capture the moment that Battle of Britain veterans, some of whom were acting as consultants, visited the sets. Interviews with people who worked on the film, such as Hamish Mahaddie, John Blake and Ron Goodwin, among others, bring the story to life.
While best known as being the scene of the most terrible carnage in the WW1 the French department of the Somme has seen many other battles from Roman times to 1944. William the Conqueror launched his invasion from there; the French and English fought at Crecy in 1346; Henry Vs army marched through on their way to Agincourt in 1415; the Prussians came in 1870.The Great War saw three great battles and approximately half of the 400,000 who died on the Somme were British a terrible harvest, marked by 242 British cemeteries and over 50,000 lie in unmarked graves. These statistics explain in part why the area is visited year-on-year by ever increasing numbers of British and Commonwealth citizens. This evocative book written by the authors of the iconic First Day on the Somme is a thorough guide to the cemeteries, memorials and battlefields of the area, with the emphasis on the fighting of 1916 and 1918, with fascinating descriptions and anecdotes.
'He looked up at the sky, crystal blue and cloudless ... he closed his eyes, put the whistle to his lips and blew.' The first of July 1916 and in the French countryside tens of thousands of doomed British soldiers are being killed and wounded as the bloody Battle of the Somme begins. Captain Edward Harris, vainly encouraging his men over the top and headlong into the murderous German machine guns, is badly wounded. Crawling to a shell hole for cover, he lies helpless as the carnage continues around him. October 2015 and Tom Harris has no interest in the First World War. For him it's a conflict from another age. But during a visit to the battlefields he becomes fascinated by a headstone in a British war cemetery showing his namesake. Desperate to learn more Tom begins to delve into the past where he discovers ordinary men consumed by extraordinary times. And in doing so he unearths a remarkable and moving story of loss, despair, hope and redemption.
The only map to show all memorials, cemeteries, forts and ramparts of the battle of the Somme. It includes coverage of the battle lines of 1st July 1916, the ground gained, and the location of museums and bunkers. The map is drawn accurately to scale and may be used for navigation. Road numbers are clearly indicated. To achieve maximum clarity, only roads, towns, villages, woods etc that feature regularly in battle accounts, or are essential for orientation, have been included. All roads shown are suitable for family cars.
* New full colour, excellent value guide from the unrivalled Battlefield touring experts * The culmination of 30 years research and touring by the authors * In tune with modern travelling all places recommended as visits have not just a photo (around 450 in all) but also GPS references for satnavs. * The book will help you discover how to find
