The First Day of the Somme. 1 July 1916.

Martin Middlebrook

Published by Allen Lane/The Penguin Press, London England, 1971

About this Item

mark on cover from old labelAfter an immense but useless bombardment, at 7.30a.m. on 1 July 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 sufferd nearly 60,000 casualites, two for every yard of their front. The casualties exceeded not only the entire infantry strength of the present British Army but the combined battle casualties of the Crimean, the Boer and the Korean wars. With more than fifty times the daily losses at El Alamein and fifteen times the British casulaties on D-Day, 1 July 1916 was the blackest day in the history of the British Army. But, more that that, as Lloyd George recognised, 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. After that it was a struggle that had simply to be endured. And something more than confidence had vanished. Innocence could survive no longer. If the First World War is the beginning of modern history then 1 July 1916 is the most crucial day in that change. Illustrated. Very slight foxing to end pages. Some shelf wear to top edge and top corners of D/J.

Seller Inventory # 105845

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The First Day of the Somme. 1 July 1916.
• Publisher: Allen Lane/The Penguin Press, London England
• Publication Date: 1971
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 2nd Paperback Edition
• Condition: Good