An excellent history of the first day of this 1916 battle first published in 1971. The author discusses the formation of Kitchener's New Army in detail. He picks 10 British combatants and follows their contributions and adventures through the battle and after it. The book is divided into chapters based on the time of day as the battle progressed. The book is almost entirely about the British component of the battle. The French activity on the British right is mentioned only when necessary, and there are a few diary excerpts and comments from within the German line. The author's analysis of the battle is relatively conservative and level-headed, with tempering statements about what was known and expected at the time. General (later Field Marshall) Haig gets off pretty easy with General Rawlinson and Lieutenant General R. C. Maxwell in the Quartermaster General's department taking the brunt of criticism (now, not then). I was not aware that General Allenby, the hero of the Near East, later High Commissioner for Egypt, and for whom the West Bank bridge is named, was considered a screw-up in Europe and was sent to the Middle East essentially as punishment.
Mr. Middlebrook takes care to tally British casualties (on July 1, 1916 only) at about 57,000, more than all British loses in the Crimean, Boer, and Korean Wars combined. He discusses the history of the British war cemeteries there, and he has an appendix that is an outline of a modern motor tour of the area. ( )

classic ( )

Excellent book. Well written and full of first person accounts. The courage of the troops was remarkable and the mediocrity of the leadership sad. ( )

Middlebrook's seminal work on the first day of the battle of the Somme. Based on his own interviews with dozens of survivors of the fighting it is informative, emotional, gripping, exhausting and an essential read to anyone interested in the Great War and the Somme. This is a classic of military history. ( )

De schrijver oordeelt in feite vrij mild over de aanval en de Britse militairen die er leiding aan gaven. De Britten moesten wel aanvallen, om de druk op de Duitsers te verlichten. Wat betreft de locatie was er niet veel keuze. Lees verder.... ( )