Originally published in 1964 this is a critically acclaimed classic history of the military engagements of the Somme that raged from July to November 1916. It tells of bloody battles interspersed with trench actions of dreadful intensity. In addition to the key confrontations Farrar- Hockley provides a detailed background to the Somme planning and why it failed with dreadful casualties. In its entirety, the conflict along the Somme scarred the minds of a whole generation, becoming recorded by historians as the graveyard of the 'flower of British manhood'. AUTHOR: General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley served in the British Army through World War II until retirement in 1983. He commanded a parachute regiment and brigade, the land forces in Northern Ireland, an armoured division and was NATO commander-in-chief, Northern Europe. Charles Messenger served 20 years as an officer in the Royal Tank Regiment. Now a full-time military historian and defence analyst, he is author of nearly 40 books. SELLING POINTS: . 'How catastrophic the affair was is admirably illustrated by Colonel Farrar-Hockley's round-by-round and sector-by-sector account' New Statesman . Anniversary edition of a classic history . Introduced by Charles Messenger . Foreword by one of the author's children . Comprehensive and accessible history of the Somme 8 b/w plates. 29 b/w photos