The bloodiest battle in the history of the British Army. In 1916 the Great War seemed caught in a stalemate. It proved to be the most destructive ever encounter for the British Army, seeing thousands of casualties for every day of the conflict. It wasn\'t meant to have been like this: the British had a massive artillery superiority, and were primed to crush their enemy. In the end, despite fierce fighting, the Germans lost far fewer men. The Somme has come to be an emblem for the horrors of war, for the pounding of shells and the hunkering down in rain-sodden trenches. What happened? How did it go so wrong for the British?  Here in sharp detail, the bestselling writer John Harris tells the story of one the key battles of world history, describing in gripping terms how a series of events soon spiralled wildly, and hopelessly, out of control. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800328556 • Author: John Harris • Publisher: Canelo • Format: Paperback • Pages: 208 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.3 cm