Staying at a farm - published cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather

Where Are The Boys? A book on the first day of the Battle of the Somme

Where Are The Boys?

The First Day of the Battle of the Somme

To commemorate the first day of the battle of the Somme, authors Andrew Hamilton and Alan Reed in a stunningly and imaginatively designed book paint a vivid and detailed picture of the catastrophe that unfolded on 1st July 1916.

• Over 19,000 British soldiers were killed and nearly 40,000 wounded during the worst day in British military history

• The events are seen from the perspective of thirteen men involved on the day, General Rawlinson, one of the architects of the Somme offensive, a Major-General sacked for an alleged ‘lack of offensive spirit’, a chaplain who helped the wounded and dying, a battalion commander so deeply shocked by the loss of many of his men that he committed suicide and nine soldiers of varying rank who went ‘over the top’

• Of those nine, five were killed and four survived - their personal stories illustrate the enormity of the disaster, the horrors encountered and the calamitous effect on the loved ones of those who fell

• 172 battalions participated on 1st July of which 94 were ‘Pals’ battalions raised from towns and cities nationwide by Lord Kitchener’s recruitment campaign. The involvement of each battalion and how it fared is chronicled in a fascinating chapter, a mine of information about flame projectors, footballs kicked into No Man’s Land, numbers of men with no known grave, under-age boys who were killed …

Where are the Boys? is ideal for those wishing to follow in the footsteps of an ancestor or keen to explore the 17 mile long front line

• Ten walks and drives take the reader to well-known areas of the Somme front - to cemeteries, memorials, No Man’s Land, the villages attacked by the British, mine craters and trench systems as well as interesting places off the beaten track. Maps of outstanding quality and clarity will enhance the walking or driving experience


Martin Middlebrook has written the best book on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme so we are delighted with his comment about ‘Where are the Boys?’:  “A beautiful new book, describing the ‘First Day’ in an unusual and interesting way”



Authors: Andrew Hamilton and Alan Reed
Published by: Dene House Publishing, Walton, Warwick CV35 9HX
Email: denehouse@btconnect.com
Website: www.meetatdawnunarmed.co.uk
Phone: 01789 842903 / 07743 696166
Publication date: 1st June 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9561820-4-3
Price: £21.00 incl p&p

Pages: 320
Photographs: 225 (Colour: 115, Black and White: 110)
Cartoons: 2
Maps: 13

Pages from Where Are The BoysA selection of images from Where Are The Boys?

 

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