The Battle of the Somme has become a byword for sacrifice and senseless slaughter. It had a searing impact on the British mindset that still resonates over a century after it occurred. This largely stems from the events of 1 July 1916, the first day of the battle which cost the British Army over 19,000 dead and nearly another 40,000 wounded, captured and missing, the bloodiest day in the Army's history.
Yet the battle continued for four and a half months and a century of research suggests a far more nuanced picture. Britain was not fighting alone and the French contribution, often overlooked, was clearly very significant. The Somme also saw the very first use of tanks in battle, at Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916, an event that changed the course of warfare forever.
Moreover, there are now commentators who believe the Somme was a victory, albeit an expensive one. The Somme also had an immense social historical significance, due to both the way it impacted virtually every community in Britain and to the films which held audiences spellbound all over Europe.
While a great deal has been written about the Somme, this book is much more than just a history of the battle. It focuses on the equipment and tactics used by both sides and the strategic objectives the battle was designed to achieve. Uniforms, logistics, weapons, all the components of the battleplan are discussed and described in detail in a creative and innovative manner. This new approach to one of the most significant battles in British military history will attract a great degree of interest from a wide range of readers.

Dr Stephen Bull is a museum curator and university external examiner who straddles the divide between the 'serious' and what most of the world actually wants to read. Interested in history from an early age he studied at the University of Wales, and has previously worked at the BBC and National Army Museum in London. Now Curator of Military History and Archaeology for Lancashire County Museums, he has curated a number of exhibitions as well as completing an MBA, and been elected to the Institute for Archaeologists. His work is published on both sides of the Atlantic and translated into a variety of languages. Recently he was listed for the Portico Prize for Literature.
Stephen has made many TV and radio appearances, and at time of writing is working with Definition Media on a new UK TV series. In 2011 he collaborated with Impossible Pictures on 'Last War Heroes', writing the book to accompany this well received Channel 4 production which has been broadcast in the UK, US, and Canada. Having been a lecturer or examiner with several North West universities he is now a consultant to the University of Oxford, where he is assisting in the creation of a European database to document the individual experience of the First World War through archives, photographs, and objects. The photograph shows Stephen (right) with Lorenz Andraes at the German National Library, 'DNB', Frankfurt.
Dr Stephen Bull is currently Curator of Military History and Archaeology for Lancashire Museums. He has previously worked at the National Army Museum, and for the BBC in London. He is the author of more than twenty military and historical titles published in Europe and the US, and he has appeared in the TV series Battlefield Detectives. Among his many publications are An Historical Guide to Arms and Armour, Volunteer! The Lancashire Rifle Volunteers 1859-1885, Brassey's History of Uniforms: World War One British Army, World War I Trench Warfare, Encyclopedia of Military Technology and Innovation, World War II Infantry Tactics, World War II Jungle Warfare Tactics and Commando Tactics: The Second World War.