The Somme

by Robin Prior, Trevor Wilson

Despite superior air and artillery power, British soldiers died in catastrophic numbers at the Battle of Somme in 1916. What went wrong, and who was responsible? This book meticulously reconstructs the battle, assigns responsibility to military and political leaders, and changes forever the way we understand this encounter and the history of the Western Front.

"A magisterial piece of scholarship. . . . It is a model of historical research and should do much to further our understanding of the Great War and how it was fought."— Contemporary Review  

"Revisionist history at its best."— Library Journal (starred review)

"A major addition to the literature on the military history of the Great War" – Jay Winter

Genres: History, Military History, World War I, Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2005

About the author

Robin Prior was born in rural South Australia and has been a farmer, shopkeeper, librarian and an academic. He was educated at Kapunda High School and at the University of Adelaide where he obtained a degree in 1972, an honours degree in 1974 and a PhD in 1979 (all in Arts/History).

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prior & Wilson are the bad boys of WWI battle historiography, but while their donkey-bashing of Haig and Rawlingson may appear old-fashioned to some & their alternative solutions too simplistic ("more guns" as one critic summed it up) they provide a wealth of tactical & technical detail on the course of the campaign. Read as a "just the facts, ma'am" battle history, this is great. Unfortunately it clocks in kind of heavy after 300+ pages.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been using this book as a source for my First World War live blog ( https://ww1live.wordpress.com ). It offers a fascinating insight into how the British fought the Battle of the Somme. In some ways the book is groundbreaking and myth dispelling (on the first day of the battle, British troops mostly did not form up into lines and march shoulder-to-shoulder towards the enemy; those that did had the lowest casualties of the attacking troops) while in other ways it reinforces most people's understanding of the battle (i.e. that it was a disaster, for which primarily responsibility falls to Haig, the western front commander). It is good also on the political context of the battle, which continued despite politicians' increasing doubts as to whether it was serving any purpose, largely because no one could come up with a better alternative.

Prior & Wilson have done great work in using British archives to refresh our understanding of this battle. Where this book falls down is in its lack of attention to French or German sources. The French involvement in this battle has long been overshadowed by the the greater British effort, with Verdun being the memorable French battle of 1916. The neglect of French involvement in the Somme is nevertheless unfortunate, as large numbers of French troops were committed to the Somme. Similarly the book has little to say about the German experience of the Somme, save in so far as German tactical responses affected British progress. These omissions are unfortunate. Surely someone has written a book that fully engages with the Somme being a battle fought by the armies of three countries (together with contingents from across the British commonwealth).

That caveat aside, this remains a highly informative account of one of warfare's great disasters.

[Piker7977 · Rating 2 out of 5]

A military study concentrating on the British effort, tactics, and results of the Somme battle. Themes concerning artillery and infantry assault tactics become redundant and boring. The main highlights of the book encompass what took place on July 1st, 1916 and why infantry heroics are remembered in industrialized wars.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best First World War books I have ever read. Easy to read and not too long. Short sharp chapters make it easier to digest the information (a bite and hold strategy perhaps). Good maps and plenty of them with at least one map per chapter. Makes it hard to lose the plot. Lots of analysis throughout the book (not just facts and figures) and the political issues covered.

I'm looking forward to reading another book by these authors called Passchendaele: the untold story.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Of the 432,000 casualties probably 150,000 died and another 100,000 were too seriously wounded to serve again as infantry (or in most cases in any other capacity). That is, the Somme destroyed for ever the fighting capability of 250,000 men, or the infantry strength of 25 divisions. One out of every two British soldiers who fought on the Somme never fought again.”


Haig thought, “He relieved the pressure on the French at Verdun and thus saved their army to fight another day. He pinned the German army to the Western Front, thus relieving pressure on the Russians. And he commenced a well-thought-out process whereby the German army was to be worn out in 'one continuous battle over the next two years. None of these claims stands up to close scrutiny.”

And the most interesting response to the above paragraph by the author, “None of these claims stands up to close scrutiny.”

[Olivier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book thinking it would be a narrative of the events of an important moment in British and WW1 history. I was really looking to see how events of WW1 had impacted Britain and how these traumatic events would have shaped the mood and direction of English society since. I stand corrected. Instead, I find this to be a highly detailed, information and interesting analysis of the battle strictly from the point of view of modern warfare. It was totally unexpected AND, in a rare instant, a rather pleasant surprise. The analysis falls nothing short of comprehensive, systematic and very well reasoned - perhaps detailed in a way few other battle in history have been painstakingly dissected.

Yes, this is the wrong book to read to get a feel of the battlefield from the point of view of its participants. Instead, people who want to know how history is shaped (or changed; or refocused) by little nuances in the personalities, nuances, the "ticks" that those in "control" can have on history. This is also the wrong book to read if one is not interested in details. This volume is highly detailed - in a good & informative way.

These days, we are bombarded by phenomenon of the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic, plus the impact on our TV-viewing by the fictional miniseries "Downton Abbey" and, the novel (as well as the film adaptation) "Birdsong." It is interesting to note how more interesting and intriguing those topics now appear when seen in the light and context of reading and knowing details of this horrific, yet pivotal event in modern British history.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of the offensive as well as the political and strategic context in which it was fought. The authors do not seek to exculpate any of the generals or politicians from their responsibility for a slaughter that that met only one of its objectives and then only marginally. They also point up the fact that the German command was equally as bloody-minded and indifferent to casualties as were the Imperial forces.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand, the authors do an excellent job examining the British side of the battle, the strategy and tactics used by the British commanders, and their combat operations during the four and a half months of the battle. However, the German side was almost completely and totally ignored; the units involved and their commanders were not even mentioned. It would have been interesting to see how the specific commanders in the sector were trying to stop the British offensive.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good summary of the battles on the Somme in the summer and fall of 1916. Enjoyable read.

[Patrick Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grim reading, but well done.