Attack: An Infantry Subaltern's Impression of July 1st, 1916

by Edward G.D. Liveing, John Masefield (Introduction)

Edward George Downing Liveing (1895-1963) was an author and historian. His works An Infantry Subaltern's Impression of July 1st, 1916 (1918), The House of Harrild, 1801-1948 (1949), Adventure in Publishing (1949), Pioneers of Petrol (1959) and A Century of Insurance (1961). "The attack on the fortified village of Gommecourt, which Mr. Liveing describes in these pages with such power and colour, was a part of the first great allied attack on July 1, 1916, which began the battle of the Somme. That battle, so far as it concerns our own troops, may be divided into two one, to the south of the Ancre River, a sector of advance, the other, to the north of the Ancre River, a containing sector, in which no advance was possible. Gommecourt itself, which made a slight but important salient in the enemy line in the containing sector, was the most northern point attacked in that first day's fighting. "

Genres: History, World War I

48 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2009

About the author

See also Dr. Edward Liveing, for the early work on 'Megrims'.

Edward George Downing Liveing (1895-1963), was an author and historian.

During WWI he served in France, Palestine, and Egypt. After the war he was regional director for the BBC.

He was the grandson of Edward Liveing, 1832-1919

Reviews

[Brantley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I have neglected reading much on WWI, I though that brief memoirs and stories would be an interesting start to learning about the topic. This, my first on the Great War, provides a gripping account of the author's experience in an attack across no-man's-land to take a well fortified German trench. Although the ending does drag on slightly, the account is fascinating and definitely worth the hour or so it takes to read.

[Rob Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good first-hand account of the first battle say at the Somme. Vividly written.