Second Hand At All Costs

1916 was a pivotal year for the British Army. It was a year of intense combat that was defined by the Battle of the Somme and the appalling casualties of the 1st July 1916. Yet it was also the year in which the British Army began to master industrial warfare and the tide of the war began to turn in favour of the Allies. This book brings together leading scholars of the First World War to examine the experience of the British Army in this controversial year. It includes essays which consider Britain’s grand strategy, the role of key commanders, intelligence gathering, the development of logistics and the performance of Dominion forces, as well as offering a thorough examination of the nature of the fighting at the Battle of the Somme and beyond. Drawing upon the latest research, this book provides many valuable new insights and marks a major contribution to our understanding of the Battle of the Somme and the British Army of the First World War.