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The Somme, 1916: A Personal Account (Full Pack — A Private’s War) Kindle Edition
Perfect for readers of World War One memoirs like Edmund Blunden’s Undertones of War, Ernst Jünger’s Storm of Steel or Robert Graves’ Goodbye to All That.
On 1 July 1916, after a week-long bombardment from heavy artillery, British and French forces advanced towards German trenches on a fifteen mile front north of the Somme.
Allied generals were confident that the artillery barrage would have decimated German defences, but they were wrong. Barbed wire remained intact in many areas and German trench networks had many underground positions meaning that men and weaponry were ready to face the advancing troops.
By the end of the first day over 19,000 British soldiers had been killed and more than double this had been wounded. This battle would drag on for a further five months, with Allied forces penetrating around six miles into German lines at a cost of over 600,000 casualties.
Norman Gladden served as a private in the British Army during the First World War. He had signed up for the Army in May 1916 and after a brief period of training was sent into the muddy quagmire that the frontline had become. As a new recruit he learned to adapt quickly to his environment and served in the third stage of the Somme Offensive as Allied generals attempted to break the deadlock. During this time he kept a diary, recording his personal experiences of this monumental conflict which provides the basis for this remarkable and unique insight into life on the Western Front seen through the eyes of an ordinary soldier.
The Somme, 1916 should be essential reading for all interested in the history of the First World War and seeing one its most ferocious battles from the viewpoint of an infantry soldier. This book is the first part of Norman Gladden’s World War One trilogy, Full Pack — A Private’s War, followed by Ypres, 1917 and Across the Piave. A portion of the revenue from every sale of each book in this trilogy goes to The National Trust.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateDecember 18, 2022
- File size2.0 MB
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Product details
- ASIN : B0BFNZSCNQ
- Publisher : Sapere Books
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : December 18, 2022
- Language : English
- File size : 2.0 MB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 242 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-1800556140
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Part of series : Full Pack — A Private’s War
- Best Sellers Rank: #363,880 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #85 in WWI Biographies
- #180 in World War I History (Kindle Store)
- #316 in History of Germany
- Customer Reviews:
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2025Format: KindleVerified PurchaseGladden tells us the story of the Somme that only one that lived that hell could actually appreciate. Well written and personal from beginning to end.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2023Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThe writer adds significant details to the Somme tale, wit clarity of battlefield management. I was happy to understand that in time organization had prevailed and the young soldiers albeit not it the best conditions, they did get some time out of the worse of through rotation.
I was mildly aware of a battlefield caste system but was very diss appointed how pervasive it was. The clear details provide of the trench foot and the sloppy care received was “ARMY”. But I was disturbed how bad ours soldier was treated.. was very happy that in the end he was healed and unfortunately returned to the battle field but not the mud anyways. Thank you very much. Very well written!
- Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2023Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI’m not sure that I can convey to the non-veterans reading this, but sometimes the author’s description of events are uncannily similar to any service members of any age.
The descriptions of the specific Hell that he suffered - I can’t even imagine living through. But the general feeling of being trapped, the futility of your despair- almost overwhelming desperation - silently contained but universally felt by all involved- is perfectly described.
That’s regretfully something, apparently, that doesn’t change.
Well done.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2023Format: KindleVerified PurchaseOne man's experience in the 1916 battle of the Somme. More autobiographical than a record of the battle. The writing style was of a stilted academic tone
- Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2023Format: KindleThe mud. The blood and the tears
From patriot to pragmatist
How the rain and pain does appear
When alone with his fear
With a cloud of fear
One begins to see life as so dear
Top reviews from other countries
- MasspecguyReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars suberb account
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseHe gets to the somme about 50% way thru the book but from then on the writng is riveting
- Neal AmesReviewed in Australia on September 19, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars A personal account of hell
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseWithout doubt one of the most captivating personal accounts of the battlefields of the Western Front. The author does a grand job of taking the reader into his experience and the hell that it was. Even though I have already read the second book on Ypres I will read it again to give me continuity.
- ERIC WALLACEReviewed in Australia on January 5, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars worth reading
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseWhat a complete shambles the British Army was during WW1. Mind you most of the European armies were. The despised colonials did much better as most were volunteers.
- WillReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Best WW1 memoir you could find
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI’ve read dozens of WW1 memoirs over the years, a lot of them (though not all) written by Officers.
This one stands out firstly in that it was written by a private soldier - obviously a completely different viewpoint - but a man with an erudite and well read background.
An eyewitness not only to appalling scenes if death in the trenches but behaviour not covered in other memoirs; junior officers pampered by batmen and not caring one jot about the other ranks, bullying by other privates in the platoon, talk (and probably just that) by the same men of getting rid of unpopular officers.
Extremely well written and good use of comparison to the 1970s (when the book was finalised).
A page turner of descriptions covering heroic stretcher bearers, NCOs drunk on purloined rum, the constant rifling of dead comrades bodies for personal possessions and many other subjects.
Not all Tommies were lions led by donkeys it would seem.