We have taken the opportunity with our 2021 editions of the OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR – FRANCE AND BELGIUM series to redesign the covers and print on 140g silk paper. This official history was the grandest ever produced in Britain, and its purpose was to provide “within reasonable compass an authoritative account, suitable for general readers and for students at military schools”. Due to the number of full-colour maps bound in each volume, previous attempts to reprint this valuable reference either floundered, or were produced with the maps in monochrome. At last, the acclaimed work of the official cartographers who had 90,000 maps at their command can be examined as they intended – in full colour.
France and Belgium 1916. Vol II Appendices. OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR.
Thirty-three appendices containing various GHQ and Army instructions issued during the Battles of the Somme (from 2 July onwards); examples of operation orders from corps, division and artillery; operation orders for the dawn attack on 14 July and for Flers-Courcelette with special instructions for the tanks, going into action for the first time; certain artillery and gun ammunition statistics; British and German orders of battle.