SOMME The Epic Battle in the Soldier’s Own Words and Photographs

The Battle of the Somme, fought between July and November 1916, stands as one of the most prominent and devastating engagements of the First World War. It marked the first major deployment of Kitchener’s famed ‘Pals’ Battalions, units composed of men from the same communities who enlisted together, bringing with them shared hopes, ambitions, and a profound sense of camaraderie. The battlefield became a crucible in which the optimism and patriotic fervour of a generation were brutally tested, as enormous casualties inflicted profound personal and national grief.
While the Somme has inspired a vast body of literature, from scholarly studies to memoirs and popular histories, this volume is unique in its focus on the soldiers’ own photographs. These images, often taken at great personal risk, provide a deeply human perspective on the campaign, capturing both the extraordinary bonds formed between men and the harrowing realities of life—and death—on the front lines. Through these photographs, readers can witness the duality of the Somme: moments of companionship, humour, and resilience set against the relentless carnage of artillery, mud, and blood.
By combining these visual testimonies with historical context, the book offers an unparalleled insight into the lived experiences of the men who fought there. It illuminates the daily routines, the terror, and the small acts of bravery that characterised life in the trenches, creating a vivid, intimate record of a battle that has long loomed large in the collective memory of the Great War. This work not only enriches our understanding of the Somme but also ensures that the perspectives of the soldiers themselves remain central to its history.
Reviews and articles
‘Best for first hand accounts of battle’: Featured among the Mail on Sunday Event magazine’s ‘Books of the Year’ selection, December 2016.
As seen in the Mail on Sunday: The Secret Somme, 100 years on, the epic battle as you’ve never seen it before.  
As seen in The Sunday Times: ‘Conspiracy’ to lure underage boys into war.
As featured in The Daily Express: Horrors of the Somme revealed in new book of soldiers’ letters and photos and in The Telegraphs Battle of the Somme centenary: the best new history books
Double page feature in the Daily Mail and the number one story on their website. Also featured in, the International Business Times and in the Express where images from the book have been used in their picture gallery launch.