Verdun & the Somme were two of the most cataclysmic battles of the First World War on the Western Front. The carnage on that front in 1916 was unprecedented for all sides, & had a profound effect on the eventual outcome of the war. On the first day of the Somme, Britain & her Commonwealth suffered almost 60, 000 casualties, the worst day`s loss in British military history. Many people think of the battle solely in terms of that first disastrous day. In fact it lasted for four & a half months & would witness the arrival of the tank on the battlefield. Likewise Verdun lasted ten months & the steadfastness of the French soldiers remains legendary to this day. Relive & appreciate this shocking period in history by examining rare items of memorabilia such as maps, diary extracts, letters, sketches, secret memos & reports which had been filed away in museums & other collections around the world. Julian Thompson explains the battle in & engaging & informative way, with over 200 photographs from the Imperial War Museum, French & German museums.