What was war like in the Age of Reason, for those who fought in it? Duffy answers this question using research from archives, notebooks, letters, diaries and memoirs.

The 1916 Battle of the Somme is one of history's bloodiest moments, with more than one million casualties in five months. Analyzing hitherto unknown archival material, including long-lost interviews of British POWs by German interrogators, historian Christopher Duffy paints a picture that will change your perception of the past. While the battle is often seen as a defeat for the British, for the first time the German perspective--such as their respect for the British forces and their own massive losses--is explored.