The most important study of the funeral oration for dead combatants in democratic Athens since Nicole Loraux's classic work.

Gerald Gliddon's classic survery of the Somme battlefield in 1916, first published in 1987 to great acclaim, has been greatly expanded and updated to include the latest research and analysis. Supported by a wide selection of archive photographs and drawing on the testimony of those who took part, this new edition covers both the famous battle sites, such as High Wood and Mametz Wood and lesser known villages on the outlying flanks. It includes a day-by-day account of the British build-up on the Somme and the ensuing struggle, British and German orders of battle and a full history of the cemeteries and memorials, both 'lost' and current, that sprang up in the years following the First World War. The author also provides thumbnail biographies of all the senior officers to fall, as well as the winners of the Victoria Cross and those who were 'shot at dawn'. In addition, Somme 'personalities' such as George Butterworth are covered in far greater detail than before.

This is a comprehensive and highly emotive volume, borne of years of intensive research and many trips to the battlefields of the Great War. It seeks to humanize the Menin Gate Memorial (North), to offer the reader a chance to engage with the personal stories of the soldiers whose names have been chiseled there in stone. Poignant stories of camaraderie, tragic twists of fate and noble sacrifice have been collated in an attempt to bring home the reality of war and the true extent of its tragic cost. It is hoped that visitors to the battlefields, whether their relatives are listed within or not, will find their experience enriched by having access to this treasure trove of stories.