The diaries of front-line soldiers of the Great War are relatively commonplace; contemporary drawings and paintings, other than those by the official war artists, are less so. What is extraordinary, even unique, about The Fateful Battle Line is that it combines a journal of infantry service on the Western Front with sketches and finished work made at the time, often illustrating places, people and incident from the text. Henry Ogle was a trained artist, and one who, in his writing, fused the vividness of the painter's eye for detail with a writer's precision and awareness. Commissioned from the ranks, twice wounded, his gallantry rewarded with the Military Cross, he endured four years of war; if the experience seared him, it never took from him his humanity. Front-line, support and reserve trenches; raids, patrols and work details; outposts and piquets; hospitals and base areas; French and Belgian towns and villages; leave back home in England ; the tragic landscape of Flanders; weapons, artillery, transport, draft and riding animals; above all his fellow soldiers - Henry Ogle faithfully, and often wittily, recorded the day-to-day minutiae, as well as the sudden shattering moments, of vast industrial armies locked in the last of the great siege wars. In doing so, and in his accompanying text, he demonstrated that the enduring legacy of the Great War lay in the spirit of the men who fought it. Skillfully edited and annotated by the late Michael Glover, The Fateful Battle Line is perhaps the most remarkable and enduring original work to have come out of the First World War in the last fifty years.

A complete guide to trench warfare on the Western Front from an authority on the subject. Even now, 100 years on from the conflict, the image of trenches stretching across Western Europe – packed with young men clinging to life in horrendous conditions – remains a powerful reminder of one of the darkest moments in human history. In this excellent study of trench warfare on the Western Front, expert Dr Stephen Bull reveals the experience of life in the trenches, from length of service and coping with death and disease, to the uniforms and equipment given to soldiers on both sides of the conflict. He reveals how the trenches were constructed, the weaponry which was developed specifically for this new form of warfare, the tactics employed in mass attacks and the increasingly adept defensive methods designed to hold ground at all cost. Packed with photographs, illustrations, annotated trench maps, documents and first-hand accounts, this compelling narrative provides a richly detailed account of World War I, providing a soldier's-eye-view of life in the ominous trenches that scarred the land.

One of the crucial factors which kept Tommy going on the Western Front was his facility to see what was comic in the horror, deprivation and discomfort of trench warfare, an attitude which blossomed further in the rest areas behind the lines. The nature of the comedy ranged from gentle irony to a rougher hilarity that produced on belly laughs. Such laughter could arise from extreme physical pain and discomfort, from the provision of sustenance and from matters relating to dress, equipment and weapons. A further source of fun was bizarre events not dissimilar to situation comedy and pantomime. Moreover, a whole culture of humour surrounded Tommy's words and songs, and many trench pets – cats, dogs, horses, goats, even rats – were in on the joke in one way or another. Nor was it only the British soldiers who managed to find something to laugh about in the trenches – the Germans could sometimes see the funny side as well. A Bloody Picnic provides an unusual perspective on how soliders coped with the grim realities of the First World War.

There are now over 25 books published as part of the Aspects Series, each one taking readers on a voyage of nostalgic discovery through their town, city or area. Here Birmingham, once 'The Workshop of the Empire' is revealed in twelve studies of the city and its people. Here we find 'Birmingham Municipal Bank', the only successful council operated bank and 'Lesser Known Characters' about the city. We see the work of the 'Birmingham Mission' and 'Birmingham Children's Emigration Homes'. During the troubled 1930's, Birmingham held a 'Great Pageant' and as war clouds gathered over Europe, the city's young men fought in 'The Spanish Civil War'. All this and so much more is available in this, the first Aspects of Birmingham.

This is a comprehensive account of how the British Army coped with and adapted to the enormous challenges and pressures of the First World War -- the first major continental war that the army had had to fight for almost a hundred years. Following the course of the War, both on the Western Front and in other theatres, Charles Messenger tells how the British Army managed the challenges of command, training, technology and new weapons of war. He examines officer selection, medicine, discipline, the manpower crisis of 1918, the integration of women into the forces and many other topics. Based on years of original research, this will become the standard work of reference on the organization and administration of the biggest army Britain has ever put into the field.

In the summer of 1914, our finest young men flocked to the colors in Northern towns and cities to answer Lord Kitcheners Call to Arms in a spontaneous burst of enthusiasm and patriotism. The Call appealed to their sense of adventure and offered an escape from the humdrum life of office, factory and mill.The new recruits volunteered with brothers, cousins, friends and work mates. The newly formed units became the focus of local civic pride and soon became known as the Pals. The City of Birmingham formed three such battalions with over 3,000 local volunteers. This book tells their story.Birmingham Pals is a story that covers the full range of human experience in war—the highest courage and bravery, the misery and tedium of trench life, the exhilaration, terror and slaughter involved in going over the top. Above all, it is a story of interest to people of all backgrounds and ages, as a tale of comradeship, which, for many survivors, was to last a life time.