Tommies: The British Army in the Trenches (Casemate Short History) - Softcover

Sadler, John; Serdiville, Rosie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1612004849 ISBN 13: 9781612004846

Publisher: Casemate, 2017

Synopsis

The Casemate Short History Series presents readable and entertaining introductions to military history topics.

British soldiers have been known as Tommies for centuries, but the nickname is particularly associated with the British infantryman in the trenches of World War I.

In August 1914, a small professional force of British soldiers crossed the Channel to aid the French and Belgians as the German army advanced. As it became apparent that the war would not, in fact, be over by Christmas, a vast drive for volunteer soldiers began.

As enthusiasm for enlistment tailed off, eventually conscription was introduced in order to replenish the forces weakened by years of bloodshed. By 1918 the British Army was transformed, fielding 5.5 million men on the Western Front alone. These Tommies fought an entirely new type of war, living in vast trench systems, threatened by death from the air and gas attack as well as by bullet, bomb, or bayonet.

This introduction explores the experience of Tommies on the Western Front, explaining how their war evolved and changed from the mobile battles of August 1914 to the final days of the war, and discussing daily life as an infantryman on the front line using firsthand accounts, contemporary poems, and songs

Table of Contents

Introduction: When the Drums Begin to Roll...
Timeline
Abbreviations
Uniforms and kit

Chapter 1: Deadlock (1914)
Chapter 2: Stalemate (1915)
Chapter 3: Attrition (1916)
Chapter 4: Mud (1917)
Chapter 5: Breakthrough (1918)
Chapter 6: Remembrance

Sources
Acknowledgements

About this title

About the Author

John Sadler's main specialism is in military history, as an accomplished author, lecturer, battlefield tour guide, heritage professional and historical interpreter. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of Sunderland Centre For Lifelong Learning since 1998. He lives in the North East of England.

Rosie Serdiville is a social historian and re-enactor with a particular interest in the wider impact of war on civilian populations. She delights in spending time in archives: some of the most interesting characters in this volume have emerged from archival materials.

Review

"Tommies is concise, intelligently written, but contains everything you need to know to get you started on the subject of the men of the British Army who found themselves in the trenches in WW1. Superb." (Books Monthly)

"These books would be excellent for someone with an early interest in military history or for someone talking history at school. Very readable and easy to understand with some good illustrations." (Army Rumour Service)

Very well done and a good choice to give as a present to students.” (GunMart)

About this edition

• Publisher: Casemate
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1612004849
• ISBN 13: 9781612004846
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160