Published in a new edition on the centenary of the seismic battle, this book provides the definitive account of the Somme and assigns responsibility to military and political leaders for its catastrophic outcome. “A magisterial piece of scholarship. . . . It is a model of historical research and should do much to further our understanding of the Great War and how it was fought.”— “Revisionist history at its best.”— (starred review)   “A major addition to the literature on the military history of the Great War.”—Jay Winter