The Battle of the Somme was one of history’s bloodiest campaigns. Over the course of a year, a series of offensives left more than 1 million men dead or injured. By all accounts, the devastating confrontations at the battles of Verdun and the Somme marked a defining moment in the Allies’ ultimate victory in the Great War. Retrace the footsteps of the characters involved, from those who endured unparalleled hardship on the frontline to the big players in whose hands their fate lay. Follow the course of events by examining authentic artefacts – including battle maps, telegrams and even pigeon-carried directives – as well as first-hand accounts by way of personal letters, drawings and diary entries. One hundred years on, remember the brutality and bloodshed experienced on the banks of the River Somme between 1 July and 18 November 1916.