{"title":"Nick Thornicroft","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"gloucestershire-and-north-bristol-soldiers-on-the-somme-book-nick-thornicroft-9780752443256","title":"Gloucestershire and North Bristol Soldiers on the Somme","description":"When war broke out in 1914 there was a widespread sense of optimism among the British public. Fired by patriotic fervour and pride in their nation, many were convinced that 'it would all be over by Christmas' and young men rushed to join the army and share in the 'honour and glory' of war. These illusions were swiftly lost as a war of attrition developed; advances on both sides were small and casualties high. Even with this background, the slaughter on 1 July 1916 of thousands of British soldiers, who went over the top to their deaths on the Somme, shocked a world increasingly conditioned to the realities of armed conflict. Nick Thornicroft delves into the heart of the British Army on the blackest day in its history and gives a vivid portrayal of Gloucestershire soldiers in the heat of battle; these ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances, fighting with incredible bravery for their country's future. Through assiduous research and compassion for his subject, Nick Thornicroft has woven the experiences of Gloucestershire and North Bristol's soldiers into the wider military story, and in doing so brings a human aspect to one of the most inhuman battles in history.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49596318941457,"sku":"GOR006718277","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49601506115857,"sku":"GOR010401776","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53604194681105,"sku":"GOR014977428","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0752443259.jpg?v=1751424990"},{"product_id":"cornwall-s-fallen-book-nick-thornicroft-9780752445281","title":"Cornwall's Fallen","description":"1 July 1916 is a date that will be forever associated with the most bloody of battles to take place in the Great War: Somme. Almost 20,000 men had lost their lives by nightfall with twice that number wounded or missing. Newspapers printed calls to arms in 1914 and in the rush to join up there developed many Pals battalions, men who had grown up together, attended the same school, played in the same teams, worked in the same factories. Encouraged to stick together, they were fresh recruits who joined up at the start of war and so every man who stood on the battlefield on that infamous day in 1916 had volunteered to do so.  This book delves into the Cornish experience of the Great War, specifically the road to the Somme and events on that terrible day. Nick Thornicroft has gathered information on the soldiers of Cornwall, a far more remote county than the typical industrial northern counties histories usually focus on. The book follows the Old Contemptibles through training and up to the catastrophic Somme Offensive. The book concludes with a look at the long-term consequences of 1 July 1916, and throughout uses contemporary newspaper reports to describe local views mixed with the histories of the soldiers.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49770405396753,"sku":"GOR008336830","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0752445286.jpg?v=1751075234"},{"product_id":"the-cemetery-road-book-nick-thornicroft-9781999954208","title":"The Cemetery Road","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52579499933969,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52579502031121,"sku":"GOR014555052","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781999954208.jpg?v=1760953460"},{"product_id":"dauntless-courage-on-the-somme-book-nick-thornicroft-9781910777824","title":"Dauntless Courage On The Somme","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53104441852177,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53104441983249,"sku":"GOR010512864","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781910777824.jpg?v=1770372515"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-nick-thornicroft.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}