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The Second World War is so far the only truly global war that has ever taken place. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations, with the great powers eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million people from over thirty different countries serving in military units. In this state of 'total war', the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it resulted in an estimated 80 million fatalities. All of this made the Second World War the deadliest conflict in human history. This introduction to the Second World War follows the major events that led up to the war and occurred during it, year by year.

This guide to the Georgian era examines the key events of the period from 1714 to 1837. Starting with the culture and style of the period, it moves on to the 'movers and shakers' of the political scene and looks at the growth of empire and the abolition movement. As well as exploring the politics of the period, we see how the Georgians dined, how they relaxed and how they socialised. We learn what it was to be fashionable in the time of Beau Brummell, and explore the world of Georgian entertainment, from the birth of the modern circus to the origins of sports such as cricket, billiards and squash. This book is intended for anyone interested in a century that still resonates with us today - much of our world was shaped by the Georgians.

The Battle of the Somme epitomised the cruelty of the Western Front. 1 July 1916 witnessed the opening round of the British Army's attempt to break through an eighteen-mile front of heavily defended German lines straddling the River Somme in northern France. Preceded by an artillery bombardment of over 1,500 big guns that lasted a week, the inexperienced members of Lord Kitchener's New Army went 'over the top' and suffered the deadliest day in British military history. On the first day, British losses alone totalled nearly 20,000 dead. In the next four and a half months of combat, over 350,000 British soldiers would become casualties to one of the most intense, lethal, and futile engagements in history.