On the first day of the battle 19,240 British soldiers lost their lives. More than 36,000 were wounded. The battle went of from July 1, 1916 to November 19, 1916. Ultimately 300,000 lives were lost, counting the casualties of both sides. Twice that many were wounded. Many of the casualties were very young, some just 15. The battle, it is said, left a "scar" on the nation. When in World War II Washington was intent one invading Europe, memories of the Somme weighed heavy on our British allies. Even the lion-hearted Churchill urged other strategies.

Martin Gilbert is "a historian," he will tell you, "of the human condition." So in this enthralling history he has quoted from the diaries and letters of the soldiers. He produces many maps and relates the tactics and strategies of the generals, but he also takes you into the trenches with the troops, some of whom went on to great fame, for instance, future Prime Minister Harold Macmillan who was badly wounded. When Gilbert mentions a soldier who died in battle he adds a special touch. He tells readers where the man is buried, "to enable the reader who might visit the battlefield to pay his or her respects at the graveside." Gilbert is a great student of battlefields and has visited the Somme many times. His knowledge of the terrain is one of the reasons his history is so vivid.

The casualties from war in Iraq are very much on the minds of both Americans and the British today. The death of two British soldiers in Afghanistan over the weekend made headlines here for several days. Thus, I was mildly surprised when Lord Watson of Richmond, a distinguished Englishman of impeccable liberal credentials, in his introduction of Gilbert gently put our casualties into perspective. Compare what both of our countries have suffered in this war with what the British suffered in a day at the Somme. The allies did a good thing in beating back the Kaiser, and the Coalition forces are doing a good thing in beating back the Islamofascists. At the end of the evening I purchased Gilbert's book and asked him to inscribe it to a pal of mine who is leaving Washington to further serve his country. He is a Marine.