First World War Centenary Collection: The Somme

“On the morning of July 1, 1916, 120,000 British soldiers prepared to fight the greatest battle of the First World War on what would be the worst day in British military history.” A sentence like that may sum up what  happened at The Somme, but to truly understand and appreciate the sacrifices that were made that day -- sacrifices on both sides of the trenches – you need to settle back and watch the three movies included in this excellent collection. The first film, The Somme, gives us an overview of the battle by using historical footage and historical reenactments to recreate what life – and death – was like for the soldiers who fought that day. Battle of the Somme: The True Story is a documentary that delves a bit deeper into the historical narrative of the film to separate actual footage from propaganda film used to inspire those left behind. Finally, the aptly titled Instruments of Death: The Great War – The Somme 1916 explains in great detail how modern warfare changed forever with the battle along The Somme.