The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme (Wonders of the World) [Paperback]

Gavin Stamp (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wonders of the World | Publication Date: August 20, 2007

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing is the principal, tangible expression of Britain’s defining experience in the Great War—the first day of the Battle of the Somme. It bears the names of 73,000 soldiers whose bodies were never found at the end of that bloody and futile campaign. Visited by tens of thousands of tourists, it holds notable elements of the 20th century while casting a shadow into the future, extending beyond the dead of the Holocaust to the "disappeared" of South America and Tianenmen. A brilliant study to arguably the finest structure erected by any British architect in the 20th century, the origin of this marvel is revealed here in the context of commemorating the fallen, considering its historical significance, and touching on its resonances today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'A gem... utterly absorbing... an elegy which resonates powerfully today' Jane Ridley, Sunday Telegraph 'An invaluable, detailed and illuminating study' Geoff Dyer, Guardian 'A tragic chorus on the Somme which reverberates on the battlefields of today' A. N. Wilson"

About the Author

Gavin Stamp is a well known architectural historian, writer, and broadcaster. He has taught at Glasgow School of Art and held a research post at Cambridge. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Profile Books (August 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861978960
• ISBN-13: 978-1861978967
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #751,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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