364 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : 20 cm

The Face of Battle is military history from the battlefield--a realistic picture of the fears, pressures, and mechanics of fighting a battle, emphasizing three particular campaigns: Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-350) and index

Old, unhappy, far-off things. A little learning ; The usefulness of military history ; The deficiencies of military history ; The 'battle piece' ; 'Killing no murder?' ; The history of military history ; The narrative tradition ; Verdict or truth? -- Agincourt, 25 October 1415. The campaign ; The battle ; Archers versus infantry and cavalry ; Cavalry versus infantry ; Infantry versus infantry ; The killing of the prisoners ; The wounded ; The will to combat -- Waterloo, 18 June 1815. The campaign ; The personal angle of vision ; The physical circumstances of battle ; Categories of combat ; Single combat ; Cavalry versus cavalry ; Cavalry versus artillery ; Cavalry versus infantry ; Artillery versus infantry ; Infantry versus infantry ; Disintegration ; Aftermath ; The wounded -- Somme, 1 July 1916. The battlefield ; The plan ; The preparations ; The army ; The tactics ; The bombardment ; The final preliminaries ; The battle ; Infantry versus machine-gunners ; Infantry versus infantry ; The view from across No-Man's-land ; The wounded ; The will to combat ; Commemoration -- Future of battle. The moving battlefield ; The nature of battle ; The trend of battle ; The inhuman face of war ; The abolition of battle