The Guns of August

By Barbara W. Tuchman

The Guns of August - Barbara W. Tuchman
  • Release Date: 1994-03-08
  • Genre: History
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 560 Ratings

Description

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • “A brilliant piece of military history which proves up to the hilt the force of Winston Churchill’s statement that the first month of World War I was ‘a drama never surpassed.’”—Newsweek
 
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time

In this landmark account, renowned historian Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of World War I: thirty days in the summer of 1914 that determined the course of the conflict, the century, and ultimately our present world. Beginning with the funeral of Edward VII, Tuchman traces each step that led to the inevitable clash. And inevitable it was, with all sides plotting their war for a generation. Dizzyingly comprehensive and spectacularly portrayed with her famous talent for evoking the characters of the war’s key players, Tuchman’s magnum opus is a classic for the ages.
 
The Proud Tower, the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Guns of August, and The Zimmermann Telegram comprise Barbara W. Tuchman’s classic histories of the First World War era

Reviews

  • The Guns of August

    4
    By NoBrainerToMe
    Well researched concise depiction of the events surrounding the first month of WW1. Wish there would have been an epilogue that reflected all the countries that became involved and that civilian deaths could have outnumbered military deaths. Very cruel war.
  • Title good

    1
    By JPMJim
    The Author continuously inserts untranslated French and Latin into the book, almost every page, sometimes many on one page. I do not speak or understand French. After reading 45 pages I can see this is a very interesting book but I’m continuously saying, "I wonder what that means and reaching for a dictionary. 45 pages is enough.
  • Great Book

    5
    By tookieman14
    This is a very detailied account, that is also colorful and interesting. The book is long, however, the style of writing keeps you engaged all the way to the end.
  • Outstanding

    4
    By Chiefmac64
    Excellent referenced material - not a lot of editorializing, rather a presentation of the facts of that fateful August in 1914. Highly recommend reading this book.
  • Informative

    5
    By Pyrotec
    .