The Guns of August
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- Create Date：2021-08-20 09:52:49
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Barbara W. Tuchman
- ISBN：0345476093
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Summary
Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Tuchman has brought to life again the people and events that led up to World War I。 With attention to fascinating detail， and an intense knowledge of her subject and its characters， Ms。 Tuchman reveals， for the first time， just how the war started， why， and how it could have been stopped but wasn't。 A classic historical survey of a time and a people we all need to know more about， THE GUNS OF AUGUST will not be forgotten。
Reviews
Will R
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One of the best books I have ever read。 Absolutely outstanding work。
Ian Ferguson
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Adequately covering a war that involved millions of people and took place over multiple continents is a unique challenge， but is cleverly solved by Barbara Tuchman’s detailed description of August， 1914。 In The Guns of August， Tuchman eloquently describes the old world of the nineteenth century， provides background on the geopolitical situation of several of the world’s major powers， and details how military planning and the early battles of World War I emerged into the stalemate that would last Adequately covering a war that involved millions of people and took place over multiple continents is a unique challenge， but is cleverly solved by Barbara Tuchman’s detailed description of August， 1914。 In The Guns of August， Tuchman eloquently describes the old world of the nineteenth century， provides background on the geopolitical situation of several of the world’s major powers， and details how military planning and the early battles of World War I emerged into the stalemate that would last for four years。 Tuchman’s history gives a quality overall picture for someone unfamiliar with World War I， but also gives fascinating accounts of events that may be new to previous students of military history including the voyage of the Goeben and Breslau， the suicide of Alexander Samsonov， and the destruction of Louvain。 Finally， Tuchman sprinkles interpretations of Clausewitz and other military theorists to embed insight into the unchanging nature of war in her captivating and informative work。 。。。more
Greg Brown
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Pretty great！ Tuchman’s account of the first month of World War I manages a strange mix of farce and mass death I haven’t seen outside of The Death of Stalin。 Underlining it all is her vivid characterizations of each officer and politician， with their anxieties and obsessions reflected in decisions on the battlefield。 This is how she brings forward the contingencies and possibilities present on each day of that month， and how things could have gone very differently instead of settling into blood Pretty great！ Tuchman’s account of the first month of World War I manages a strange mix of farce and mass death I haven’t seen outside of The Death of Stalin。 Underlining it all is her vivid characterizations of each officer and politician， with their anxieties and obsessions reflected in decisions on the battlefield。 This is how she brings forward the contingencies and possibilities present on each day of that month， and how things could have gone very differently instead of settling into bloody stalemate。The only downside is it means learning a lot of French， German， and English names and having to keep them straight through the book。 And in the narrative focus， it’s harder to discuss some of the structural issues， which are touched on but undersold compared to my favorite history books。 Still， it’s a classic for a reason！ I need to read a general book on WWI since this kind of assumed you’re familiar with the bigger events of the war since it was relatively recent。 The book was published less than 50 years after after the war， but we’re almost 60 years after the publication！ 。。。more
Alyson
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Quite possibly the most tedious book I have ever read。
Eila Mcmillin
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Very dense and focused specifically on the movement of forces and military strategy at the beginning of the war。 Not my personal cup of tea， but I suppose for what it is， it's good。 Very dense and focused specifically on the movement of forces and military strategy at the beginning of the war。 Not my personal cup of tea， but I suppose for what it is， it's good。 。。。more
Rylie Stone
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This book was a wonderful intro to the beginning of the First World War。
David Baer
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A very detailed recounting of the political context surrounding the triggering event of WW1， that being the assassination of Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand。 To understand the context one must understand the effect of a century’s worth of prior conflicts between the European powers， and hence at the end of the book I found the book tremendously informative， yet I could not tell you the chain of events between the assassination and the outbreak of war。 The assassination truly was an irrelevancy in t A very detailed recounting of the political context surrounding the triggering event of WW1， that being the assassination of Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand。 To understand the context one must understand the effect of a century’s worth of prior conflicts between the European powers， and hence at the end of the book I found the book tremendously informative， yet I could not tell you the chain of events between the assassination and the outbreak of war。 The assassination truly was an irrelevancy in the context of intricately-assembled plans for war held in readiness by the various military establishments， which quickly took on a life of their own。 。。。more
Deb （Readerbuzz） Nance
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I've never experienced war。I know almost nothing about battles。For the last four months， I've been reading Barbara Tuchman's Pulitzer Prize-winning book， The Guns of August。The Guns of August tells the story of the outbreak of World War I。 It's absolutely mesmerizing to read， seeing the lies told by the Germans to justify their invasion of their fellow Europeans， the brutality of the Germans as they occupy and take over other countries， as well as the missteps of the unprepared Belgians and Fren I've never experienced war。I know almost nothing about battles。For the last four months， I've been reading Barbara Tuchman's Pulitzer Prize-winning book， The Guns of August。The Guns of August tells the story of the outbreak of World War I。 It's absolutely mesmerizing to read， seeing the lies told by the Germans to justify their invasion of their fellow Europeans， the brutality of the Germans as they occupy and take over other countries， as well as the missteps of the unprepared Belgians and French and British and Russians。It's also been a vocabulary-enriching experience to read this book。 I've learned lots of war words。 Some of these I've heard and I had a vague idea of what it meant， but none were clear to me before I read this book。corps。 a main subdivision of an armed force in the field， consisting of two or more divisions。regiment。 a permanent unit of an army typically commanded by a colonel and divided into several companies， squadrons， or batteries and often into two battalions。platoon。 a subdivision of a company of soldiers， usually forming a tactical unit that is commanded by a lieutenant and divided into several sections。division。 a group of army brigades or regiments。flank。 the right or left side of a body of people such as an army， a naval force， or a soccer team。pennon。 a long triangular or swallow-tailed flag， especially one of a kind formerly attached to a lance or helmet; a pennant。front。 the foremost line or part of an armed force; the furthest position that an army has reached and where the enemy is or may be engaged。shrapnel。 fragments of a bomb， shell， or other object thrown out by an explosion。bayonet。 a blade that may be fixed to the muzzle of a rifle and used to stab an opponent in hand-to-hand fighting。artillery。 large-caliber guns used in warfare on land。billet。 lodge （soldiers） in a particular place， especially a civilian's house or other nonmilitary facility。infantry。 soldiers marching or fighting on foot; foot soldiers collectively。I can't resist sharing some of the great quotes from the book。The mentality of the time: 'War， he stated， “is a biological necessity”; it is the carrying out among humankind of “the natural law， upon which all the laws of Nature rest， the law of the struggle for existence。”''Character is fate， the Greeks believed。 A hundred years of German philosophy went into the making of this decision in which the seed of self-destruction lay embedded， waiting for its hour。 The voice was Schlieffen’s， but the hand was the hand of Fichte who saw the German people chosen by Providence to occupy the supreme place in the history of the universe， of Hegel who saw them leading the world to a glorious destiny of compulsory Kultur， of Nietzsche who told them that Supermen were above ordinary controls， of Treitschke who set the increase of power as the highest moral duty of the state， of the whole German people， who called their temporal ruler the “All-Highest。”'The German war machine: "From the moment the order was given， everything was to move at fixed times according to a schedule precise down to the number of train axles that would pass over a given bridge within a given time。""With their relentless talent for the tactless， the Germans chose to violate Luxembourg at a place whose native and official name was Trois Vierges。 The three virgins in fact represented faith， hope， and charity， but History with her apposite touch arranged for the occasion that they should stand in the public mind for Luxembourg， Belgium， and France。"'Sir Edward Grey， standing with a friend at the window as the street lamps below were being lit， made the remark that has since epitomized the hour: “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime。”''Next day， with the assault on Liège， the first battle of the war began。 Europe was entering， Moltke wrote that day to Conrad von Hötzendorff， upon “the struggle that will decide the course of history for the next hundred years。”'"The impetus of existing plans is always stronger than the impulse to change。"The Germans executed Belgians who resisted them。 '。。。the executions were meant as an exercise in frightfulness according to the theory developed by the Emperor Caligula: “Oderint dum metuant” （Let them hate us as long as they fear us）。'"The prodigal spending of lives by all the belligerents that was to mount and mount in senseless excess to hundreds of thousands at the Somme， to over a million at Verdun began on that second day of the war at Liège。 In their furious frustration at the first check， the Germans threw men recklessly against the forts in whatever numbers would be necessary to take the objective on schedule。"'He （William the Crown Prince of Germany） had made himself the patron and partisan of the most aggressive militarist opinion， and his photograph was sold in the Berlin shops carrying the inscription， “Only by relying on the sword can we gain the place in the sun that is our due but that is not voluntarily accorded to us。”'"When the Battle of the Frontiers ended， the war had been in progress for twenty days and during that time had created passions， attitudes， ideas， and issues， both among belligerents and watching neutrals， which determined its future course and the course of history since。 The world that used to be and the ideas that shaped it disappeared too， like the wraith of Verhaeren’s former self， down the corridors of August and the months that followed。 Those deterrents—the brotherhood of socialists， the interlocking of finance， commerce， and other economic factors—which had been expected to make war impossible failed to function when the time came。 Nationhood， like a wild gust of wind， arose and swept them aside。"Thomas Mann's thoughts about Germany: "Germans being， he said， the most educated， law-abiding， peace-loving of all peoples， deserved to be the most powerful， to dominate。。。"After Germany cruelly leveled Belgium， the sentiment was strong against Germany。 "To the world it remained the gesture of a barbarian。 The gesture that was intended by the Germans to frighten the world—to induce submission—instead convinced large numbers of people that here was an enemy with whom there could be no settlement and no compromise。""When at last it was over， the war had many diverse results and one dominant one transcending all others: disillusion。"Even if you are like me and you know little to nothing about war， reading The Guns of August put me right there with the generals making the decisions， with the soldiers in the trenches。 I marveled at the ability of author Barbara Tuchman to tell this powerful story。 。。。more
Lloyd Hinkle
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indepth discussion of the causes WWI and decisions of August 1914
Ian
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I understand why this is a classic。 It's a clear， compulsively readible account of the convoluted politics and policies that led to the First World War。 I also think this is why the book has proved to be so popular。 Growing up in the early 60's， when the book was written， my contemporaries and I had some idea of what WW2 was about， through popular culture and the accounts of fathers， mothers， uncles， etc。 WW1 was much more dim and distant， not to mention nebulous。 Some Arch Duke guy got shot。 So I understand why this is a classic。 It's a clear， compulsively readible account of the convoluted politics and policies that led to the First World War。 I also think this is why the book has proved to be so popular。 Growing up in the early 60's， when the book was written， my contemporaries and I had some idea of what WW2 was about， through popular culture and the accounts of fathers， mothers， uncles， etc。 WW1 was much more dim and distant， not to mention nebulous。 Some Arch Duke guy got shot。 So？Tuchman makes the people in the sepia photos come to life， with all their foibles， foolishness and mistaken assumptions。 As many， many before me have pointed out， the key lesson in the book is how the world blundered its way into a disastrous war。 That's a lesson every generation needs to learn。 If it isn't the results are Vietnam， the Gulf War， Iraq and Afghanistan。 。。。more
Chris
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Very well written and undoubtedly an important historical contribution。 At the same time， 523 pages on one month of a four year war may not be the most efficient reading。
Steve
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Barbara Tuchman's book， "A Distant Mirror"， holds a strange place in my childhood memories。 The book was always present on my mother's nightstand or bookshelf， the cover art disturbing。 Too bothered by the cover art， I never cracked its' cover or read the dust jacket。 Decades later， "The Guns of August" crept into my consciousness listening to a Dan Carlin's podcast series， "Countdown to Armageddon"， which very obviously uses Tuchman's work as primary source material。 So when I saw a paperback c Barbara Tuchman's book， "A Distant Mirror"， holds a strange place in my childhood memories。 The book was always present on my mother's nightstand or bookshelf， the cover art disturbing。 Too bothered by the cover art， I never cracked its' cover or read the dust jacket。 Decades later， "The Guns of August" crept into my consciousness listening to a Dan Carlin's podcast series， "Countdown to Armageddon"， which very obviously uses Tuchman's work as primary source material。 So when I saw a paperback copy of "The Guns of August" at my favorite used book store， I decided to give it a go。 There is little I can add to the mountain of superlatives which have been lavished on Tuchman and her work， I can only make my own wan observations and praise。"The Guns of August" is an epic read on an epic scale on an epic subject。 Corps and divisions and armies moving this way and that， dozens of names and dozens of interconnections between the players。 It can be overwhelming at times， as， I believe it should be。 There is a curious hitch in Tuchman's sentence structure that would jump out at me every chapter or so。 Initially confusing， I grew to look forward to these sentences for their novelty。 Another seemingly minor tribute to Tuchman's writing and attention to detail; she jumps from Allied forces to Central powers left and rights seamlessly， not once did I find her referencing the German right but meaning the left， etc。 By taking care of the details， Tuchman and her editor leave the reader believing they are also taking care of the big picture。Tuchman asserts the events of August 1914 still resonated in world events when the book was first published in 1962。 Now， almost 60 years after its' initial publication， I would argue that assertion holds even more true。 The Cold War and its' denouement， the rise of the United States as the world's sole superpower， 9/11， the ripple effects therefrom including 20 years of war， the rise of Trump and American Fascism ultimately all tie back to the events of August， 1914。Tuchman's painstaking research and insistence on using only primary source material creates a work that paints the broad picture yet bores down to minute detail。 Tuchman focuses her attention at the highest levels of government and military hierarchies， only on occasion is someone lower than "General" or "Minister" mentioned and for good cause， it is these people affecting changes on the scale which Tuchman is focused on。Tuchman's disdain and lack of regard for most of the primary figures who were major players during that month is palpable。 In the first half of the book， only King Albert of Belgium presents sympathetically。 In the second half of the book， only General Gallieni and to a lesser degree， Lanrezac， are shone in a sympathetic light。 Tuchman is objective but by damning with faint praise， most of the other major players present poorly。 Joffre， the French Commander-in-Chief most of all。 Ultimately Tuchman praises Joffre for being stolid and calm in the face of overwhelming crisis while criticizing his dull wit and lack of capacity。 I was left with the impression that Tuchman struggled to get to this place with the lumbering Joffre but the results prevented her from going too far down the path of criticism。Throughout the book， rarely， if ever， do these generals or statesman appear to consider the human costs of their decisions。 How much of this is what Tuchman chose to address and how much the generals lack of regard for those under them is unknown。 To a degree， Tuchman falls prey to this trap as well; in her Afterword， she addresses the casualties suffered by the French， but clinically。 In the main text， the direct and human cost is brushed up against but not explored。 In Tuchman's defense these matters are not the focus of her work and are better addressed in books specific to the on the ground experience of those doing the fighting。 Regardless， Tuchman's portrayal of the politicians and generals' callous disregard for the lives they spend so frivolously lends credence to Smedley Butler's assertion that if there is to be a war， it should be agreed to by a plebiscite of those who will do the fighting and dying。 I would like to believe Tuchman's distaste for the decision-makers is based on their lack of compassion for those whose lives are affected by those decisions。"The Guns of August" is a beautifully written book about an abominable subject。 Every person with even a passing interest in recent history and current events should carve the time out to read this book。 。。。more
Joonas Viitanen
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Kaikkien kehujen ja palkintojen arvoinen。 Menee helposti lukemani tietokirjallisuuden kärkijoukkoon sekä informaatioarvossa että viihdyttävyydessä。
Michael Simsa
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The Guns of August adds a ton of color to the personalities and events involved in the outbreak and early days of World War I （up to September 6th， 1914）。 Direct quotes of major players are featured prominently and add a richness that cannot be gleaned from a simple retelling of events。 Barbara Tuchman also provides a generous amount of inference to help the reader better understand the mood of the times and the otherwise inexplicable actions of some of the actors。。。some people have a problem wi The Guns of August adds a ton of color to the personalities and events involved in the outbreak and early days of World War I （up to September 6th， 1914）。 Direct quotes of major players are featured prominently and add a richness that cannot be gleaned from a simple retelling of events。 Barbara Tuchman also provides a generous amount of inference to help the reader better understand the mood of the times and the otherwise inexplicable actions of some of the actors。。。some people have a problem with that approach， but I found it extremely helpful and her reasoning solid。Unfortunately， the richness that makes the book so fantastic often bogs down the broader story。 Even as a historical enthusiast who relishes the details， I felt like this book suffered from a lack of focus at times; extremely minor events and people were given a full exposition and the broader significance was sometimes lost in the details。If you want help understanding the extremely complex machinations， relationships， and personalities that lead to WWI， there is perhaps no better guide than Barbara Tuchman。 That said， be prepared to fight your own battles to get through portions of the book。Personally， although it is not as detailed， I enjoy the still substantial depth provided by the podcast Hardcore History on this topic。 。。。more
Alex Cull
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Spectacular。 Riveting narrative， larger than life characters， and an author that throws the most subtle， most devastating shade I have ever seen。
Jonathan Lupa
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I think if someone had given me this book in highschool， it may have changed my direction of study。An absolutely amazing history on the first month of WW1， breaking down the actors， the run up， and the execution of the war。
Vel Veeter
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As Barbara Tuchman tells us in the intro， this book spawned from two previous books of hers: Bible and Sword （which I haven't read） and The Zimmerman Telegram （which I have）。 She previously only wanted to focus on an even narrower focus， but her publisher， who essentially commissioned the book， really wanted a book about the battle of Mons。 She decided that focusing on the various maneuvers in the two decades previous to the war， and then on the first month， August of 1914， she would be able to As Barbara Tuchman tells us in the intro， this book spawned from two previous books of hers: Bible and Sword （which I haven't read） and The Zimmerman Telegram （which I have）。 She previously only wanted to focus on an even narrower focus， but her publisher， who essentially commissioned the book， really wanted a book about the battle of Mons。 She decided that focusing on the various maneuvers in the two decades previous to the war， and then on the first month， August of 1914， she would be able to achieve her initial goal and then also cover the battle her publisher wanted。 It's an interesting choice because what she basically does is not write a a full accounting of the war， which she thought was either beyond her or beyond the scope of a reasonable history， but instead argue that the moves leading up to August， and then the moves within August set up most of what we need to know for the rest of the war。 If we're meant to take that by the end of August of we are headed to a a bloody inferno or death that barely registers more than a stalemate， then setting things up in this first month works。 Certainly there's more history to be told， including numerous offensives and battles， the entry of the war of the US， and plenty of other narrative events， but if the war is a kind of Swiss clock of inevitability once the first month commences， well then this book is perfectly suitable。 That's if you agree that it is。 Some throughlines of the book: if it's true that character is destiny， then German character brought this about in part because of a sense of superiority， a late to the game sense of desire regarding colonialism， and a personal quest to command a navy。 That even if you can defeat Beligum， jesus man， maybe leave Belgium alone。 That the treaty Versailles might have been ill-advised， but justified or just？ And maybe feeling like it's about time for a war， is not a great reason to have a war。 And man， man， please don't charge cavalry against entrenched machine guns。 。。。more
Boons
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Reads like fiction， with amazing details
Adam K
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The Guns of August is a gripping and masterful account of the first month of World War I。 Tuchman， describes battles， troop movements， and complex politics clearly and concisely （her sentence structure notwithstanding）。 If you have zero background on the war and the state of the world at the beginning of the war， the earliest chapters may be a little confusing， but things will quickly become easier to follow。 I understand that， decades later， there are discussions by historians who say that stan The Guns of August is a gripping and masterful account of the first month of World War I。 Tuchman， describes battles， troop movements， and complex politics clearly and concisely （her sentence structure notwithstanding）。 If you have zero background on the war and the state of the world at the beginning of the war， the earliest chapters may be a little confusing， but things will quickly become easier to follow。 I understand that， decades later， there are discussions by historians who say that stances like the ones that Tuchman seems to take in this book treat the leadership unfairly。 Even so， I do believe this book has a place as a part of a greater study of the First World War。 When dealing with history， it is good practice to never rely on a single source， and that advice certainly applies here。 Still， Tuchman has written an excellent book， here， and it is worth a visit。 。。。more
Jeremy Stone
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This is a fascinating account of the factors that led to the First World War。 Impeccably researched and brilliantly written， this is a very important piece of work and should sit on the bookshelf of any military historian or person interested in the Great War。
Andy
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I must say this is the first non-fiction major war book that I have read， and I have to give credit where its due。 Tuchman goes into great detail to bring the reader information on what happened and what led up to it。 The topic of war isn't something that I am particularly interested in， but this book is well done。 I must say this is the first non-fiction major war book that I have read， and I have to give credit where its due。 Tuchman goes into great detail to bring the reader information on what happened and what led up to it。 The topic of war isn't something that I am particularly interested in， but this book is well done。 。。。more
Samuel Mefreh
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One of the greatest ww1 books。
Andrew
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Barbara Tuchman made me cry about history， or - maybe more accurately - history made me cry and she helped me see and understand the great struggle of the Great War。 The stories from Remarque， Graves， and Barbusse and the poetry of Owen and Sassoon helped me see the personal struggles of soldiers; Tuchman helped me see the social and political （and sometimes personal） struggles of empires and their leaders。It’s history made alive。 It’s so messy; the imperfection is so human and complex。 You’re t Barbara Tuchman made me cry about history， or - maybe more accurately - history made me cry and she helped me see and understand the great struggle of the Great War。 The stories from Remarque， Graves， and Barbusse and the poetry of Owen and Sassoon helped me see the personal struggles of soldiers; Tuchman helped me see the social and political （and sometimes personal） struggles of empires and their leaders。It’s history made alive。 It’s so messy; the imperfection is so human and complex。 You’re taken in by the tension of the events and their consequences。 And， like someone else said， you feel all this despite already knowing the end result。10/10 recommend。 This is a well crafted retelling of one of the greatest events of history。 Thank you， Barbara Tuchman。 Also， btw， Emersonkent dot com has battle maps you can view for reference （difficult to view the maps she provides in the book while you’re reading with Kindle）。 The maps help you follow the locations and army movements mentioned throughout。 。。。more
Arliegh Kovacs
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In June， I read an article about Barbara W。 Tuchman and her Pulitzer prize for The Guns of August。 This year， my goal has been to read more non-fiction books -- particularly history。 （My husband has a degree in history， so he has a few bookshelves full of such books。 The Guns of August happens to be one of the 3 books he has that were written by Tuchman。This book （of course） dealt with the beginning of WWI。 It spelled out the strategies of Germany and France that led to a prolonged war instead o In June， I read an article about Barbara W。 Tuchman and her Pulitzer prize for The Guns of August。 This year， my goal has been to read more non-fiction books -- particularly history。 （My husband has a degree in history， so he has a few bookshelves full of such books。 The Guns of August happens to be one of the 3 books he has that were written by Tuchman。This book （of course） dealt with the beginning of WWI。 It spelled out the strategies of Germany and France that led to a prolonged war instead of being over decisively in 35 days， as Germany had planned。 I was often annoyed， not at Tuchman's writing， but by the blunders and mindsets of the various leaders。 Time and time again， there were rash decisions， often made because the commanders refused to believe the intelligence reported by those actually in the field。 It certainly answered my questions about why these major conflicts seem to be prolonged for years。This book was definitely well research and carefully written。 However， not being the history master in the family （and the lack in my school years of any depth of teachings about the World Wars or the history of Europe） I had difficulty remembering which names went with leadership in which country。 'French'， for example， was British and 'Francois' was German。 In a review by the The New Yorker it is claimed that her narrative is so good that maps aren't needed。 I thought it was obvious that the writer of the review was an expert in history and geography because I definitely needed maps。 I checked four different atlases and still couldn't figure out troop movements and tactics。 The book， actually， did include maps but， in my opinion， they were terrible。 They were printed in black/white and the designations for troops were marked in such similar style that I had great difficulty in figuring out which army belonged to which nation。 （For example， the German army was indicated by itty-bitty， closely packed dots。 The French troop movements were also in closely packed dots in a pattern that had such a slight difference as to be nearly indistinguishable。 I had to use a magnifying glass and I still had difficulty。 There were other sections of the book that would talk extensively about movements （one was from Verdun to Paris） but the maps associated with those sections didn't show both cities in any of them。 Probably the average French citizen would be confused if a map showing US history movements if it showed Boston but not Bunker Hill。 Okay， the average American probably wouldn't know which direction to move either。This isn't a book that I would recommend for someone who doesn't have great knowledge about European geography。 。。。more
Philip Roberts
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This book was recommended to me by a friend and colleague and I am so glad I followed his recommendation。 From the use of Edward VII’s funeral to set the scene to the final afterword， this is an amazing work of history about World War I that will never be bettered。 Barbara Tuchman’s use of beautiful prose from the first sentence “So gorgeous was the spectacle of the May morning when nine kings rode in the funeral of Edward VII of England that the crowd， waiting in hushed and black clad awe， coul This book was recommended to me by a friend and colleague and I am so glad I followed his recommendation。 From the use of Edward VII’s funeral to set the scene to the final afterword， this is an amazing work of history about World War I that will never be bettered。 Barbara Tuchman’s use of beautiful prose from the first sentence “So gorgeous was the spectacle of the May morning when nine kings rode in the funeral of Edward VII of England that the crowd， waiting in hushed and black clad awe， could not keep back gasps of admiration” supports a compelling analysis of the first month of World War I that remains a compelling page turner and never descends into a dry work of history。 The opening sentence also evokes an old Europe that is about to be irrevocably changed。 I need to return to this book in the future。 。。。more
Nick
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It took me a while to get into this， but once I got on Tuchman's wavelength， I really enjoyed it。 I had the impression that this was the book on WWI （at least for a popular audience）， but really it only covers the first month or so of the war; specifically， August 1914 until early September。 It ends just as the Battle of Marne is about to begin。 That， alone， took some adjusting from me。 The bigger hurdle was how she structured it。 Each chapter is more or less from one country's perspective。 She It took me a while to get into this， but once I got on Tuchman's wavelength， I really enjoyed it。 I had the impression that this was the book on WWI （at least for a popular audience）， but really it only covers the first month or so of the war; specifically， August 1914 until early September。 It ends just as the Battle of Marne is about to begin。 That， alone， took some adjusting from me。 The bigger hurdle was how she structured it。 Each chapter is more or less from one country's perspective。 She focuses on the French， English， German， Russian， and （to a degree） Belgian commanders。 This meant it was probably six or eight chapter， at least， before I really got a sense of who was who and what they were doing。 Otherwise， it just seemed like a bunch of names。 Once I got a handle on them， though， it was a relative breeze。The book is filled with stunning details （like how pretty much everyone underestimated how long the war would/could last）。 It can get a little heavy on tactics and strategy， but she does a good job walking the reader through this。 She does a pretty solid job of describing the various commanders to the point that I pretty much had them envisioned exactly as they appear in the pictures。 Likewise， she described their character well。 Schlieffen's desire to imitate Hannibal at Cannae， for instance， did a lot for his character。 Spoiler: it didn't work for him like it did for Hannibal。 Despite the subject matter， she's not afraid to throw in some light anecdotes。 Probably my favorite is the French commander who didn't want his phone calls recorded for posterity， so he simply pretended that he didn't know how to use a telephone。The biggest thing I wish Tuchman had included would be more views from the soldiers。 Almost the entire book is from commanders' and generals' perspectives。 These are useful and worth telling， but it would have been good to get a more grounded viewpoint too， which she did beautifully in A Distant Mirror。Some choice quotes:“No more distressing moment can ever face a British government that than which requires it to come to a hard and fast and specific decision。” p。 113“Arguments can always be found to turn desire into policy。” p。 332“…in the midst of war and crisis nothing is as clear or as certain as it appears in hindsight。 Urgency， even panic， was in the air。 Once having gone through the agony of coming to a decision， the [French] government found it hard to change。” p。 408 。。。more
Höllenwasser
，
this looks promising :）
Stuart Bobb
，
One of a handful of my most favorite WWI books。 Historians may quibble with some details， but I think its astoundingly good and very readable。
Sylvia
，
A must read for everyone who is interested in the GREAT WAR， start and consequences
Peter
，
A forensic， intelligent yet entertaining book about the early days of World War 1。 Tuchman keeps the action going whilst introducing the main players in the drama。 Clear maps help explain the strategic decisions （and indecisions） of both sides but she never forgets the brutality of the war for both soldiers and citizens。 Particularly appalling were the war crimes committed by the Germans against the civilian population of Belgium。 This complete contempt for human life certainly helps one underst A forensic， intelligent yet entertaining book about the early days of World War 1。 Tuchman keeps the action going whilst introducing the main players in the drama。 Clear maps help explain the strategic decisions （and indecisions） of both sides but she never forgets the brutality of the war for both soldiers and citizens。 Particularly appalling were the war crimes committed by the Germans against the civilian population of Belgium。 This complete contempt for human life certainly helps one understand how fertile was the ground that Hitler cultivated 20 years later。Although， perhaps， stylistically a little dated this volume is highly recommended。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Guns of August
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Guns of August&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Guns of August&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0