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Review
–The New York Times
“MORE DRAMATIC THAN FICTION . . . A MAGNIFICENT NARRATIVE . . . elegantly phrased, skillfully paced and sustained . . . The product of painstaking and sophisticated research.”
–Chicago Tribune
“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.’ A writer with an impeccable sense of telling detail, Mrs. Tuchman is able to evoke both the enormous pattern of the tragedy and the minutiae which make it human.”
–Newsweek
“[A] BEAUTIFULLY ORGANIZED, COMPELLING NARRATIVE.”
–San Francisco Chronicle
“AN EPIC NEVER FLAGGING IN SUSPENSE . . . It seemed hardly possible that anything new of significance could be said about the prelude to and the first month of World War I. But this is exactly what Mrs. Tuchman has succeeded in doing . . . by transforming the drama’s protagonists as well as its immense supporting cast, from half-legendary and half shadowy figures into full-dimensional, believable persons.”
–The Christian Science Monitor
“EXCELLENT . . . [The Guns of August] has a vitality that transcends its narrative virtues.”
–The Wall Street Journal
Book Description
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Tuchman has brought to life again the people and events that led up to Worl 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 why 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.
SO GORGEOUS was the spectacle on the May morning of 1910 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. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
30 days that changed the world...,
By
This review is from: The Guns of August: The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Classic About the Outbreak of World War I (Paperback)
Barbara Tuchman's account of the outbreak of the First World War is the definitive book on the subject. From the political crises and entangling alliances that characterized Europe in 1914 to the "damn fool thing in the Balkans" that set the war machines in motion, Tuchman provides insight and clarity to a complex situation. Tuchman goes beyond the superfluous details of the alliances and actions which brought the war about to bring about a deeper understanding of the prevailing attitudes in each country. She explains the German approach through the expansionist philosophy of Hegel and Nietzsche, along with the ideas of Clausewitz on how to fight a war and deal with conquered enemies. Also the political culture in France (where government was rapidly changing, especially with regards to mandatory military service), and the English policy of sending only volunteers abroad, and only when enough replacements could be brought back from remote outposts all over the world. These and many other meticulously resarched details provide a fascinating depth to the story. Also very interesting are the studies in character of the main players in the drama of August 1914. Joffre, French, von Kluck, and the German Kaiser (among many others) are studied in detail, in an effort to understand the decisions each made through the first month of the war. To her credit, Tuchman doesn't place thoughts in anyone's head; reasons for action are given in the individual's own words (as recorded in journals or official histories), or when the reason is not clear, Tuchman gives a number of possible answers puctuated by the fact that we can't be sure exactly what anyone was thinking. This is a brilliant book. Thorough from the battles on the western front to the well-intentioned if ill-conceived Russian offensive at Tannenberg, along with an interesting subplot with the German battle cruiser Goeben, the intricate detail, along with Tuchman's reader-friendly writing style, make for some great reading.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A neccessary book for the collector,
By C. J. Thompson "Arctic John" (Pond Inlet, Nunavut Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Guns of August: The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Classic About the Outbreak of World War I (Mass Market Paperback)
My review title says it all. If you are a serious reader of world war one histories then this book needs to be on your shelf. Occasionally (and just occasionally) the tactical descriptions of various combat encounters get a little dry but the first part of the book dealing with the outbreak of the war is one of the best going. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Required Reading,
By
This review is from: The Guns of August: The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Classic About the Outbreak of World War I (Mass Market Paperback)
This is easily the best book I have ever read. Tuchman writes so well that even the most prose averse individuals can enjoy her history lesson.
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