The Guns of August

Written by Barbara W. Tuchman

Narrated by Nadia May

In this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, historian Barbara Tuchman brings to life the people and events that led up to World War I. This was the last gasp of the Gilded Age, of Kings and Kaisers and Czars, of pointed or plumed hats, colored uniforms, and all the pomp and romance that went along with war. How quickly it all changed…and how horrible it became.Tuchman masterfully portrays this transition from 19th to 20th Century, focusing on the turning point in the year 1914: the month leading up to the war and the first month of the war. With fine attention to detail, she reveals how and why the war started, and why it could have been stopped but wasn't, managing to make the story utterly suspenseful even when we already know the outcome.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Oct 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9780786147793

Reviews for The Guns of August

[rayski_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book covers the weeks leading up to WWI and the first month of the war. I got this book because of the 100th anniversary memorials for WW1 I realized I knew next to nothing about this war. The big takeaways from this book is the egos and chaos that preceded the war and governed the first month of the war. I'm guessing both egos and chaos continued through most of the war if not all of it. Poor and broken communications contributed too much of the chaos and if not so broken could have potentially swayed many egos to act differently.

[ritaer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Extremely detailed explanation of the origins of WWI in German ambition for control of Europe. Blindness of planners on both sides--untested assumptions allowed to control plans and preparations.

[ffifield-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A brilliant book about the events leading to the outbreak and opening days of World War I.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A riveting account of the first month of World war I and the events leading up to it. From the waters off Scapa Flow to the Mediterranean to the Russian mobilization and the Western front, it manages to pack a lot in its pages.

[tommi180744 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unquestionably the finest account of the people, decisions, events & places in Europe in August 1914.Tuchman's style is breathtakingly straightforward & all the more remarkable as she covers such complex detailed History of every day of the first month of World War One in the West, Centre & East of Europe in such a riveting, engaging manner.This is a Pulitzer Prize winner that cannot be over praised: Based on prodigious research across all frontiers & personalities Tuchman provides an exemplary guide to all Historians with her mastery of the variety of threads of political-military thinking & actions in the month that became the evolving disaster for Europe.One issue with the book is Tuchman's insistence on using 'England' for all relevant passages instead of either Britain or United Kingdom - she didn't mean it, I'm sure, but there's thousands of Irish, Scots & Welsh would take exception to implicitly being subject entirely to English leadership & military commitment in the era!

[encephalical · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There was something about the writing that couldn't hold my attention. Lots of interesting information and conjectures. Maps in my paperback edition were sub-par.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Go ahead and criticize Tuchman's "unscholarly" approach all you want, this book makes the beginning of WW I clear and understandable for the lay reader. She managed to keep me clear on the identities and roles of many, many historical figures whom I had never encountered before and keep my interest throughout the events. I felt compelled to keep reading. Her books are a gift to those of us who are not scholars of the period but want to understand one of the pivotal events of our time.

[librarianbryan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's conservative in analysis and conclusions, but undeniably a prose masterpiece.

[maneekuhi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is a quote toward the end of this book, actually it's in the Afterword, that I believe summarizes very well what we have read in its 524 pages. This is from the French Chief of Intelligence speaking specifically of the Russians attack on the Germans in August 1914 which had come sooner than the Germans anticipated. It became necessary then for the Germans to shift two divisions from the Western Front in Belgium/France to the Eastern Front. In a short time, the Russians lost an entire army in the ensuing battles: "Let us render to our Allies the homage that is their due, for one of the elements of our victory was their debacle." The "Guns of War" is rife with debacle, incredible lapses of common sense and good judgment, disregard for orders, and sometimes, nerve. As is true in all wars. But in this book we are focused on just one month, August 1914. The title is quite literal. Coming into the War, both sides had very different expectations for the eventual outcome, but many on both sides anticipated a quick war. By the end of the month though, it was quite obvious that such was not to be the case.Tuchman goes into considerable detail for most of the battles fought during that time. We come to know quite well the 6-10 Generals leading the armies of each side. She clearly has her heroes and her disappointments, and she describes them, their strengths, and their weaknesses in detail. She was particularly kind to the Belgians for the efforts and sacrifices both the military and civilians made and suffered to retard the advance of the Germans. She also saluted the French, recognizing that they had the highest losses per capita of the key combatants. She was very critical of Sir John French, first leader of the British Expeditionary Forces, for his frequent reticence to engage in "risky" battles.Though I rate the book five stars, I encountered a number of disappointments. I wish Tuchman had written more about the circumstances that drew these countries into battle at this particular moment - and no, it was not just the assassination of the Archduke. Consequently, I bought a copy of "The Sleepwalkers" by Clark and will read it next. I recommend against the Guns paperback edition. The reprint of maps is terrible. I know the hardbound is out of print at the moment but if I had it to do over, I would have bought a used copy of it instead. I did buy the DK edition of WWl (coffee table size), with lots of photos and maps - and it provides very good summaries of events subsequent to August 1914 through to the signing of the Treaty; I recommend it highly. I also bought an even larger map book of WWl battles by Neiberg. (All of these books are available from Amazon.) Tuchman used an awful lot of French phrases in side comments, and the meaning in context of many was not clear - this was extremely annoying since I don't parlevous. Bottomline, though more than 50 years old this book is still very good but if you are going to read in depth about the causes, the War, the Treaty, and the Aftermath, you might want to pursue other books. There is just a ton of very excellent stuff out there and much of it has been written since 2000.

[bevok-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book lived up to every expectation. Robert Massie's introduction set the contedt well. Barbara Tuchman certainly showed that membership of the Academy is not the sole qualification for being a great historian. Her attention to the quality of her prose really sets her apart as she concentrated on telling a story. Many historians get too preoccupied with theory, fashionable terminology and speculation on causation and neglect the art of exposition.
The story of the first month of World War One is fascinating. Criticism of the book by the likes of Sean McMeekin and Christopher Clark is unfounded and seems almost to be name dropping. I had gained the impression prior to reading the book that it was an exposition on the causes of World War One. It is not, and the events and mechanations of Balkan politics are incidental. This is the story of war leaders and strategy in the first month of the conflict.
The characters are brilliantly drawn, and the story holds us on the edge of our seats (even knowing the outcome) with Tuchman's prose.
French's unreliability, the Kaiser's erratic behaviour, Jofre's fixation on Plan 17 to the exclusion of the evidence.
This is a book difficult to put down. I listened to the Audible edition which was superbly narrated. The accents made it very easy to follow the multinational participants.

[nmele_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rereading Barbara Tuchman is always a pleasure. More than half a century after publication of her classic, her writing seems contemporary, dynamic and powerful as she covers the opening weeks of the First World War. I particularly appreciated the pains she took to include Russia's East Prussia offensive and the roles of the British, German and French navies. Her keen sense of the family ties among the sovereigns add a different perspective to the characters and the conflicts among the leaders of the European nations. I am inspired to reread her other histories.

[devil_llama · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For someone who had always understood World War I as boring, this book was an eye-opener. This is the second World War I book I've read in the past year, and I am getting a better picture of what was going on, and how this massive boondoggle got started. The information is extremely thorough, as you would expect in a 500+ page book that covers only about the first month of the war. It is hard to follow at times, as the narrative moves back and forth, and you have to work to remember what the Russians were doing during the time she is now discussing the British Army. Still, after a short time you get a cast list settled in your head, and that helps to keep at least some things straight. Overall, it was easy enough to follow; I do feel it could have benefited from a bit more brevity, ala Polonius.

[jeannine504 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Since five stars means "it was amazing", I can give this work five stars although I couldn't read it all the way through. Deployment of the troops east, west, through the center, forward push, retreat, retrench, left of here, right of there - I got lost and gave up. But Tuchman's research and incisive writing about the lead-up to actual battle make fascinating reading.

[npjacobsen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you like your histories factual and documented, then Barbara Tuchman's "The Guns of August" is the book for you. Tuchman details the politics and the miltary planning that brought the world to the war to end all wars, and hundreds of thousands of young men to their deaths.All the main players are covered: Germany, France, England, and Russia. The main catalyst of the war, the assassination of Austrian archduke Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist, is only briefly mentioned, however a thorough explanation of how that event led all of Europe to take up arms follows. As the title states, this book covers only the first month of World War I, August of 1914 (although a few days in September are mentioned for continuity sake.) I was astonished to find out just how close Germany came to winning the war in that first month, if not for a few missteps and some luck on the Allies part.All in all, a top notch history of the start to WWI. Barbara Tuchman won a Pulitzer Prize in 1962 for her extraordinary effort writing this novel. I chose this book because I didn't know very much about World War I, especially how it started, but this book surely changed that. I would bet that even the most avid history buff would acquire some additional knowledge from reading this novel. If you are interested in history, especially WWI, then I whole-heartedly recommend "The Guns of August" by Barbara W. Tuchman.

[johnphelan-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Suspect in its military judgments but very valuable for its elucidation of German atrocities.

[quibee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very complete explanation about start of WWI--the national sentiments that led to it and the opening days of the war.
At school, we were always taught that the Treaty of Versailles was so unfair it led to WWII. After reading about the start of the war, it's far easier to understand the feelings of the winners as they turned on the losers and demanded reparations.
A very sad story from our history.

[johnclaydon · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

In a note at the beginning, the author explains that she leaves out Austria-Hungary and Serbia because they are inconvenient lesser details. That is all I needed to know. I stopped reading.

[featherbear · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

interesting contrast with Antony Beevor's Stalingrad (read recently). Lots of tactics and strategy in both--I don't have the mentality to be all that enthusiastic. In her survey of the beginning of WWI, Tuchman makes the plausible case that stupidity and ignorance were the catalysts for the disaster. The assumption is that rational decisions count and the focus is on decision making at the top levels.. In Stalingrad, ideology plays a key role with decisions often the results of megalomania; rational decision making is too often secondary. In Guns of August, treatment of civilians in Belgium affects public perception and management of the war. In Stalingrad, humane treatment of civilians, prisoners, and the armies themselves is a quaint relic of the past, and this influences the historiography, which has to give equal voice to those affected by their leaders' irrational decisions.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tuchman is an excellent historian. Her prose style is dense but vivid and captivating.

[brokentune · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Nope. Maybe it is this particular audiobook version, but I'm really not feeling the love for this book.

With The Guns of August, Tuchman wrote this incredibly detailed account of the first month of WWI - and the detail is staggering, so much so that it might even be somewhat overwhelming and that somehow this detail detracts a little from what otherwise looks like a one-sided portrayal. I mean the detail staggering (and the only aspect that kept me reading this far) and includes a lot of detail of the politics, personalities, military strategy, philosophical motivations, etc. of all parties involved.
However, what I cannot get passed is that the well-known (western) figures (Foch, Churchill, etc. - even Haig and French of whose short-comings Monty later wrote without holding back) come out pretty well, whereas the less well known (and for the most part Russian and German) personalities seem to be caricatures. There is a lot of national stereotyping - but maybe this is just exaggerated by the narration of this particular audiobook version which aims to read different characters in actual accents. (Why???)

It is seriously making me dislike the book.

[buffalogr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author's premise is that the battle at the Marne, during 1914, set the course of history for the 20th century. German defeat and subsequent devolution into trench war with attendant involvement by many nations of the world meant that victory was only a temporary thing...that WWII resulted with the subsequent Cold War....all because of some commanders made bad decisions in August 1914. As Tuchman's pace setting work, it's very detailed and refers to places and things too intricate for the average reader. Perhaps, a student of WWI might enjoy it more.

[jrissman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Guns of August (1962) is the second book I've read by Barbara Tuchman, after "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century." The book focuses on the immediate prelude to the first World War, followed by a detailed description of the events of the first 30 days, leading up to the Battle on the Marne. Tuchman's emphasis is on the military leaders and their decisions- the experiences of soldiers and common people is only described at a very high level. Even the manner in which warfare was conducted on the ground- trenches, weapons, tactics- is not discussed, except for a few scant details about the use of artillery. In essence, this is a book about big military and political decisions and the quirks of the people who made them. "The Guns of August" is not concerned with details.After reading "A Distant Mirror," I found "The Guns of August" to be a let-down. Much of the reason is that I didn't learn nearly as much from the latter book. In part, this may be due to my greater familiarity with the early 20th century (and its greater similarity to the present). But I cannot believe that's the main reason. Despite the fact that it was only a century ago, the early 20th century featured a very different political and cultural mood from modern times- perhaps not as alien as that of the 1300s, but still alien enough to make the information completely novel to me. And I am no scholar of military history- I would have appreciated a description of how war was fought in the 1910s, and how this differed from the 1870s and from the 1940s.Surprisingly, Tuchman all but omits some critical points, such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that started the war. I'm not sure if this omission is because, as a political rather than military event, it is not aligned with her book's emphasis, or if she (wrongly) assumes that all of her readers will already be so familiar with the details that no description is necessary. Perhaps for readers in 1962, the year of the book's publication, this was more true than it is in 2014, over 50 years later.If you have a specific interest in the military decisions that largely determined the course of World War I (and the role that individual military leaders' personalities played in shaping the course of human history), then "The Guns for August" is right for you. However, if you're looking for a more well-rounded look at life in a tumultuous time, I would recommend that you try "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century" instead.

[theampersand · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I should note that my three-star rating describes my experience of "The Guns of August" does not reflect the book's merits. It's a very fine history book, but I found, as I did the last time I read it, that I've got no talent or patience for battlefield history, and the fact that I read a digital copy this time around really didn't help matters. Still, Tuchman's prose is excellent and her takes on the cultural climate that contributed to the start of the Great War, such as German nationalism and every major army's obsession with taking the initiative, are quite good. Fittingly, for a historian, she's also got an excellent grasp of narrative. Her accounts of the diplomatic machinations that led up to the outbreak of the war and the flight of the Goeben to Istambul are both absolutely gripping. On the centenary of the First World War's outbreak, it's probably more important than ever to remind ourselves how badly things can deteriorate in the international arena, and how quickly. "The Guns of August" still seems unnervingly relevant.

[mattries37315 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While the ultimate outcome of The Great War was not decided in it's first month, the nature of the contest was as Barbara Tuchman so masterfully illustrates in "The Guns of August".From the outset Tuchman shows that all the belligerents made crucial mistakes that slowly mounted resulting the Allied victory at the Marne then to total stalemate for four bloody years. The first 30 days of combat on the Western Front when the entire continent and possibly the world thought it would be a short war, after over 40 years of continental peace, changed everything and everyone it touched along with those it didn't.In almost 450 pages of text, Tuchman gives an overview of how the war plans that both sides would use in that first month were developed and then showed the history of what happened when they were applied. She filled each page with dense material but with no frivolous words to get in the way. Although in a few places she must, along with the reader guess at what a particular individual commander was thinking at a particular moment she supports her conclusion with the overall situation he faced at the time. Tuchman quoted individuals in their native tongue, however for some one like myself who didn't now any French or German it meant nothing and I had to figure out what was implied by what Tuchman wrote before and afterwards. If leaving unexplained a quote in foreign language is the worst critique I can assess a book, then I'm literally grabbing at straws."The Guns of August" was an instant classic upon publication and for any student of history it is a must read. With the 100-year anniversary of The Great War's beginning fast approaching, now is an excellent time to do so.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anyone wanting to learn about World War I will encounter so many references to The Guns of August that it will work its way to the top of the reading list. The 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war seemed like the perfect time to read it. Barbara Tuchman has a gift for writing that many historians would envy. Dates, locations, names, and numbers are not dry facts in her hands. They become an absorbing, page-turning account of hopes and fears, opportunities won and lost, preconceived notions, unwarranted optimism, and unappreciated pragmatism. The list of primary sources Tuchman consulted is impressive. All it lacks are footnotes or endnotes linking Tuchman's conclusions to specific sources.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've read several books by Barbara Tuchman, and am always impressed by her writing. In this book, she covers the first 30 days of the First World War. The writing is vivid; at times, even ironic or humourous. She manages to create a sense of suspense even though we know how it all ended. Reading this book, I was struck by the thought that World War I divided contemporary history into two distinct ages.

[cyclops1771 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic Tuchman covering the run up and critical first month of the Great War. It reviews the Schlieffen plan, and how it was thwarted by such small decisions. Amazing that a few minor blunders could have made The Great war a small affair, relatively speaking. Another turning point in history, well documented.

[addunn3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading "To End All Wars" picking up this classic added another layer of understanding to the mix. You saw John French's (BEF) hesitancy in minute detail. The review of the first month of WWI was like watching a huge mobile machine preprogrammed by years of history. This, though, is a history of the famous - not an in depth study of the soldiers and citizens who suffered through the insanity of petty "leaders". It was a long time ago, though not long enough to safely say mankind has evolved beyond this kind of behavior.

[hellbent_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Of all the books on battles and wars that I have read, this was the best written. It is exciting to read and difficult to put down. The author researched the subject thoroughly and approached it with superb focus and economy. The portraits of the main characters are succinctly etched. As well, if does not have a discernible bias, say like Churchill's "The World in Crisis, 1911-1918".

[bontley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating but battle-heavy. Too much on flanks and wheels and corps and maneuvers and such.