The Guns of August

By: Barbara W. Tuchman

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©1990 Dr. Lester Tuchman (P)2005 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"More dramatic than fiction...a magnificent narrative - beautifully organized, elegantly phrased, skillfully paced...The product of painstaking and sophisticated research." (Chicago Tribune)

For Pros and Hobbyists alike

This book is one of the best military histories ever. Period. End of sentence. Wonderfully detailed and highly engaging, a rare combination in histories, this book keeps you gripped from the words “This is Audible.” I couldn’t stop listening and was legitimately sad that hear “Audible hopes you have enjoyed this program.” The performance by Ms. May was excellent as well. She read the diction perfectly and had the perfect British sense of the English language that made the funny sentences make me actually laugh out loud. I cannot recommend this book enough. Well done

Detailed and sad story

WW1 is an incredibly sad event in my view, so unnecessary. This book is extremely well researched and gives excellent details, especially about the path Europe took to get to this war. The narrator is exceptional and very pleasant to hear.

Excellent listen

Well written and well read. The portrayals and background of the major figures, engagements and results is delivered with honesty and humanity. There are no demons or heroes, no absolutes just a bunch of politicians and generals thinking like mortals . It would be a better world if all of us remembered the follies of history and the flawed humanity of those in charge of the world.

A comprehensive history of the first year df the Great War

An impressive, easily understood, history of the first year of the Great War (WW 1). Tuchman does a wonderful job of describing how ill-prepared France (and Europe) was for Germany’s actions. She makes clear how close Germany was to taking Paris.

Wonderful!

I really recommend this book for anyone interested in World War One. Her others are wonderful as well.

Fantastic perspective.

A deep story of shallow men who carelessly sent the world to hell for half a decade.

Lessons never learned

I enjoyed this book when I first read it as student, used it as reference when I taught for 42 years. I still enjoyed listen to it, but as I felt first time - what fools man is and easily we throw human life away. The arrogance of leadership never ends does it.

Awful

The narrator should stick to kids books, Mary Poppins etc! Impossible to listen to! Her accent is too much.

If Only All History Could Be Done Like This

You already know the outcome of the war, or you should unless you went to a public school in the US. The personalities and decisions made in the course of one month still affect us today. Having this come alive in this wonderful story gives everyone the opportunity to understand what kind of impact one person can have on the whole of world history.

We are treated to some of the most compelling history, not written for idiots but for thinking adults. Barbara Tuchman is certainly on her game, and this is a must hear for everyone.

The production is wonderful, the energy of the narration and the presentation in total make this a wonderful addition to your audiobook library.

Just Amazing

Any additional comments?

I went into this expecting a story about WWI what a got was a history of WWI, at least the beginning. What is amazing is that 99% of this info is not in the school history text books I studied. They seem to gloss over everything, make make is sound like nothing is caused by anything and it's a mysterious.

Tuchman really knows how to bring history to life and make it interesting.