The Zimmermann Telegram

By: Barbara W. Tuchman

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

In the dark winter of 1917, as World War I was deadlocked, Britain knew that Europe could be saved only if the United States joined the war. But President Wilson remained unshakable in his neutrality. Then, with a single stroke, the tool to propel America into the war came into a quiet British office. One of countless messages intercepted by the crack team of British decoders, the Zimmermann telegram was a top-secret message from Berlin inviting Mexico to join Japan in an invasion of the United States. Mexico would recover her lost American territories while keeping the U.S. occupied on her side of the Atlantic.

How Britain managed to inform America of Germany's plan without revealing that the German codes had been broken makes for an incredible, true story of espionage, intrigue, and international politics, as only Barbara W. Tuchman could tell it.

©1958 Barbara W. Tuchman (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A true, lucid thriller…. Mrs. Tuchman makes the most of it with a creative writer’s sense of drama and a scholar’s obeisance to the evidence.” ( New York Times)

“The tale has most of the ingredients of an Eric Ambler spy thriller.” ( Saturday Review)

Informative, educational and a eye opener!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Zimmermann Telegram to be better than the print version?

No. I have never read the print version, however I will do so to enjoy it without the audio as it is a super book.

What does Wanda McCaddon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Very little. Her style of reading in this book, took away from the what is other wise a thumbs up read. Oration far to slow and lacks energy when it might be excitement , Felt as if I were being read a bedtime story, and then nod of into a nights sleep.

Any additional comments?

Not worth a credit I am sorry to say.

Quite Interesting

Held my attention for the full duration of the book. Lots of personal accounts and the related actions of those not in the story but who made decisions which impacted the result. Very glad I did not live during this time period. Recommend to history buffs who enjoy close-in accounts as to how decisions are made. Enjoyed the book. Will read it again in the future.

Very Informative.

The author, researched very complex factors , roles the different countries played in WWI.
Thanks

US manoevered into World War 1

An outstanding history of a key event leading to US participation in World War 1. What you would expect from a thoroughly researched Barbara Tuchman book. Solid on facts and read in a most interesting way. Once you plug in you don't want to stop until you have heard the whole book.

Great Story

What did you love best about The Zimmermann Telegram?

The fact that it brings attention to an almost forgoten, but an important, part of American Histroy

What did you like best about this story?

The background story of all the key players, not just America and Germany but Mexico, Japan and Great Britian.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Wilson's outlook on going to war takes an 180 degree turn

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

A Classic Perfectly Narrated.

This book is spectacularly witty and moves at a break neck speed compared to most historical accounts. And it's given the added advantage in this instance of one of the most delightful narrations I've ever heard. The narrator's voice is David Attenborough-esque in it's mellifluence, and captures every bit of the author's prodigious wit.

Well told story

This is an outstanding, well researched documentary that sounds like a story because of the outstanding narration. A great deal of detail is provided regarding our getting involved in WW1 and I heard a lot of background information about the numerous issues President Wilson had to deal with at the time that I was not familiar with.

Good history, terrible audio

This may have been released in 2010, but the audio quality is so low you would have thought it was copied from cassette tapes made in the 80s. Usually I would listen to nonfiction at 2.5x speed, but I had to slow this down to 1.5x just to be able to make out what the narrator was saying through the audio distortion.

Setting that aside, this is the story of how the US came to enter World War I. It talks about Kaiser Wilhelm II, the narcissistic sociopath that refused to admit he was wrong, and only wanted to be shown news that made him look good (remind you of anyone? The resemblance is uncanny). It talks about Woodrow Wilson, and how he would be a great statesman if only everyone were obligated to do what he said, but that, alas, he didn't have the magic of persuasion. It talks about Room 40 in Britain, where German communications were intercepted and decoded. And all the various events of spies and diplomacy and politics that led Wilson, kicking and screaming for peace, into an inevitable war.

Zimmerman - a little known factor in US/Mexican relations

The book is slow to gain interest without a good knowledge of world history before WW I. However, the book provides a significant revision to my understanding of the history of the US before the war, and is relevant to our current understanding of relations with the SW United States and Mexico.

Incredible! A Must Listen for anyone who wants to better understand the modern world!

This book will increase your understanding of every major world event that has happened since WW1. Maybe writing this just after I finish is not great because all the ideas and connections are just firing away in my brain.

Special thanks to the Narrator Wanda McCaddon. You have such a terrific energy in this performance. I felt all the feels at times.