The Proud Tower

A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914

By: Barbara W. Tuchman

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

"The diplomatic origins, so-called, of the War are only the fever chart of the patient; they do not tell us what caused the fever. To probe for underlying causes and deeper forces one must operate within the framework of a whole society and try to discover what moved the people in it." (Barbara W. Tuchman)

The fateful quarter-century leading up to World War I was a time when the world of privilege still existed in Olympian luxury and the world of protest was heaving in its pain, its power, and its hate. The age was the climax of a century of the most accelerated rate of change in history, a cataclysmic shaping of destiny.

In The Proud Tower, Barbara Tuchman concentrates on society rather than the state. With an artist's selectivity, Tuchman brings to vivid life the people, places, and events that shaped the years leading up to the Great War: the Edwardian aristocracy and the end of their reign; the Anarchists of Europe and America, who voiced the protest of the oppressed; Germany, as portrayed through the figure of the self-depicted hero, Richard Strauss; the sudden gorgeous blaze of Diaghilev's Russian Ballet and Stravinsky's music; the Dreyfus Affair; the two Peace Conferences at the Hague; and, finally, the youth, ideals, enthusiasm, and tragedy of Socialism, epitomized in the moment when the heroic Jean Jaures was shot to death on the night the War began and an epoch ended.

©1996 Barbara W. Tuchman (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"It would be impossible to read The Proud Tower without pleasure and admiration." (The New York Times)

"Tuchman proved in The Guns of August that she could write better military history than most men. In this sequel, she tells her story with cool wit and warm understanding." (Time)

Classic history, poorly narrated

The Proud Tower is a classic. Barbara's Tuchman's narrative is as engaging as it is informative. Unfortunately, the narration is simply atrocious: a high pitched voice that cracks and breaks with the annoyingly, and apparently in vogue British habit of being preturnaturally incapable of pronouncing any word with the letter R in it without inserting a W sound beforehand. I had to slow the playback speed to 75% just to try and decifer what was being said. Tuchman deserves better.

Such a powerful story

Tuchman has written an important book about an often overlooked time period. I highly recommend.

This is the book

What did you love best about The Proud Tower?

If you only read one book about the end of the 19th century, "The Proud Tower" this is the book. It's certainly the finest study of the era I've ever read, and I'd be inclined to say that it's the finest ever written. It, and the immediate sequel "The Guns of August" are possibly the greatest works by one of the most masterful historians of our era.

Tuchman humanizes a vast and complex history by following the people who shaped it. It's not a gossipy history, you won't get salacious details here. Rather it's history as a consequence of what those individuals choose to do. It is sometimes moving, often hilarious. The resolutions upon resolutions of the Socialist congresses begin to sound like a Monty Python skit, and yet you never quite lose sight of what they managed to accomplish for the working classes. That's deft writing, and immaculate scholarship.

Nadia May is a superb narrator, who seems to understand her subject matter intimately. She is capable of mimicking the accents of the players, though it's never broad playing. She reads intelligently which is the highest praise I can give.

I've read this book many times, but listening to it was such an immersive experience that I'm about to listen to "The Guns of August." Yes, it's a huge investment in time, I could reread much more quickly than I can listen. But the two methods used in tandem have brought me greater understanding of the material.

Beautifully done. So far, my favorite Audible title.

What other book might you compare The Proud Tower to and why?

The Guns of August, because they are really a single unit.

Massive Talent and Intellect.

I felt like I was listening to the grown-ups through the crack in the door but privileged to be present. Narration was superb.

Fascinating history

This is a compelling cultural and political portrait of the world prior to World War I. The author's method is to focus closely on personalities and movements around the world. The treatment of Germany via Richard Strauss is fascinating. Her portrait of the anarchists shows surprising parallels with today's terrorists, and you can be sure it is not anachronistic, because this book was published in the early 1960s. There is much more.

Nadia May is a superb narrator for long complex non-fiction works such as this. I marvel at her ability to intelligently sustain drive and interest with this type of text.