The Guns of August Audiobook By Barbara W. Tuchman cover art

The Guns of August

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The Guns of August

By: Barbara W. Tuchman
Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
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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. 20th Century Military Modern Wars & Conflicts World World War I Imperialism Royalty

Critic reviews

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

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There's a reason this book was considered a living classic when it was published in the 60's and has remained a classic continuously to this day. It is impeccable and quite possibly one of the more perfect books I've ever read. Here we have an unbiased examination of all the people and events that planned for and lead to the start of WWI, the Great War. The first section of the book discusses each influence and who participated and how it affected the overall readiness. It's a wonderfully precise description of an intricate fuse.

Then, a third of the way through the book, Franz Ferdinand dies, and the world is thrust into war. Now we have as precise, as finely tuned a description of the fuse burning and the ultimate explosion. She looked at every aspect of who declared war, what the debate was like, and how they did it. Then she turns her attention again, this time to the fighting, and writes a perfectly paced and description war history, examining all the movements of the first 30 days of combat. At the end, she looks at the world is devastating and analyzes the outcomes in perfectly cogent and arresting prose. It's an amazing accomplishment. If I had a criticism, it is that she spends no time looking at the lighting of the fuse, the assassination of Ferdinand. But she did this because the world was going to go to war, it was just looking for a reason.

This is a great book. Buy it.

Hasn't Aged in 40 Years

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If you're only going to read one book on Military history, this is a good choice. Guns of August covers the build up to WWI and the first several months of combat. Despite the complexity of it all, Tuchman does a fantastic job keeping everything straight. From the social and political attitudes across Europe to the German and French military plans, you couldn't ask for a clearer history that retains its depth.

That said, I'd really recommend reading this as opposed to listening to the audiobook. Like many Blackstone narrators, Nadia May does a fine job, but this is still a fairly complex book and unless you're really paying attention it can be easy to get lost in the details. In either event, this is still very recommended. Enjoy!

Last Stand of the Old World

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war itself. but insofar as how the mother scratching thing got started in the first place....this is THE book

must read... I just wish there was more about the

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I was very disappointed by this book. I expected a book about the start of WW1, but this book only covers the British perspective and only those parts of other nations history that are absolutely vital for the British narrative to make sense. If this book is the only book about WW1 you ever read you might not even know there ever was a polity called the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This book is only interested in the Western Front and neglects every other front, excluding the battle at Tannenberg, which is only included due to its impact on the Western Front. The voyage of Goeben and Breslau is included due to their relevance to the British and the author's personal interest.

The best value in this book is in presenting a portrait of the mental landscape that committed suicide in 1914. There may be some value in the portrayal of the key individuals, but I am unqualified to offer an opinion about the accuracy of their portrayal.

The book clearly suffers from the time at which it was written, since the concept of a human being who is also German seems like an oxymoron to the author. The book suggests an outcome other than stalemate was possible in France in 1914, which seems improbable to me. This is probably due to the book predating the popular appreciation of logistics as an important factor in the outcomes of wars.

Get this book if you are interested in the people, sentiments and world view that produced the First World War. Read some other book first, if you are looking for information about what happened in August 1914.

Limited and dated

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Would you listen to The Guns of August again? Why?

Ms. Tuchman's insights, scholarship, and incisive turns of phrase are perfectly (PERFECTLY) matched and complemented with Ms. May's energetic and engaging narration. The text is alive with the writer's interpretive skills (and wit), and it is put on vivid display with the narrator's profound gifts (and enthusiasm).

Since listening to this book, I have either bought or plan to buy every one of their "team-ups" and most things they've done separately.

Ingenious Writer; Phenomenal Narrator

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Note this book only covers the first month of the war - albeit in great detail. The details are abundant and factual but still capture the passion and romance of those involved with the first bit of the great war. It's very captivating.

Narrator does a great job. She plays very minor accents (French Russian and German) which helps understand who is talking. I didn't find it off putting.

A great story!

Great Narrative of the first month of WW1

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Guns of August to be better than the print version?

No

What other book might you compare The Guns of August to and why?

Tuchman's A Distant Mirror

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It required undivided attention but worth it. Relistening to parts required. Huge cast of characters with complex history.

Any additional comments?

The narration was bad. The narrator has a British accent. Trying to act out quotations, especially with a French accent (in English or Frsnch by a French speaker) were grating. Her narration style, starting in high registers and swooping down is distracting. Almost all characters are male and the common reverse falsetto - trying to sound male by forced lowering pitch - as usual a bad idea. I might have to get the print version. This is just taking too long. It's a great book and deserved a more serious less histrionic narration.

Excellent history book. Narration unfortunate

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Great book. Listeners will benefit from a basic knowledge of WW1 and a map.

Great read

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Timeless account of the first weeks of the Great War. Well written with easy to follow story. Accents are a bit odd, yet also funny.

How it all began

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This is the view from 30,000 feet above. Strategies and the game of “battleship.” A history “lesson.”
It’s not bad, it’s excellent at its objective and the research undertaken to write this book was evidently tedious and complete, but I prefer my history lessons in the trenches and so “All Quiet on the Western Front” continues to be my “go to” when it comes to the history of WWI.

A hollow yet comprehensive analysis

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