THE GUNS OF AUGUST PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Barbara W Tuchman | 640 pages | 03 Aug 2004 | Presidio Press | 9780345476098 | English | New York, United States The Guns of August PDF Book I only know him from photographs and from tales of my family members. The Turks are dismissed in much the same way. It is seriously making me dislike the book. The bulk of her history is what the title says, the combat that took place at the very beginning of the war, starting with the last week of July and ending with the first of September of All I knew about the start of the war before reading this book was that some Prince got killed in the Balkans, Austria and Germany had a pact that meant if one was attacked the other would have to fight with them — Russia, France and England were in much the same situation. If you want to actually hear about the war itself, and can listen say, while commuting, like I do , it's a great option. After, when he mentioned this to other French generals they decided that he was a coward. Jan 05, Michael Perkins rated it it was ok. It then goes on to show German attrocities as they invade Belgium and France, and how incompetent leaders on both sides cost the lives of millions of men. I'm guessing it's 10 hours or so. This book had me in shock. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Among its passengers were the daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren of the American ambassador Mr. Surrounding the neutral role of the United States, diplomatic politicking quickly intensified. I'd also recommend All Quiet on the Western Front if you want a taste of the life of the soldier. The German, French, English, and Russian General Staffs had had their plans for war completed as early as 10 years before hostilities began. I came away with great admiration for the King of Belgium, who seemed to be the only head of state of participating countries who was totally innocent, who cared about human lives, and whose decisions were guided by wisdom and common sense. In terms of the dramatic story of course it makes better sense to have a calm, imperturbable, wise Joffre in charge rather than another aged General, out of his depth, failing around, refusing to believe the intelligence reports he is getting. Her opening paragraph, quoted partially above, is Exhibit A in how to hook a reader and deliver a scene. Barbara Tuchman is a very gifted writer who gives you a feel for the underlying flow of history. They just couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that "elan" ju This was the first non-fiction history book that read so much like a good novel that I screamed through it almost without pausing for breath. The murder of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian empire, by uppity Serbs provided the spark for a European and colonial war. Germany seemed on the verge of triumph, and Tuchman tries to show how its opening campaign ultimately failed. See also: Naval warfare of World War I. Chapters 11 to 14 cover the war in western Europe. Narrator voice Rest of cast listed alphabetically: Archduke Franz Ferdinand The Guns of August Writer Share this book Facebook. It was devastating. It is a tightly packed book, full of detail about arcane goings on in the corridors of power and on the battlefield. It is centered on the first month of World War I. That is fine by me! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Military history , narrative history. With her attention to detail, Tuchman also makes the reader feel the broad tragedy of the first month of the Great War together with its impact in sowing the seeds for the Second War and beyond. Tuchman's book is not history it is entertainment. The guns of August , Random house. View all 7 comments. Official Sites. The short "Afterword" then reflects on events of August Among its passengers were the daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren of the American ambassador Mr. And it is an incredibly dramatic story and some of the characters are larger than life — but this is no novel. Here, you have fronts of 40 to 80 miles, with armies of upwards of a million men. My family, then containing of my parents, my biological maternal grandmother, and my adoptive maternal grandmother my biological grand-aunt , talked very little about WWI, probably because WWII was raging, food as well as all other supplies were scarce, and we were surrounded by Nazis, some of them murderous SS criminals. Hostile relations between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Kingdom of Serbia thus fail to merit further mention. Sort order. In the present circumstances no failure will be tolerated. A Frenchman goes over to watch the Japanese beat the Russians in a war that was held just before the First World War, a mere decade before the date this book is set. A truly remarkable account of the first month of WWI. I would say so. Not in Library. I was expecting this to be a lighter read. Subsequently, "[t]he secretary of the Army sent copies to every U. The Germans greatly contributed to their own undoing by outrunning their supply lines, pushing their infantry to the point of physical collapse and deviating from the original invasion plan, which called for the right flank to be protected from counterattack. In scarlet and blue and green and purple, three by three the sovereigns rode through the palace gates, with plumed helmets, god braid, crimson sashes, and jeweled orders flashing in the sun. Among its passengers were the daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren of the American ambassador Mr. Her handling of the escape of the German battle cruiser Goeben an incident Tuchman initially wanted to devote an entire book to is masterful, and shows how individual decisions can greatly affect the outcome grand events. Shelves: war , a-top-ten , all-time-faves , history. Judging it as history is akin to watching a Western and complaining about the tactics of the plains Indians or doubting the veracity of the timing of the arrival of the 7th cavalry. Phew, this was a difficult book to digest in the audiobook format. Kindle Edition , pages. Truly, there has been no exit. Does this mean I regret reading it? The Guns of August Reviews I'm about half way through this and know it only covers the first month, can anyone recommend books that cover the other time periods? Tuchman begins her book with the stages that led to the outbreak of the war concentrating on the four great powers only: UK, Germany, France and Russia. Perhaps you can forgive me for saying so view spoiler [ or perhaps not hide spoiler ] but on the one hand I feel conflicted about this book about the First World War, every opinion, it seems to me, from five star to throw the damned thing on the fire and never speak of it to me again, is entirely justifiable. On August 25 the burning of Louvain began. Highly recommended. Both wartime paper profits from a nearly fourfold increase in trade with Britain and France and "German folly" eventually would later work to cause American entry into World War I. I hate what I saw in that world of August, He was angered by anyone who tried too openly to make him change his mind. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. At the same time, a German, General von Bernhardi, was writing his own book, titled "Germany and the Next War" which would prove as influential as Angell's book. That is: arms race, Franz Ferdinand, something something, the Somme, gas gas quick boys, Versailles. New York: Albert A. View all 4 comments. Still, statesmen, field marshals, admirals, kings, and patriots believed what they wanted to believe -- or what they feared not to believe -- and waited in profound ignorance for victory to reveal itself within a matter of weeks. The city was preparing for siege and possible complete destruction, and the government had fled south, when two divisions of reserves suddenly arrived and were rushed to the front by the city's fleet of taxi cabs. All I knew about the start of the war before reading this book was that some Prince got killed in the Balkans, Austria and Germany had a pact that meant if one was attacked the other would have to fight with them — Russia, France and England were in much the same situation. The Guns of August is history that reads like a novel. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. When the German cruiser succeeded in its race and reached the Dardanelles, this prompted the Ottoman Empire, until then neutral, to side with the Central Powers. These seemingly small occurrences—the Belgians slowing the German movement, Russia attacking and causing the transfer of two divisions, one spot in the French line holding on—will eventually turn the tide of the war. The Guns of August Read Online I ended aghast at the stupidity and destruction, to be shortly followed by more of the same. A foreshadowed beginning to the 20th Century Despite the equitable intent of international law, Britain sought to receive supplies from America while its naval blockade of Germany denied the supplies to Germany. He fought in the Vosges. You might have noticed the absence of events involving Austria-Hungary or Serbia in that list.