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The Guns of August Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 7,842 ratings
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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.

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  1. Part of series
    Great War Series
  2. Listening Length
    19 hours and 9 minutes
  3. Author
    Barbara W. Tuchman
  4. Narrator
    Wanda McCaddon
  5. Audible release date
    April 28, 2008
  6. Language
    English
  7. Publisher
    Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  8. ASIN
    B0018O22QC
  9. Version
    Unabridged
  10. Program Type
    Audiobook
  11. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 19 hours and 9 minutes
Author Barbara W. Tuchman
Narrator Wanda McCaddon
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date April 28, 2008
Publisher Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0018O22QC
Best Sellers Rank #2,903 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#2 in World War I History (Audible Books & Originals)
#7 in World War I History (Books)
#7 in Historical Study Reference (Books)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
7,842 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and a worthwhile read for historians. They appreciate the writing quality, history content, and information quality. The book provides detailed historical events leading up to World War I in an engaging manner. Readers appreciate the well-presented information and insightful analysis. The narrative style is described as elegant and captivating with vivid descriptions. Customers enjoy the author's portrayal of the characters as real people with dramatic personalities.

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ReadabilityWriting qualityHistory contentInformation qualityDetailCharacter developmentPacingNarrative detail
624 customers mention "Readability"606 positive18 negative

Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They say it's a good book for historians or readers who want to understand history. The writing style is fluid and avoids being boring, which modern books often do.

"...The only thing that has changed is technology. This book is a masterful work...." Read more

"...of what I am trying to say, which is without a doubt, one of the finest books I have read on the subject of war, and another clear example of the..." Read more

"...Bottomline, though more than 50 years old this book is still very good but if you are going to read in depth about the causes, the War, the Treaty,..." Read more

"...multiple perspectives into diamond-bright prose makes this book even more remarkable...." Read more

486 customers mention "Writing quality"366 positive120 negative

Customers find the book's writing quality good. They praise the author's ability to convey complex details and analyses clearly, making it easy to read. The book provides clear explanations of events after August 1914, including plans, strategies, personalities, and countries involved.

"Interesting detailed book, very easy to read" Read more

"...when a book such as this, extensively researched, and written in the highly competent way in which the very able Barbara W. Tuchman does, it is a..." Read more

"...In addition, an adept versatility to coherently convey intricate details and analyses, especially regarding complicated battle maneuvers, in an..." Read more

"...It's all true, and all documented, and even though it's a dense read, the huge cast of characters springs to life...." Read more

406 customers mention "History content"385 positive21 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detailed historical account of events leading up to World War I. They find it an easy read that tells the story of a time that changed history. The book starts with the causes of the war and then moves on to the war itself, with interesting stories about the men who made the war. Readers describe the author as an astute military historian.

"...And it's also a story of the men who make the war. The reader gets to see the blunders and the madness and the personal feuds...." Read more

"Surprisingly, the author is, truly, an astute savvy military historian. Her verbiage is unique -- lyrical melodic cadence...." Read more

"Finally I got time to read this awesome historical work." Read more

"...assaults in the South that were blunted, and the successful counterattack by the Germans...." Read more

391 customers mention "Information quality"391 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and easy to read. They appreciate the well-researched and insightful content, including details about terrain, strategy, timing, and events. The author's skillful weaving of research and insight provides readers with a clearer understanding of the events, personalities, and locations.

"...It's all true, and all documented, and even though it's a dense read, the huge cast of characters springs to life...." Read more

"Interesting detailed book, very easy to read" Read more

"...reading this book, and that was that when a book such as this, extensively researched, and written in the highly competent way in which the very..." Read more

"...In addition, an adept versatility to coherently convey intricate details and analyses, especially regarding complicated battle maneuvers, in an..." Read more

100 customers mention "Detail"94 positive6 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detailed account of the war. They praise the author's elegant narrative style and vivid descriptions. The book provides an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the political realities driving and constraining the war. Readers find the account enjoyable to read, with its realism and sharp wit.

"This book is written on an epic scale. Is like a big board game where all the armies are directed by their leaders...." Read more

"...To refine all of that research and multiple perspectives into diamond-bright prose makes this book even more remarkable...." Read more

"Barbara Tuchman provides a vivid picture of the prelude to war in The Guns of August...." Read more

"Amazing in its detail and sourcing, Tuchman lays out the perfectly planned offensive of Imperial Germany...." Read more

79 customers mention "Character development"72 positive7 negative

Customers find the book's character development engaging. They appreciate the author's portrayal of key players in the conflict, humanizing them and describing their personalities. The author recreates historical figures well, making the reader feel the characters' fear and indecision. The narrator does an excellent job dramatizing the action and enlivening the characters' personalities.

"...documented, and even though it's a dense read, the huge cast of characters springs to life...." Read more

"...An exceptional portrayal." Read more

"...of the most complex organizations, a huge threat landscape, leadership impact, and esprit de corps challenges...." Read more

"...by day run down of its first month of events, with little character-backgrounds in between." Read more

58 customers mention "Pacing"44 positive14 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing. They find the story moves quickly, paralleling the events of World War I. The research highlights the rapidity at which events can escalate, drawing attention not only to the war but also to the reader's constant engagement. The book is well-researched and chronologically paced, never lagging or boring. It provides a comprehensive overview of the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914 and the subsequent years. Readers describe it as bright, fresh, and timely as though it were written yesterday.

"...are not to be found, it is still a sublime effort that deserved the author the Pulitzer Prize, but I had no connection with it in an emotional way,..." Read more

"...The Guns of August is a fast paced engaging story that will hook any history lover...." Read more

"...Barbara Tuchman's thorough research brings to light the rapidity at which events can escalate, drawing attention not only to the visible actions but..." Read more

"...first six weeks of the Great War, that sometimes it is difficult to keep up her information...." Read more

161 customers mention "Narrative detail"92 positive69 negative

Customers have mixed views on the narrative detail. Some find it masterful and gripping, with a comprehensive and in-depth presentation of the war. Others feel there are too many details, making it difficult to understand the story clearly.

"...Her chapter on the chase of the Goeben is one of the best naval combat descriptions I have come across. Her section on Tannenberg is also excellent...." Read more

"...The entire escapade is rife with ineptitude, endless bickering among generals, confirmation bias, throwing good money after bad, and examples of..." Read more

"...It is an incredible story of horror, yet with examples of incredible courage...." Read more

"...The greatest weakness of the book is the lack of detailed descriptions of actual battles...." Read more

Critical First Month of WWI
5 out of 5 stars
Critical First Month of WWI
Author Barbara W. Tuchman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1963 for The Guns of August. Fifty-five years later her book remains one of the best sources for understanding the prelude and first thirty days of what would become known as the Great War.We are all familiar with the horrors of World War I - trench warfare, the ebb and flow of Allied and German advances across no man's land using outdated tactics in the face of barbed wire, withering fire from machine guns and heavy artillery, and the inhuman use of mustard gas. Combat related casualty figures were a staggering 8.5 million killed and 21 million wounded. Civilian casualties exceeded six million from food shortages, malnutrition, and disease. The ensuing influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 even exceeded these figures with an estimated fifty million deaths worldwide.How this conflagration began is the subject of Tuchman's book. It suspends what the reader already knows about the war to focus on its genesis. Historians point to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand as the event that lead to four years of slaughter, but this was but the excuse to launch the German Army (700,000 men) through neutral Belgium toward Paris. The Germans had put together a timetable for victory known as the Shclieffen plan that they began executing August 4, 1914. The two front battle plan had been developed and proposed by the chief of the German general staff as far back as 1905.The French also had developed a plan to counter the German attack which was known as Plan XVII. Rather than rely on defense it envisioned a bold strike into the heart of Germany to recapture the territories of Alsace and Lorraine that had been lost in the Franco-Prussian War. It relied heavily on French courage rather than sound tactics. Mounted cavalry attacks and bayonet charges failed to take into account how warfare had changed.The first twelve days of the war came to be known as the Battle of the Frontier. During this period it was all but certain that Germany would prevail. The next eighteen days would become known as the Miracle on the Marne with retreating allied forces regrouping and turning the tide. However, German forces had penetrated so deeply toward Paris that the war would drag on for four more years.Tuchman recounts the momentous decisions that lead to the stalemate and the military commanders behind them. It is a testament to her ability to fully humanize these historical persons that we find ourselves fully immersed in the times and events, and learn what really happened as well as what it felt like for the people involved.This is a great read for any historian or reader who seeks to understand history!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Paul R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for leadership lessons alone
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Wow, what a debacle of human folly. The book was a recommendation from a magazine...maybe The Economist. I hadn't been interested in the topic, but the review made it sound like a work of art irrespective (or in spite of) the topic, and I wanted to evolve the very fuzzy painting I had of Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Turns out this is a book I had a hard time pulling myself away from just to execute the basics of life - meals, sleep, work, kids. I have a very poor memory for names and can't think of a book I've read with more names and titles, so I wasn't able to track more than perhaps one tenth of the characters, but I don't think it made much difference to my overall comprehension of the events and dynamics.

    Turns out WWI was just a giant wallow in senseless pride and destruction and slaughter. I didn't jump in thinking it was glorious or extremely strategic, but I would never have guessed how much it reflected the petulance, irritability, self-glorification, enmity, spite, pride, aggressiveness, and hunger for power of a microscopically small number of national leaders and royalty. At least by Tuchman's telling, there wasn't really a well-crafted plan among all the participants, belligerents or collateral damage countries. The King of Belgium is clearly the most admirable character and the one with the most military savvy - now there's a dark horse bet - albeit the simplest military strategy to execute. The entire escapade is rife with ineptitude, endless bickering among generals, confirmation bias, throwing good money after bad, and examples of failure of cohesion and leadership. Pity the poor souls thrown into this pit of doom.

    I can't recommend this book more highly as a source of leadership training. One has a real-world example of the most complex organizations, a huge threat landscape, leadership impact, and esprit de corps challenges. One sees the outcome of all these dynamics and the underpinnings of successes and failures. The gravity of a lack of teamwork, suppression of inconvenient information, failures of imagination, communication breakdowns, and human emotions are all obvious and easy to learn from. I would expect this is required reading within every military academy the world over, and probably within many top leadership schools. I've read many business leadership books - I can still recall cracking 'In Search of Excellence' back in the 80s or 90s - and this one has them all beat by light years.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Linda Linguvic
    5.0 out of 5 stars WW1 comes alive with all its blunders and madness!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2003
    Verified Purchase
    Written in 1962, this is a fascinating history of the beginnings of WW1 and is the result of a vast amount of research. It's all true, and all documented, and even though it's a dense read, the huge cast of characters springs to life. This is the story of a war that changed the course of history. And it's also a story of the men who make the war. The reader gets to see the blunders and the madness and the personal feuds. And the humanity of the imperfect human beings who make the decisions that result in slaughter.
    There are maps in the book describing the battles. There are also photographs. But I must admit that I barely looked at the maps. And I found all the photos of the elderly generals very similar. What I did love though was the sweep of the story as well as the many details that go into waging a war. Previously, most war books I've read had to do with the experience of the soldiers. But this book is about the experience of making decisions, often based on folly. And it opened my eyes to how vulnerable the ordinary person is to the whims of the generals and the forces of pure chance. Ms. Tuchman also had a sense of irony and humor and sometimes I found myself laughing out loud.
    The narrative of the month of August 1914 is described hour by hour. Belgium has to make a decision to accept an awful defeat or willingly allow the Germans to march through their neutral territory. There are alliances in place that are just waiting to be broken. The Russians come into the war. So do the British, even though it is with much reluctance. The basic war is between France and Germany, almost a continuation of the defeat the French suffered at the hands of the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.
    Before I read this book, I didn't know much about WW1. Now I do. It was a war that defined the breakdown of the European nobility and set the stage for the next war, which was even more horrific. It taught me a lot, especially about how many people wind up dying because of the quest for power. It saddened me too because this quest for power is basic. So is the folly of mankind. The only thing that has changed is technology.
    This book is a masterful work. It lays the groundwork for an understanding of the mechanics of war. I might not remember all of the names of the generals or the battle plans. But I will always remember the feeling of being right there, watching the decisions being made, marching for miles in spite of fatigue, handling the big guns, making courageous decisions that sometimes led to disaster. And, especially, knowing that this is the true face of war. Highly recommended.
    460 people found this helpful
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  • Thomas E. Jones
    4.0 out of 5 stars Keep a dictionary close at hand.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book was a huge seller when it came out over a half-century ago and probably includes new information about the prelude and early battles of the Great War. It's lengthy but interesting, and anyone interested in the politics of war with find it worthwhile reading.

    My real problem with the book is it's the choice of "big words." I am a retired college professor and have never seen a non-technical work use so many strange words that I can't define. The barrage of strange words is constant and seems to increase as the book progresses. You'll want to keep Webster's close at hand or use Kindle's built-in word dictionary in order to understand the full meaning of much of the writing.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Blu
    5.0 out of 5 stars A CAPTIVATING MASTERPIECE.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Surprisingly, the author is, truly, an astute savvy military historian. Her verbiage is unique -- lyrical melodic cadence. In addition, an adept versatility to coherently convey intricate details and analyses, especially regarding complicated battle maneuvers, in an engaging lucid manner. Unequivocally, the prestigious Pulitzer Prize is justified. As succinctly described by acclaimed historian Robert K. Massie's "Forward:" "Mrs. Tuchman's triumph is that she makes the events of August, 1914, as suspenseful on the page as they were to the people living through them" (p. viii). August 1914 was the month initiating WWI -- a blueprint of the competing fighting forces -- which subsequently, resulted in combative years of entrenched warfare; yet, it, ultimately, determined the outcome of the global conflict. An exceptional portrayal.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • brian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book
    Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting detailed book, very easy to read
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Greg Smith
    5.0 out of 5 stars What really started WW1
    Reviewed in Canada on April 24, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    One of the best history books I have read and it exposes the real truth of the start of WW1.A must read if you like history!
    Well put together and hard to put down.
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  • Ayrton Jr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muito bom
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 5, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Um excelente livro que retrata passo-a-passo os primeiros e decisivos dias da primeira guerra. Sem adentrar na cruenta e sanguinária "guerra de trincheiras", esse livro foca nos motivos que levaram aos acontecimentos do primeiro conflito mundial.
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  • PSV
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Como todas las obras de Barbara, extraordinariamente bien documentado. Tal vez su mejor libro. Al menos de los que he leído.
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  • hihowsitgoin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisitely bound
    Reviewed in Germany on October 31, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The binding was exquisite done. Looks like a collector’s item.
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  • Saúde Tovarich
    5.0 out of 5 stars Obra maestra.
    Reviewed in Spain on February 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Sin duda uno de los mejores libros sobre la Gran Guerra. Centrado en el primer mes del conflicto, sin duda el más trascendental y que pudo acabar de manera muy diferente y por lo tanto haber alterado la historia del siglo XX completamente. Hay capítulos como el de la Batalla de las Fronteras o el que explica el ataque Ruso y la defensa alemana del frente oriental que se leen como un thriller. Deseando leer más de esta magnífica historiadora sobre esta época apasionante y trágica.
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