Excellent historical analysis

Well written and narrated of the prelude to and first stages of the First World War.

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Very Interesting

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get lost in the middle with all the names, but I found it an interesting book and enjoyed ze accents.

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Classic, but not so good as before

It was one of the best books I ever read, when I "discovered"it in my teenage years. I knew very little about the beginning of the WWI, that time and it was great lesson of history, provided in excellent way.
Forty years passed and - as I became the big fan of history - I have read dozens of books about the subject and visited many museums and battlefields during that time.

Nevertheless, when I found this book as audiobook, I was really excited and I was looking forward to my second meeting with it.
Unfortunately, it was disappointment and I haven't managed to finish it. This book was written more than 60 years ago (1962) and does not age well. It is still well written however it does not stand (my) test of time for a good and comprehensive source of information.

I still recommend Ms Tuchman's book, if your knowledge of history is quite superficial and you would like to read something good about the history of early 20th century, However if you are a fan of history and looking for facts, analyses and details, there are many better books, form a different authors.

Last but not least: the narrator doesn't make the things better, as some stronger voice would be better suited to the content of "The Guns of August"

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Great book, but could benefit from a pdf appendix with maps and names of political/military figures

Great book, but could benefit from a pdf appendix with maps and names of political/military figures

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A comprehensive and compelling introduction to WW1

This book considers the events of 1914 which led the various fractions within Europe to believe they had no alternative to war. In addition ‘The Guns of August’ continues past the causes of the war and continues to assess the various initial battles which had commenced in the West and the East and the various winners and losers.

I found this book to be very easy to read and comprehend, some history books can be very dry and analytical. However within ‘The Guns of August” I found myself becoming quickly caught up in all the action and events. The writer uses a lot of detail about the events and the various protagonists which paints a vivid picture of their various appearances and characteristics. I found this extra details enabled me to be able to picture the events taking place over a hundred years ago and to feel present within the moment.

A must read for anyone with an interest in history and World War One.

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The narration.

Very enjoyable. If you can call industrial slaughter enjoyable, of course. A good work of history.

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An amazing book about a terrible war.

A page turning book with lots of interesting facts and actually some humor. Everybody should read it.

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A Classic Account

Any additional comments?

Tuchman's book has been around for a while, but it remains a very good account of the first month of the war. Some understanding of the basic geography of Europe is helpful to understand the movement of armies across territory, but listeners can always check a map between chapters.

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Brilliant

loved this. great characterisations. beautifully read with the right amount of panache and gravity as required

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A very well written history of war

War is no my favourite subject. But this is a description of the first month of WWI that is something out of the ordinary, With interesting portraits of the main players in Germany, Belgium, Russia, France and England and with a comprehensive, if not sometimes a bit too detailed, description of all the events leading up to the battle of Marne.
It leaves me with a deep feeling of sorrow for the meaningless of war and that the lifes of millions can be in the hands of so mediocre or even useless military commanders.

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