Book Review – Barbara W. Tuchman’s “The Guns of August”
It’s easily argued that the events that took place in August of 1914 set in motion the next thirty years of warfare, literally changing the heart of Europe and many nations around the world.
The political assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb assassin, ignited a powder keg of tension and alliances that ultimately brought the European nations to war.
The Guns of August is an incredibly well-researched book that brings August of 1914 into new light, which I’m sure most of us have never really understood. My own knowledge of World War 1 has substantially grown from this book alone, and this is just the first month of a war that lasted over four years and left more than 10 million soldiers dead.
This history novel takes you from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand to the mobilization of Austria-Hungary and invasion of Serbia, to Germany’s Schlieffen Plan and the Rape of Belgium and invasion of northern France, to the Russian attack on eastern Prussia. The book ends with the First Battle of the Marne, letting the reader know that the Germans could be stopped but a Herculean effort and new tactics were going to be needed for either side to ultimately win the war — something that wouldn’t happen after another four years of bloody combat.
Overall, The Guns of August is a very dense novel. It reads more interesting than a regular history book, complete with lines of dialog between generals and government leaders. But be warned: The Guns of August can be a long, difficult read if you’re not ready for the incredible amount of detail.
My own assessment is that The Guns of August is one of the most boring, most fascinating war books that I’ve ever read. Not just World War 1, but all wars in general.
This was also one of my longest reads. I’ve been reading this book off and on for well over a year now. The main reason for not reading it quickly is because, to be honest, some sections were just downright dull and I lost attention and needed to switch to something else.
Unlike most war books, The Guns of August keeps you at the planning level and rarely does it reach an average soldier’s point-of-view. In other words, don’t expect a whole lot of action scenes. As far as action, the main highlights involve Germany’s pillaging and the civilian massacres in Belgium; some of the fighting between German and Russian troops on the Eastern Front; and the First Battle of the Marne between Germany and mostly French troops.
But as we see in the novel, it’s the planning, both good and bad, as well as egos of leaders that set up the battles and ran the war. The novel also goes into the history and allegiances of the Balkan countries as well as many references to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. It’s critical to know the recent history of the region to have a better understanding about what caused the outbreak of war in August of 1914.
Would I recommend The Guns of August?
Only if the reader was serious about learning the opening stages of one of history’s most bloody and horrific wars. This can be a difficult read for many people.
What I will say is that The Guns of August has inspired me to read another World War 1 book, this one covering the entire war and not just essentially the opening moves. And this time it’ll be much quicker to finish 🙂
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These reviews and much more are available at my other website, Chamber of Reviews!