Noteworthy History Book Club: The Guns of August

About The Book

The Pulitzer Prize-winning classic about the outbreak of World War I.
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time.
In this landmark, Pulitzer Prize–winning account, renowned historian Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of World War I: thirty days in the summer of 1914 that determined the course of the conflict, the century, and ultimately our present world. Beginning with the funeral of Edward VII, Tuchman traces each step that led to the inevitable clash. And inevitable it was, with all sides plotting their war for a generation. Dizzyingly comprehensive and spectacularly portrayed with her famous talent for evoking the characters of the war’s key players, Tuchman’s magnum opus is a classic for the ages.
Praise for The Guns of August
“A brilliant piece of military history which proves up to the hilt the force of Winston Churchill’s statement that the first month of World War I was ‘a drama never surpassed.’”—Newsweek
“More dramatic than fiction . . . a magnificent narrative—beautifully organized, elegantly phrased, skillfully paced and sustained.”—Chicago Tribune
“A fine demonstration that with sufficient art rather specialized history can be raised to the level of literature.”—The New York Times
“[The Guns of August] has a vitality that transcends its narrative virtues, which are considerable, and its feel for characterizations, which is excellent.” —The Wall Street Journal

Buy the book here!

The Noteworthy History Book Club will focus on new and notable historical non-fiction and autobiographies that give insights into events, people and cultures from around the world and across millennia. From the rise of ancient civilizations to the tumultuous twentieth century, we'll read it all. Don't fret if you can't finish that huge historical door-stopper, you can't spoil history and all are welcome who have an interest in the month's topic.

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