Book Description
"More dramtatic than fiction...THE GUNS OF AUGUST is a magnificent narrative--beautifully organized, elegantly phrased, skillfully paced and sustained....The product of painstaking and sophisticated research."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Tuchman has brought to life again the people and events that led up to Worl War I. With attention to fascinating detail, and an intense knowledge of her subject and its characters, Ms. Tuchman reveals, for the first time, just how the war started, why, and why it could have been stopped but wasn't. A classic historical survey of a time and a people we all need to know more about, THE GUNS OF AUGUST will not be forgotten.
Customer Reviews:
The Guns of August.......2007-09-15
If you have any interest in World War I the Guns of August is a must read. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for years--I know this because the price on the jacket is under $20.00. I was always concerned that the book would be a slow and plodding work with too much time invested in describing the strategies of the various battles.. Yes, there are varied descriptions of the various August 1914 battles, but they read like a novel, are essential in understanding the futility of the War and the superficial understanding of the world that England, France, Russia, and even the United States had in 1914.
Barbara Tuchman is an excellent writer--it is know accident that she won the Pulitzer Price for this book. Surprisingly, this is a quick read and the 400 pages (hard cover) go very quickly. One develops a keen understanding of the mindset of the French, English, and Germans before and during the war. Tuchman gives fair treatment to the French, English, and Germans. It is not surprising that the war aims of the Germans do not seem to differ much between WWI and WWII. . Tuchman paints a portrait of pre war Europe with its artificial entangling alliances as a powder keg ready to explode. As you read the story of the first month of the War you are struck with the overarching theme, which I think is true of most wars, that while the powers sough an early overwhelmingly decisive battle you feel the foreboding by those in the know that if timetables are not met this will be a long and stalemated conflict. August of 1914 certainly sets the stage for the remainder of 20th century history. This is a great book. I do not know why I waited so long to take it off my shelf
Guns of August.......2007-09-12
Super account of the first days and campaigns of WWI.
"Guns of August" is particularly good in its ability to capture the mindsets of generals on both sides. The account of the violation of Belgian neutrality and the civilians' taking up arms to defend their nation at all costs was especially effective (and well-researched).
A great start.......2007-09-12
For those of you just beginning to explore the Great War and it's causes this book is the place to start. Tuchman's ability to weave together the all to human story of the mistakes and blunders committed by egotistical, naive, and often downright stupid leaders, still resonates clearly today. This book should be required reading for all politicians and State Department officials.
Strong anti-German bias.......2007-08-27
This book has excellent military analysis and I can see why it has many admirers. However, I purchased it in order to learn more about the origins of World War I and was profoundly disappointed. The analysis is quite limited and dominated by a heavy anti-German bias. Of course all works of history will show the author's bias to some degree, but parts of this book read like a melodrama, with Germany as the villain and Belgium as the hero.
Studying the start of World War I gives us an opportunity to learn better ways of preventing future catastrophic wars. When the analysis of German war aims relies on "the hatred of a barbaric culture against anything civilized," that opportunity is lost.
An August Book.......2007-08-23
While it's been a while since I read this, I clearly remember that it was superb. Tuchman's ability to bring history to life is unsurpassed.
I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone with the least interest in the subject of WWI. While just using the war's first full month, BT gives us a clear view of that world and its people who became involved in the incredible machine of death that was The Great War.
I would also suggest Keegan's "The First World War" for a fuller description of the war in its entirety.
Customer Reviews:
Start here for world war one history.......2007-08-20
I've picked up quite a few books on the first and second world war, and this is definitely one of the must reads. It is a great read (no worries this is history written at its finest). The book's focus makes it a great read to get into this period. To get some more context I would also recommand Dreadnought by Robert K Massie. It focusses on the entire complex history of the coming of the great war. But in any case, start with the guns of August!!
A must read for the student of political-military history.......2007-03-21
Few of us have any real understanding of the events and personalities which pushed 1914 Europe into a war that should have been over in less than 6 weeks with a resultant German victory, but would instead grind on for years. In this her 3rd novel, Tuchman has done a monumental job of research and interpretation of the facts for the novice reader of military-political histories. She provides us a clear understanding of how the Kaiser and the Imperial German General Staff, contrived to build a case for war, developed a brilliant strategy to execute and win that war on two fronts [against the French and the Russians] and then to ultimately dominate the European continent. She introduces us to reluctant heroes like King Albert of Belgium and to weaker characters like Czar Nicholas of Russia. We are exposed to the brilliant German strategist Count Alfred Von Schlieffen who was the visionary for the incredibly bold and complex blueprint of military actions during the first 35-40 days of the Great War. Then she exposes flawed generals such as the indecisive Joffre of France and then the incompetent warriors like General Sir John French, of the British Expeditionary Forces. All in all... 'The Guns of August' [like Tuchman's 'Stillwell and the American Experience in China'] is a great read and a must have for the library of serious students of military-political history. One serious flaw however, is that this particular edition as produced by Tess Press, is overflowing with errors that even a novice proof-reader would have caught. They are so numerous as to be distracting and I would strongly recommend buying this great book only as published by a different printing house.
Very detailed........2007-01-10
This book is probably the best I have read this year. The author's presentation of the story behind the first world war is absolutely fantastic. I could not put it down and finished it in less than three days.
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THE GUNS OF AUGUST
Manufacturer: The Macmillan Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HF72T0 |
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The Guns of August
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0553130811 |
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My Gun, My Brother: The World of the Papua New Guinea Colonial Police, 1920-1960 (Pacific Islands Monograph Series)
August Ibrum K. Kituai
Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0824817478 |
Product Description
The Classic work about World War I and written by a Pulitzer Prize Winner
Book Description
In a masterful and unique manner, Dr. Ben uses Black Man of the Nile to challenge and expose "Europeanized" African history. Order Black Man of the Nile here.
Customer Reviews:
Black Man redemption?.......2007-09-25
It is true that African culture has been largely sidelined by European and US academics. The African contribution must in that case, by default, have been greater than Europeans make it out to be. However, to argue, as Dr Ben does, that all culture emanated from Africa and that Africa is the source of all Western Civilization is clearly nonsense. He goes as far as to maintain that Freemasonry has African origins. Why anyone would want to claim an aberrant system like Freemasonry as part of their heritage is beyond me!
St Clair Drake put it in a nutshell when he wrote: "Ben-Jochannen's books challenge the reader to exercise alert vigilance to distinguish between fact, statements with a high degree of probability, and assertions based merely on a will to believe" (Black Folk Here & There, p.326)
Examples of simple factual errors are these. He places the founding of the Monomotapa Kingdom in Zimbabwe at AD100 (p.17), whereas it was actually founded not before AD1100 (at least 1000 years later). Then, elsewhere, he dates Monomotapa to about 1200-1700BCE (p.79), which would make it about 2500 years earlier than it actually was. Then he dates the beginning of the Zulu Kingdom at AD300 (p.17), whereas its beginning was actually not before AD1750 (at least 1450 years later) (p.17).
This book draws on a bizarre array of sources, including mystical and Masonic texts. Anything Dr Ben can find to throw at his ideological opponents he will pick up and throw, however, jumbled and incoherent it might be.
Finally, as with all his works, he includes the charge that "white Jews' of the Western world are global impostors, having falsely hijacked a heritage which, according to Dr Ben, rightfully belongs to Black Africans. They have done this, he argues, by cunningly proclaiming their identity with the Israelites of the Bible. Consequently, he accuses them of propounding a racist creed from their very beginnings (pp.67-70).
If you want a serious study on the place of African civilization in human history, you will have to look elsewhere.
Black Man of the NIle and His Family.......2005-08-24
This book is well researched and presented in very graphic detail. I am indebted to Dr. Ben-Jochanan for his deliberation.
I would recommend this book to any person interested in history; especially all people of African heritage.
Charles E. Warren
New Beginnings for Some.......2005-05-08
How do you do justice to a long time scholar in a review, who has used time, physical energy, money, intellectual power to bring to the forefront, extraordinary revelations based on extensive research...review candidly...Black Man of the Nile is an exceptional multi paged document put together by an exceptional person. Travelling the world, the author has used little known/rare resources to get at the truth. This historical assembly of information, is based on rare findings in kemetology/egyptology/archeaology, that remarkably differs from the standard and accepted versions of events, ie..people, places, eras in this ancient northeast land. A monumental achievement, a good and funny read....If you expect to read the usual historical mythology, don't bother reading this, otherwise enjoy.
The truth hurts.......2004-10-27
The last reviewer is just another non-Black person who wants to continue buying into the GREAT WHITE WESTERN LIE!
tekwo ap pungen wa!.......2004-08-20
El pam mabin. Ammat suswo? Temmen ingwo alwannan emmaran ellet ap, ettenet gebwan Afrika. El Afrika mellenet sempen, jo olom al. Ben Jochanan sewo eggen ap. Ti? Etteket? Nafoot! Ama NAFOOT!
reviu mene Chang Maluminin di Emene, Camaroun
Book Description
In this masterful tour de force of nature writing, Kenneth Brown explores one of the most awe-inspiring regions on earth -- the Four Corners of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Weaving together its geological, ecological and human histories, he presents a unique portrait of this ruggedly beautiful landscape that goes beyond mere description to give readers a true sense of the land in all its richness. Here are rock croppings that are 2 billion years old and broad desert valleys where rivers of lava cooled to form floors of solid rock. Here ancient hunter-gatherers stalked the woolly mammoth, four-story pueblos were carved by the Anasazi from sheer stone cliffs and an ancient midnight Holy Week ceremony is still practiced in a modern Spanish village.
Providing a fresh perspective on a region currently enjoying an upwelling of interest, Four Corners is a fascinating study of one of the world's great wonders -- compelling reading for all science, nature, anthropology and travel aficionados.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable book on the Land. the People and Its Mysteries .......2007-07-22
If anyone has been to the Four Corners area, particularly the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, you will appreciate the author who takes you well beyond those more obviously known pleasures and takes you into more remote and attrarctive parts of the large four corners area giving the reader an introduction to geology while explaing in the initial chapyers how the land and continent was formed. The books goes on to discuss each area, its rock formations including mountains, plateaus and valleys and the vegetation that makes each area unique. The author includes interviews with numerous specialists throughout the book along his own personal journey through these ares that he hikes and camps and spends time in some very remote areas. His discussion of the people that once lived on the land and the ones that currently do provides a human linkage to present day. The mystery of the Anasazi is quite fascinating as these ancient cliff dwellers disappaered around 1400 AD but may have become part of the present day Hopi tribe. The description of their cliff like fortess dwellings and the archelogical studies is one of the most interestiung parts of the book. Why did they live along a cliffs in large communities and what happened to them? The book is not a quick read but one that deserves patience to appreciate the indepth descrptions that Brown provides. The only downturn, which is very slight, is that the author has little tolerance for tourists that in his opinion, along with the specialist he meets, strongly feel that tourists overwhelm these sensitive sites. However, for one who loves to travel these wonderful places with great respect for the sensitivity of the environment, we must all do our part to try to rein in those few that unfortunatey create a negative impact no matter where they visit or live.
Excellent intro to the land and people of the SW US.......2006-03-29
This is a fascinating account of the land and people of the Four Corners region of the southwestern US. Brown is as interested in the geology of the region as he is in the settlers of it. The book is basically divided into five large sections, one for each major point on the compass and a fifth entitled "Center." He begins each section with a thorough discussion of its geology. From there he proceeds to the peopling of each section, from the early hunters and gathers to the Anasazi, Spaniards, and Mormons. His long sub-section on the Anasazi is especially good. One thing Brown makes clear is that, unlike the "politically correct" view held by many today, the Americas were not a Garden of Eden before European contact was made. Native tribes fought ferociously with one another over land and resources; even slavery was practiced among the tribes. And after the disastrous Pueblo uprising of 1680 that virtually emptied the country north of the Rio Grande of all Spanish inhabitants, the Spanish realized they would have to cooperate with the Natives to insure security and success.
Brown is an excellent writer and captures the uniqueness of the desert Southwest well without going into rapturous (and phony) doggerel. He is a "loner," however, relying on historical records or scientific textbooks for most of his information, and rarely brings along another geologist or historian to hash out information. (This being the case, it's surprising that there is no bibliography included.) Even his own personal observations, other than a few camping/hiking scenes thrown in here and there, are kept to a minimum. Some might object to this impersonal approach, but it didn't bother me at all. The book is interesting and informative - an excellent overview of the desert Southwest.
Four Corners.......2002-05-31
As a native of Utah and a student of the geology and natural history of the Colorado Plateau, this is without a doubt the best available summary of the fascinating heritage of the Four Corners region. I've read the paperback edition from front to back twice and parts of it three times. I recently managed to find a copy in hard back in excellent condition that I've added to my collection of keepers, and I'll read it again before I make my next trip to southern Utah. It astonishes me that I have yet to find this book at any of the national park bookstores. This book is very highly recommended for anyone with an interest in or planning to visit the most remarkable region of the continental United States. It's a great introduction to so many facets of this awesome area! In my opinion, it communicates the flavor of the country as well as John Wesley Powell's classic documentary of the first formal exploration of the Colorado River. Don't miss this one.
Michael Shea, MD
An eloquent, detailed overview of the Colorado Plateau.......1999-11-01
This book deserves a less prosaic name. With an engaging writing style, Kenneth Brown provides a knowledgeable and highly readable introduction to the natural and human history of the Colorado Plateau, including the geology, forests and biological life zones, and the Anasazi, Pueblo, Navajo, Spanish, Mormon, and recent Anglo influences. I'd highly recommend Four Corners to anyone with an interest in this fascinating region.
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Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China.(Book Review) : An article from: Pacific Affairs
Tim Oakes
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
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Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000CZ0N9G
Release Date: 2005-12-14 |
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This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2003. The length of the article is 855 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China.(Book Review)
Author: Tim Oakes
Publication:
Pacific Affairs (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 76
Issue: 4
Page: 644(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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The Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China.(Book Review) : An article from: The Geographical Review
Stephen S. Young
Manufacturer: American Geographical Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000B7O6JS
Release Date: 2005-08-30 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Geographical Review, published by American Geographical Society on April 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1081 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China.(Book Review)
Author: Stephen S. Young
Publication:
The Geographical Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2004
Publisher: American Geographical Society
Volume: 94
Issue: 2
Page: 258(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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