The Guns of August Author:Barbara Tuchman "One of the finest books of our time," wrote William L. Shirer of this enthralling study of the background and events of August, 1914, when the fragile structure of the world order collapsed, and the doors were flung open to the nightmare realities of the 20th century. This momentous period saw the outbreak of the first World War and the giganti... more »c battles that brought Germany to the brink of a quick and easy triumph, only to be halted by her own errors, French and British gallantry, and sheer chance. The Guns of August recreates these dramatic days with a brilliance unsurpassed in military chronicles. It graphically depicts the all-too-fallible rulers and grimly impersonal forces that led to an "unthinkable" conflict, and swayed the delicate balance between victory and defeat. A huge bestseller, critically acclaimed, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Guns of August is great history, spellbinding literature, and unforgettable tragedy, with profound and unsettling relevance to the present. Dell Contemporary Classics present the finest of modern writing--books vividly of and for our time, illumined by enduring skill and vision. (This book was written in 1962)« less