Published: 1962
During the past year, I have become increasingly interested in the First World War. I decided to read this particular book because it uses a narrative style and it was readily available at my local library.
Being a narrative history, this book reads more like a novel than a textbook. Tuchman never held a degree in history, but her ability to transform historical accounts into engaging narrative is impressive. Her writing is easy to read and quite dramatic at times. However, this is not historical fiction; there are no fictitious dialogues or imagined scenes. The entire narrative is written in the past tense, and quotations are drawn from records of the events.
Tuchman covers the events, ideologies, and war plans that eventually led to the outbreak of a general European war in August 1914. She then draws the reader through a narrative of the first few weeks of the conflict. Some men stand out as leaders, even heroes. Other men seem cowardly or arrogant. Guns fire, fortresses fall, and many men lose their lives; this is an epic tale.
Tuchman attempts to present an objective perspective on the war and its causes; however, her narrative places most of the fault on Germany. I have encountered some negative remarks concerning her historical accuracy, but such complaints are common among history books. Regardless, if you are looking for an engaging historical narrative, then you would do well to read this book.
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