The Guns of August
by Barbara Tuchman
Mentioned once across 1 show · first heard Jun 2026 on My First Million.
The general take
Lloyd Blankfein calls "The Guns of August" a fantastic and influential book that brilliantly covers the origins of World War I, praising it specifically for being more than just a biography.
About
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, historian Barbara Tuchman brings to life the people and events that led up to World War I. This was the last gasp of the Gilded Age, of Kings and Kaisers and Czars, of pointed or plumed hats, colored uniforms, and all the pomp and romance that went along with war. How quickly it all changed...and how horrible it became. Tuchman masterfully portrays this transition from 19th to 20th Century, focusing on the turning point in the year 1914: the month leading up to the war and the first month of the war. With fine attention to detail, she reveals how and why the war started, and why it could have been stopped but wasn't, managing to make the story utterly suspenseful even when we already know the outcome.
Who said what
Lloyd Blankfein👍 Recommends
…lloyd recommending barbara tuchman historical books he enjoys reading
“But she wrote Guns of August about the origins of World War I. A great book, not a biography, but a fantastic book. And by the way, very influential book.”
My First Million — How the Ex-Goldman CEO actually invests his own moneyat 46:46
Listener reviews
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