"The Guns of August" (Barbara Tuchman)

"The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman is a historical book that details the events leading up to and during the first month of World War I. It explores how political decisions, military plans, and misunderstandings among European nations escalated tensions into a devastating conflict. Tuchman emphasizes the chaos and miscalculations that contributed to the war’s rapid expansion, highlighting the importance of diplomacy and the unintended consequences of military preparedness. The book offers a detailed narrative that helps readers understand how a relatively small regional dispute exploded into a global war.