Product Details

• Actors: Fritz Weaver, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Winston Churchill, Georges Clemenceau, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf
• Directors: Nathan Kroll
• Writers: Arthur Tourtellot, Barbara Tuchman
• Producers: Nathan Kroll, Lawrence G. White
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302703832
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,951 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Builds on the foundation of Tuchman's literary masterpiece., December 20, 1999

By 

John A. Kuczma "RogueUlfric" (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Guns of August [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The Guns of August takes its title, its pace and its studious approach to the events of the First World War from Barbara Tuchman's extraordinary book. The film cannot provide the detail or the masterful objectivity of the book, and wisely makes no attempt to be a visual clone.

Although both start well before the beginning of hostilities, the printed version draws to a close at the end of August 1914, whereas the movie takes us through to the cessasation of the fighting.

A great deal of archival film is included in this ambitious production, adding to the authenticity and the odd sense of disbelief one gains as the incredible series of miscalculations leading to war unfold before the viewer's eyes.

The Guns of August is presented in a straight-forward documentary style, making no effort to embellish the accounts included or to make itself entertaining. It is a thoughtful, often morose recounting of the tragic events that consumed an entire generation of Europe's fighting men and untold numbers of innocent civilians unable to avoid its terrible path. It leaves the viewer unable to believe that such horrors could be loosed on the world again, yet knowing that they were a scant two decades later.

For any student of military or political science, this is a film not to be missed. The awful depiction of the results of failed diplomacy is a lesson not to be dismissed, lest it must be relearned yet again.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Demonstration of statecraft at its' worst, March 23, 2002

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Guns of August [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Anyone who thinks that the horror of nuclear war makes it impossible should read "The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman. Immediately after the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated by Serbian agents, it appeared to be a crisis, but not a severe one. Then suddenly, it all spiraled out of control into a conflagration that engulfed the world, which is now known as World War I. Monarchs signed decrees that led to their dethronement and in one case, their death and the entire order of Europe was destroyed. The leaders were pushed to a point where they felt their only option was to have their nations fight to the death. This tape is based on that book and on the whole, gives a reasonably accurate portrayal of the events of that time.
One omission is a brief rehash of the Franco-Prussian war, the subsequent German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine and the French desire for revenge. This was the strongest force among the French that pushed them towards the war. The narrative is also somewhat biased against the central powers, in that the footage is almost exclusively from the allied side. The critical involvement of Turkey on the side of the central powers is also ignored. If Turkey had at minimum stayed neutral instead of entering the war on the side of the central powers, it is most likely that the war would have ended in 1917. Had she entered the war on the side of the allies, it may have ended even earlier. Of all the countries who was heavily engaged, she was the one who most easily could have stayed out.
Diplomacy and statecraft will never be exact sciences, so nothing is ever certain. If you read the book or see this tape, you will learn how true that is. Our only hope to do better next time is to understand the mistakes of the last times. This tape is a reasonably accurate portrayal of how what should have been a minor event can escalate to a disaster due to inept leadership, a lesson that should be re-learned on a regular basis.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good historical film., August 12, 2001

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Rheumor (New Orelans) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Guns of August [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I watched this just after reading Barbara Tuchman's book of the same name. This is not a movie production of her work, but rather a good visual tool in the form of a documentary. It contains a treasure trove of WWI film, most of it of excellent quality. I enjoyed seeing the characters I had only imagined from the book come to life. For me, the combination of the book plus the movie made for a more satisfying experience.