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The Zimmermann Telegram Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,049 listener ratings
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In the dark winter of 1917, World War I was deadlocked. For Europe to be saved, the United States had to join the war—but President Wilson remained unshakable in his neutrality. Then, with a single stroke, the tool to propel America into the war came into a quiet British office. One of countless messages intercepted by the crack team of British decoders, the Zimmermann telegram was a top-secret message from Berlin inviting Mexico to join Japan in an invasion of the United States: Mexico would recover her lost American territories while keeping the US occupied on her side of the Atlantic. How Britain managed to inform America of Germany’s plan without revealing that the German codes had been broken makes for an incredible true story of espionage, intrigue, and international politics as only Barbara W. Tuchman could tell it.
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"Unbelievably good writer of history, and it appears her research is impeccable. The arguments, as always, seem to be about her conclusions (per some of her peers when I googled her), which is true of all good historians. As a layperson, once assured of her credentials, all I need to do is read the book, learn something extraordinary about the history I thought I knew, and enjoy."
— aPriL (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A true, lucid thriller…A tremendous tale of hushed and unhushed uproars in the linked fields of war and diplomacy…Mrs. Tuchman makes the most of it with a creative writer’s sense of drama and a scholar’s obeisance to the evidence.”
— New York Times -
“Has most of the ingredients of an Eric Ambler spy thriller.”
— Saturday Review -
“This is well-crafted history that flows like a novel. Wanda McCaddon captures the storyteller tone of Tuchman’s prose. You could be sitting across the table drinking coffee and learning that, unlike what you learned in high school, the sinking of the Lusitania is not the only reason America joined the Great War. You’ll learn about President Wilson’s naïve adherence to neutrality despite the warnings of his advisors and about the Germans’ cynicism and arrogance as they try to manipulate events and countries to their advantage. You’ll find out that the British through ingenuity and planning were reading German codes they thought were unbreakable and about the balancing act the British had to play to protect their source while at the same time informing the Americans. Whether you’re a history buff or not, you can learn from The Zimmermann Telegram. It captures the people and events in an era when personalities and alliances were every bit as convoluted as they are now.”
— SoundCommentary.com -
“Historian Barbara Tuchman tells of a secret telegram sent from the German foreign minister to the Mexican government in 1917. The message, which announced the beginning of unrestricted submarine warfare against Allied shipping, attempted to turn the sympathies of Mexico toward Germany with the promise of territorial rewards. The British decoded the message and leaked the contents to the US, hoping to provoke President Wilson to join WWI on the English side. Reading at a pace complementary to the author’s abundant flow of information, narrator Wanda McCaddon employs her award-winning talents to the fullest. She takes command of Tuchman’s prodigious vocabulary, making it sound comfortable and fluent. Her addition of appropriate foreign accents adds to the diplomatic intrigue.”
— AudioFile
The Zimmermann Telegram Listener Reviews
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" Not her best writing. Makes the events before America enter WWII very clear. "
— Louise, 2/12/2014 -
" A good overview of the intregues associated with getting the US involved in a war with Mexico / Japan prior to US entry into WWI Well written, likely accurate "
— Joe, 1/31/2014 -
" SHOCKING history of how the USA entered WWI. Fascinating portrait of President Wilson and all his flaws, in spite of his intelligence. "
— Ruth, 1/27/2014 -
" Well written and enjoyable! Fills in some very important gaps with regard to WWI... fascinating especially when read after Tuchman's other book on WWI "The Guns of August." "
— James, 1/12/2014 -
" This was very detailed, and I thought it was written more for historians than for the average reader. This is how Tuchman earned her reputation, but she went on to write much more engaging books. "
— Vince, 1/6/2014 -
" A classic story of world events being impacted by a single act in which the unintended consequences outweigh everything. "
— Barry, 12/29/2013 -
" I'm low on info about WWI, so I was bound to learn a thing or two from Barbara Tuchman. Lots of intrigue surrounding the world players involved in the events leading up to America's entry into the war, despite Wilson's best efforts to keep us out. The Germans, in their clouded judgment, actually thought that the Brits wouldn't intercept their telegram, though it was sent across Allied cable lines to the German ambassador in America announcing their commencement of U-Boat warfare against the Allies. America couldn't, at that point, stay out any longer. "
— Ann, 12/28/2013 -
" Fascinating part of history I didn't know. The beginning and end are exciting--the middle kind of dry. But very glad I read it....whole new view of Wilson! "
— LDuchess, 12/2/2013 -
" My favorite line: "one of history's biggest boners...". "
— Ed, 11/6/2013 -
" first i knew what people should did "
— Faakhegulo, 10/19/2013 -
" You really don't know much about history. "
— Robert, 10/2/2013 -
" A little confusing at first, but picked up speed. Very interesting history on WW1 where the Germans sought to entangle the US in a war with Japan and Mexico, to keep us out of Europe. "
— Cynthia, 9/3/2013 -
" This book, and other books by Barbara Tuchaman tell how easily things could have been different. "
— Jessica, 3/16/2013 -
" I was disappointed by the lack of "characters" in the book. The players did not come to life. But it is still a readable account of an interesting story. "
— Ted, 1/6/2013 -
" Babs Tuchman is so, so awesome. "
— Dan, 12/27/2012 -
" So exquisitely written, so informative. "
— Martin, 10/15/2012 -
" Wow; a whole part of history that I didn't know existed. I don't think that I've ever heard of the Zimmermann Telegram before. Now I know better. "
— Scott, 9/1/2012 -
" A riveting account of the events that finally dragged Woodrow Wilson and the U.S.A. into the First World War. Espionage, World Politics and History - a great read! "
— Martin, 6/4/2012 -
" Fortunately for the author, she had an interesting topic to cover. Unfortunately, she's not an interesting writer. "
— John, 10/14/2011 -
" Not The Guns of August, but Tuchman sure can make history fun. "
— Ty, 10/2/2011 -
" A shorter book on Blinker Hall's masterstroke. "
— Tony, 8/28/2011 -
" Who knew? Some of the WW I and WW II spy tricks amaze me. "
— Linda, 7/26/2011 -
" Read this book in 2003. Anything that Tuchman writes is going to be good. "
— Louise, 12/28/2010 -
" A riveting account of the events that finally dragged Woodrow Wilson and the U.S.A. into the First World War. Espionage, World Politics and History - a great read! "
— Martin, 10/28/2010 -
" I love this book about the fateful telegram that brought the U.S. into World War I. Wonderful piece of history and a wonderful portrait of the times. "
— Thomas, 7/24/2010 -
" Utterly compelling, like all of Tuchman's books. "
— Simone, 5/29/2010 -
" Amazing account of one of the small things on which the fate of nations can turn. I love her dry sense of humor -- I enjoy reading history that also makes me snort with laughter. "
— Margali, 5/28/2010 -
" I know practically nothing about WWI, so this was a very educational book. I had no idea Mexico played such a role in the US's entry into the war. Lots of names and dates which I usually don't like, but even so, I found it very interesting. "
— Jacquie, 4/27/2010 -
" I listened to this on the way home from UT; it was narrated by Wanda McCaddon. I don't know that much about WWI, and this looked interesting. It didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the narration and learned some interesting facts about The Great War. I look forward to reading more on the subject. "
— Judy, 4/12/2010 -
" SHOCKING history of how the USA entered WWI. Fascinating portrait of President Wilson and all his flaws, in spite of his intelligence. "
— Ruth, 2/21/2010
About Barbara W. Tuchman
Barbara W. Tuchman (1912–1989) was a self-trained historian and author who achieved prominence with The Zimmerman Telegram and international fame with The Guns of August, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963. She received her BA degree from Radcliffe College in 1933 and worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Pacific Relations in New York and Tokyo from 1934 to 1935. She then began working as a journalist and contributed to publications including The Nation, for which she covered the Spanish Civil War as a foreign correspondent in 1937. Her other books, include The Proud Tower, A Distant Mirror, Practicing History, The March of Folly, The First Salute, and Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-45, also awarded the Pulitzer Prize. In 1980 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected her to deliver the Jefferson Lecture, the US government’s highest honor for intellectual achievement in the humanities.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.