Barbara W. Tuchman

Date of Birth: January 30, 1912

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Date of Death: February 6, 1989

Biography

Barbara Wertheim Tuchman was an American historian and author, born on January 30, 1912, in New York City. She was known for her ability to bring history to life through detailed narratives and compelling storytelling. Tuchman was born into a prominent family; her father, Maurice Wertheim, was a banker and philanthropist, and her mother, Alma Morgenthau Wertheim, was the daughter of Henry Morgenthau, Sr., a former U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Tuchman attended Radcliffe College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1933. She initially worked as a journalist and later transitioned to historical writing. Her first book, “The Lost British Policy: Britain and Spain Since 1700,” was published in 1938, but she gained widespread acclaim with her 1962 book “The Guns of August,” which detailed the first month of World War I. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and solidified her reputation as a leading historian. Tuchman continued to write numerous influential works, including “Stilwell and the American Experience in China,” which won her a second Pulitzer Prize in 1972. Her other notable works include “A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century” and “The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam.” Tuchman was known for her meticulous research and her ability to weave complex historical events into engaging narratives.

5 Interesting Facts about Barbara W. Tuchman

1. Barbara Tuchman won the Pulitzer Prize twice: first for “The Guns of August” in 1963 and then for “Stilwell and the American Experience in China” in 1972.

2. She never pursued a formal Ph.D. in history, making her achievements in the field even more remarkable.

3. Tuchman was an advocate for the importance of narrative history, emphasizing storytelling over academic analysis.

4. Her book “The Guns of August” was credited by President John F. Kennedy as influencing his thinking during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

5. She was a trustee of Radcliffe College and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Barbara W. Tuchman

1. “Books are humanity in print.”

2. “To a historian, libraries are food, shelter, and even muse.”

3. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.”

4. “Nothing so comforts the military mind as the maxim of a great but dead general.”

5. “Disaster is rarely as pervasive as it seems from recorded accounts.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Barbara Tuchman’s highest net worth is estimated to have been around $1 million at the peak of her career, primarily from her book sales and speaking engagements.

Children

Barbara Tuchman had three daughters: Alma Tuchman, Jessica Mathews, and Lucy Tuchman. Jessica Mathews is particularly notable for her work in international affairs and served as the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.