Dimensions
162 x 240 x 42mm
The first of two volumes, To Hell and Back is a monumental new history of modern Europe and one of Ian Kershaw's greatest achievements.
In the summer of 1914 most of Europe plunged into a war so catastrophic that it took generations to recover from. The disaster terrified its survivors, shocked that a civilization they had blandly assumed to be a model for the rest of the world had collapsed into savagery. In 1939 Europeans would initiate a second conflict that managed to be even worse - a war in which the killing of civilians was central, and in whose aftermath the violence continued, shaping the divided continent that emerged.
Ian Kershaw tells this story with humanity, flair and originality. He gives a compelling narrative of events, but he also wrestles with the most difficult issues that the events raise: what it meant for the Europeans who initiated and lived through such fearful times - and what this means for us.
