Simultaneously one of the most catastrophic and most innovative events in history, World War II killed millions and eradicated empires, advanced the idea of human rights, and gave birth to the United Nations. It was because of the war that penicillin was first mass-produced, computers were developed, and rockets first sent to the edge of space. But as Keith Lowe discusses here, amidst the waves of revolution and idealism there were also fears of globalization, a dread of the atom bomb, and a universal longing for a past forever gone. Telling the very human story of how the war changed the way we think about ourselves, Lowe also traces how it has influenced politics, philosophy, and architecture.

"One of the best, most useful books on World War II to have emerged in the past decade."—Wall Street Journal