The century between the fall of Napoleon and the outbreak of World War I has been characterized as a time of relative peace in Europe, yet as the author of The Third Reich at War details here, it was nonetheless a period of turbulence and sweeping change. Richard Evans explores the decline of religious belief and the rise of secular science and medicine; the journey of art, music, and literature from Romanticism to Modernism; the struggle over women's equality and emancipation; the replacement of old-regime punishments by modern prisons; and the emergence of industrial society. Upheaval in the Balkans set the stage for future calamities, Evans notes, as did the unification of both Germany and Italy.

"A massive and masterful account.… This is a beautifully written, wide-ranging study that explores in depth the political, social, and economic factors that shaped and continue to shape modern Europe and the wider world."—Booklist (starred review)