xxv, 592 pages, 5 maps, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : 20 cm

In the summer of 1914 most of Europe plunged into a war so catastrophic that it unhinged the continent's politics and beliefs in a way that took generations to recover from. The disaster terrified its survivors, shocked that a civilization that had blandly assumed itself to be a model for the rest of the world had collapsed into a chaotic savagery beyond any comparison. 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 which culminated in the Holocaust. To Hell and Back tells this story with humanity, flair and originality. Kershaw gives a compelling narrative of events, but he also wrestles with the most difficult issues that the events raise - with what it meant for the Europeans who initiated and lived through such fearful times - and what this means for us

First published by Allan Lane, 2015

Includes bibliographical references (pages 523-550) and index

Machine generated contents note: 1. On the Brink -- 2. The Great Disaster -- 3. Turbulent Peace -- 4. Dancing on the Volcano -- 5. Gathering Shadows -- 6. Danger Zone -- 7. Towards the Abyss -- 8. Hell on Earth -- 9. Quiet Transitions in the Dark Decades -- 10. Out of the Ashes

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