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Summary: In this extremely ambitious book, Peter Watson has achieved a noteworthy success. Weaving together so many ideas and so many people responsible for them, this story of the 20th century is both informative and stimulating. It unfolds in a way that captures the reader's attention and never relinquishes its grasp. The range of topics, from the arts and sciences through philosophy and ideas, renders this work a colossal and intricate chain of events. The links are cleverly interwoven between the century's unimaginable horrors and extraordinary developments. From the characters and events which shaped Vienna for the arrival of art student Adolf Hitler in 1907, to the ongoing conflicts of the computer age, Terrible Beauty, as its title implies, demonstrates the Jekyll and Hyde nature of modern civilisation. An excellent work of reference and an exciting read.