From 1900 to 1914, Europe was a world adrift. In this short span of time—between the death of Queen Victoria and the outbreak of World War I—a new world order was emerging. InThe Vertigo Years, historian Philipp Blom chronicles this conflicted epoch year by year, creating a unique anatomy of a pivotal era.

From the advent of fascism to cubist painting, from the theory of relativity to consumer culture, Blom shows how the years between 1900 and 1914 molded the entire twentieth century. With deftly-told anecdotes and a novelist’s sensitivity for poignancy, Blom’s work brings the wonders, horrors, and fears of the early twentieth century vividly to life.