Kershaw is an undisputed master of European politics in the 20th century. His Hitler biographies are outstanding, as is his earlier work, "Making Friends with Hitler." His new book, while interesting and perceptive in many places, doesn't quite rise to the level of his prior work. This is more or less a collection of essays, some more insightful than others. Overall, the thematic connection is workable, but not as compelling as his other works.

I am a great admirer of Ian Kershaw's work, but this one left me cold. Franco? Kohl? Compared to Eisenhower, they had little impact on Europe as a continent. I'm not even sure about Tito or de Gaulle....