This account of Britain's decline in the 20th century discusses Britain's economic difficulties, as well as her decline in political, social and moral terms. Is Britain's 20th-century fall from grace the inevitable consequence of two world wars? Was the burden of imperial defence expenditure to blame? Or can it be attributed to aspects of British attitudes and culture?

This is the first serious appraisal of Metternich's role in the Austrian Empire and beyond. Covering both domestic and international affairs, Sked presents a fresh and convincing description of Metternich's era and argues that despite his battered historical reputation, Metternich was the leading diplomat in Europe over four decades.