This is a brilliant, provocative long essay on the rise and fall and survival of modernism, by the English-languages' greatest living cultural historian.

Freudian thought permeates many aspects of 20th-century life, and to understand Freud is to explore not only his scientific papers but also his writings on art, literature, politics, religion and culture. Containing 51 texts which span Freud's entire career, from early case histories, through his work on dreams and essays on sexuality, and on to his late writings (including Civilisation and Its Discontents), this book brings together his ideas as a scientist, humanist, doctor and philosopher. Introductions to the texts are provided by Peter Gay, who has also written a general introduction...