In his magnificent new work of fiction, acclaimed author William T. Vollmann turns his acute intelligence to the warring authoritarian cultures of Germany and the USSR in the twentieth century. "Europe Central" is composed of a series of intertwined stories which examine a vast array of characters, ranging from generals to martyrs, officers to poets, traitors to artists and musicians. "Europe Central" is a meticulously researched, powerfully written work of staggering scope, dealing in the moral decisions made by people in the most testing of times and offering a bold and mesmerising perspective on human actions during wartime.