Modernism is usually thought of as a shock wave of innovations hitting art, architecture, music, cinema and literature – the work of Picasso, Joyce and Schoenberg,

movements like Futurism and Dada, the architecture of Le

Corbusier, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and the avant-garde theatre of Bertolt Brecht or Samuel Beckett.

But what really defines modernism? Why did it begin and how long did it last? Is modernism over now?

This graphic tour through 20th-century culture interprets modernism as a set of responses to the phenomenon of modernity itself – the political and social upheavals presented by industrialisation and the rise of consumer capitalism (and the command economies of socialism);

mass democracy, mass literacy, the rise of mass media and the relentless advance of science and technology.

Chris Rodrigues and Chris Garratt’s graphic guide is a brilliant exploration of the last century’s most thrilling artistic work – and what it’s really all about.

Icon Books uK £6.99

Canada $12.50

USA $9.95

uSa $9.95 Philosophy Cover design & illustration by edwardbettison.com

Hook up with Introducing at introducingbooks.com win prizes, review the books, browse the full list and connect with Introducing fans across the world