Includes bibliographical references (p. 655-764) and index
Pt. 1. The great train crash. Empires and races ; Orient express ; Fault lines ; The contagion of war ; Graves of nations -- Pt. 2. Empire-states. The plan ; Strange folk ; An incidental empire ; Defending the indefensible ; The pity of peace -- Pt. 3. Killing space. Blitzkrieg ; Through the looking glass ; Killers and collaborators ; The gates of hell -- Pt. 4. A tainted triumph. The osmosis of war ; Kaputt -- Epilogue: The descent of the West -- Appendix: The War of the World in historical perspective