The Shock of the New by Robert Hughes

In the splendid tradition of Kenneth Clark Civilisation and Jacob Bronowski The Ascent of Man, here is a magnificent account authoritative, lively, richly and beautifully illustrated of the hundred-year history of modern art. Written by one of the most widely read and respected art critics of our time as an outgrowth and expansion of his major eight part BBC Time Life television series, it recounts the origins of modern painting, sculpture, and architecture