Beginning with a narrative on American art, tradition, and the avant-garde, and ending with discussion of surrealism and abstract expressionism, this is the second volume of "Art of the Twentieth Century"--a five-volume project covering art history in chronological segments since 1900. Signed essays offer discussion of artists' writings and critical debates, dance, photography, propaganda, film, and decorative arts and decoration. These essays are interwoven with narrative text (presumably written by the editorial team), "analysis boxes" that highlight specific subjects, and year-by-year synoptic tables that link historical events with events in science, literature, music, criticism, and art. Carefully chosen, abundant illustrative images (many full page) include a good number that are lesser known. This ambitious project is a joint project of Skira Editore and UniCredit; the editor is identified as Valerio Terraroli, who worked with a "scientific committee" (the publisher's words) of Italian art historians. A thematic bibliography and an analytical index complete the work. A note to librarians and others regarding the title, subtitle, and "series": Library of Congress cataloging, booksellers, and the publisher have mixed these elements in various ways. Distributed by Rizzoli. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)