This collection of essays investigates the multifarious meanings of the Great War considered from a multifaceted perspective as the event that opens up the cultural history of the 20th century. After an introduction delineating ‘unrepresentability’, the core methodological issue of the book, the volume brings together many different strands of analysis and is divided into two main sections: the first provides a cultural and philosophical framework while the second explores specific linguistic and literary issues.Given the variety of perspectives and methodological approaches adopted by the contributors, the volume offers original and useful insights into WWI. The underlying rationale of the book, remaining faithful to the catastrophe of the war, without transforming it into a mere object of scientific investigation or ideological interpretation, helps to shed light on contemporary scenarios.