The second volume of Ken Follett's classic Century trilogy, A Battle of Ideals, is set in 1933. At Cambridge, Lloyd Williams is drawn to the irresistible socialite Daisy Peshkov, who represents everything that his left-wing family despises. However, Daisy is more interested in the aristocratic Boy Fitzherbert, a leading light of the British Union of Fascists.

In Berlin, turmoil reigns as eleven-year-old Carla von Ulrich struggles to understand the tensions disrupting her family as Hitler strengthens his grip on Germany. Many are resolved to oppose Hitler's brutal regime, but are they willing to betray their country?

A global conflict on a scale never seen before is unfolding. Shaken by tyranny and the prospect of war, the lives of five interconnected families become ever more enmeshed. An international clash of military power and personal beliefs is sweeping the world, but what will this new war mean for those who must live through it?.