Eksteins writes about the forms of "modernity" that emerged during this time, taking the infamous Paris performance of that ballet as a starting point and then goes from there to talking about the devastation of the war as a complement to it. I recall there was a lot that I liked about his arguments and several that I disagreed with vehemently. Yet somehow even those points of disagreement didn't detract from his overall thesis. It's been 17 years since I last read it in full, so I might re-read it later this month. If I do, I'll certainly review it rigorously.