European Integration 1950–2003

IntegrationisthemostsignificantEuropeanhistoricaldevelopmentinthepastfiftyyears,eclipsinginimportanceeventhecollapseoftheUSSR.Yet,untilnow,nosatisfactoryexplanationistobefoundinanysinglebookastowhyintegrationissignificant,howitoriginated,howithaschangedEurope,andwhereitisheaded.ProfessorGillingham'sworkcorrectstheinadequaciesoftheexistingliteraturebycuttingthroughthegenuineconfusionthatsurroundstheactivitiesoftheEuropeanUnion,andbylookingathissubjectfromatrulyhistoricalperspective.Thelate-twentiethcenturyhasbeenaneraofgreat,thoughinsufficientlyappreciated,accomplishmentthatintellectuallyandmorallyisstillemergingfromtheshadowofanearlieroneofdepression,andmoderndespotism.Thisisawork,then,thatcapturesthehistoricaldistinctivenessofEuropeinawaythattranscendscurrentpartypoliticaldebate.