The Passage to Europe: How a Continent Became a Union - Tapa dura

"The author, a senior EU official, combines inside knowledge with the insights of a philosopher . . . His discussion . . . is illuminating and remarkably readable."-Roger Morgan, Times Higher Education Supplement -- Roger Morgan * Times Higher Education Supplement * "The book I most valued was Luuk van Middelaar's The Passage to Europe, a brilliant account of the development of the European Union. The most insightful book on Europe since Larry Siedentop's Democracy in Europe, and essential reading before voting in the referendum." -Vernon Bogdanor, Times Higher Education Supplement, Book of the Year -- Vernon Bogdanor * Times Higher Education Supplement * "His encyclopedic knowledge of and intimacy with European affairs will make even a specialist blush with envy."-Publishers Weekly * Publishers Weekly * "An erudite alternative to the persistent drumbeat about the coming, market-driven disintegration of the European Union . . . . An intriguing presentation of views seldom reported so readably and in such depth."-Kirkus Reviews * Kirkus Reviews * "[The book] has much to teach those who want to understand the EU's recent political dynamic."-The Economist * The Economist * "Philosophically informed and historically sensitive. . . . [offering] a subtle and detailed account of the evolution of the Union."-Larry Sidentop, Times Literary Supplement -- Larry Sidentop * Times Literary Supplement * "A discerning, balanced, gracefully written book, flavoured with the insights of political science but filled with the meat of European Union history over six decades."-Tony Barber, Financial Times -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *

The untold story of the crises and compromises that united a continent As financial turmoil in Europe preoccupies political leaders and global markets, it becomes more important than ever to understand the forces that underpin the European Union, hold it together and drive it forward. This timely book provides a gripping account of the realities of power politics among European states and between their leaders. Drawing on long experience working behind the scenes, Luuk van Middelaar captures the dynamics and tensions shaping the European Union from its origins until today. It is a story of unexpected events and twists of fate, bold vision and sheer necessity, told from the perspective of the keyplayers - from de Gaulle to Havel, Thatcher to Merkel. Van Middelaar cuts through the institutional complexity by exploring the unforeseen outcomes of decisive moments and focusing on the quest for public legitimacy. As a first-hand witness to the day-to-day actions and decisions of Europe's leaders, the author provides a vivid narrative of the crises and compromises that united a continent. By revisiting the past, he sheds fresh light on the present state of European unification and offers insights into what the future may hold.