Written by a leading authority, and highly successful textbook author, in a clear, entertaining and accessible style, the fully updated 2nd edition of the leading text on the history and evolution of the European Union tells the story of European integration from its modern origins in the 1940s to the challenges of the Eurozone crisis. Organized chronologically with each chapter broadly covering a decade, a thematic introduction and concluding chapter draw out key issues and themes and assess rival interpretations.