Provides a history of contemporary Europe, covering thirty-four countries over a span of sixty years, and includes discussion of the region's economic development, culture, and politics.

"An encyclopedic amount of information is analyzed with considerable wisdom and a felicitous style."--Simon Serfaty, Johns Hopkins Univ. Laqueur presents a fascinating overview of post-war Europe, providing detailed analyses that cover every major political development, economic and social trends, and cultural movements since 1945. "An excellent work destined to become a standard text for the 90s."-- Library Journal .