Covering the period from the end of the Second World War up to the Millennium, this book offers an integrated overview of the history of Europe, east and west, in the second half of the twentieth century. The text:

* Deals not only with developments in politics, economics, and international relations, but also examines social and cultural trends

* Covers the history of central and eastern Europe in depth, as well as that of western Europe

* Describes the impact of the Second World War on Europe

* Discusses in detail the impact of the Cold War across the continent.

* Recounts the rapid and dramatic changes in eastern Europe and the USSR that led to the end of the Cold War

* Takes the reader right up to the end of the century, offering a new interpretation of Europe in the 1990s