Tells the story of European integration from its modern origins in the 1940s to the challenges of the new century. The author captures the dynamics of the evolving debates about European unity and examines the factors that led to today's union.

Literature Review from the year 2010 in the subject History of Europe - European Postwar Period, grade: 2,0, University of Luxembourg, language: English, abstract: A critical and comprehensive review of Desmond Dinan's book on the history of the European integration process.

The European Union (EU) is in crisis. The crisis extends beyond Brexit, the fluctuating fortunes of the eurozone and the challenge of mass migration. It cuts to the core of the EU itself. Trust is eroding; power is shifting; politics are toxic; disillusionment is widespread; and solidarity has frayed. In this major new text leading academics come together to unpack all dimensions of the EU in crisis, and to analyse its implications for the EU, its member states and the ongoing study of European integration.

The Oxford Handbook of the European Union brings together numerous acknowledged specialists in their field to provide a comprehensive and clear assessment of the nature, evolution, workings, and impact of European integration.

"Desmond Dinan cuts through the complexities of the European Union to explain clearly the evolution of European integration from the 1950s to the present." "This new edition of his book retains the familiar three-part structure - history, institutions, and policies - but includes two entirely new chapters: one on key developments in the 1993-1999 period (e.g., the 1995 enlargement, the 1996-1997 intergovernmental conference, the Amsterdam Treaty, and preparations and prospects for EU enlargement into Central and Eastern Europe) and one exploring the increasingly complicated political and economic relationship between the United States and the EU, the world's leading trading powers."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Europe and European integration -- Peace and security -- Growth and prosperity -- Participation and technocracy -- Values and norms -- Superstate or tool of nations? -- Disintegration and dysfunctionality -- The community and its world.

The emergence of a common security and foreign policy has been one of the most contentious issues accompanying the integration of the European Union. In this book, Michael Smith examines the specific ways foreign policy cooperation has been institutionalized in the EU, the way institutional development affects cooperative outcomes in foreign policy, and how those outcomes lead to new institutional reforms. Smith explains the evolution and performance of the institutional procedures of the EU using a unique analytical framework, supported by extensive empirical evidence drawn from interviews, case studies, official documents and secondary sources. His perceptive and well-informed analysis covers the entire history of EU foreign policy cooperation, from its origins in the late 1960s up to the start of the 2003 constitutional convention. Demonstrating the importance and extent of EU foreign/security policy, the book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and policy-makers.