Taking a thematic approach, this keenly awaited new edition addresses the major political and economic developments in Western Europe since World War II, right up to the present day. The book covers issues and developments in national politics, the movement towards greater unity in Western Europe, and the role of Europe in global politics and in the international economy. The test has been revised throughout and updated to take account of the political consequences of the ending of the Cold War and the troubled progress of European integration since Maastricht.