This introductory survey sets out to explain why and how western Europe built up its postwar prosperity and is moving towards continental integration. Themes covered include the origins of the EEC; consumerism, youth culture and protest; immigration; and the oil crisis and its aftermath.

This is the ideal companion text to A Political History of Western Europe Since 1945. It is an introductory survey which explains how western Europe built up its postwar prosperity and is moving towards continental integration. Themes treated include: the origins of the EC; consumerism; youth culture and protest; immigration; the oil crisis and its aftermath; and the contrasting experience and expectations of the Nordic world and the Mediterranean south. The book ends with the consequences of Soviet collapse. Designed for general history students, it assumes no formal knowledge of economics, and is notably accessible and user-friendly in its approach.

"This is now simply the best introduction to post 1945 European economic and social History." Journal of European Area Studies