In 1945, Europe was in ruins, devastated by war, bombings, and mass killings. Large areas of Eastern Europe came under Soviet control, replacing old despotism with a new one. Today, the Soviet Union no longer exists, and the democracies of the European Union reach the borders of Russia.

Tony Judt narrates with clarity and density this complex history, as it unfolds under the permanent shadow of war: the reconstruction of Europe from the ruins, the divergent experiences of Eastern and Western Europe, the decline and fall of the Soviet regime and the rise of the EEC and the EU, the end of European empires, the changing relationships of Europe with the two great powers that surround it, Russia and America.

Among these general lines, specific political events, phenomena, and personalities emerge: the dictatorship of Salazar in Portugal next to Franco's Spain and Ceausescu's Romania, the civil war in Greece, the struggles in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country, May '68 in Paris and events in Italy and Prague, tensions between the linguistic communities of Belgium, social democracy in the Scandinavian countries, the role of Churchill, Stalin, Franco, Mitterrand, Gorbachev, Berlusconi, and many others. A mosaic is formed by economic, social, and cultural stories, such as the development of the German automotive industry, the appearance of the refrigerator and the spread of consumerism, migration and gastarbeiters, existentialism and the decline of public intellectuals, French and Czech cinema, Beatlemania and punk rock...

From the aftermath of World War II to the war in Iraq, the book illuminates the recent history and multifaceted identity of Europe in the perspective of the 21st century.

An artistic mural of present-day Europe by a leading historian.

In a well-known anecdote from the Soviet period, a listener calls the "Radio of Armenia" and asks, "Is it possible to predict the future?" Answer: "Yes. No problem. We know exactly how the future will be. Our problem is the past: it is constantly changing."

"Truly excellent - a magnificent achievement. It is difficult to imagine how a better - and more accessible - history of the emergence of today's Europe from the ashes of 1945 could ever be written. I can't think of any other work for the second half of the twentieth century that can compare to it. In short, a true masterpiece."
(Ian Kershaw)

"Tony Judt shows exceptional sensitivity and attention to the real Europe - which he describes as 'a distinct variety of peoples and traditions.' This impartial and imposing book offers a clear and highly anticipated guide to Europe."

(David Owen)