Europe As an Idea and Identity

Mikkeli (history, U. of Helsinki) traces the history of the idea of Europe in the context of attempts to unify the continent from antiquity to the present, and addresses the meaning of European identity in terms of its borders and regions. He begins with the mythology and geography and progresses through Christendom and the Middle Ages, the balance of power, nationalism and federalism, and the interwar period to the age of Maastricht. He also considers the impact of America, Russia, the ambiguity of eastern Europe, political and cultural identities, and the effect changing ideas might have on writing history. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.