Having been exposed early in life to the dangers of extreme nationalism, journalist and historian Walter Laqueur chose to align his thinking with Victor Hugo's ideal of a -European Brotherhood- where the European nations would merge into a -superior unit- overcoming war and strife. However, as time wore on and consolidating national solidarities seemed ever more impossible, Laqueur became more of a pessimist. Today, he still hopes for unity, but doubts that it will ever come to pass. This volume represents the culmination of thought of a most noteworthy, contemporary historian.