Presents a collection of essays and lectures, which addresses many of the issues that dominate the political and cultural climate of Europe. This work shows that the conventional exclusion of Central and Eastern Europe has led to shortcomings in our understanding of one of the crucial episodes of European history, namely the Second World War.

From the classical origins of the idea of Europe to the division between East and West during the Cold War; from the Jewish and Islamic strands in European history to the expansion of Europe to other continents; from the misunderstood Allied victory in 1945 to Britain's place in Europe; from reflections on the use and abuse of history to personal recollections on learning languages - this companion volume to the bestselling "Europe" looks at European history from a variety of unusual and entertaining angles in an equally stimulating and accessible way.