"This book puts the idea of Europe in its historical context, tracing it back to the ancient Greeks and their association of Europe with political freedom. From this starting point the first essay shows how Europe became identified with Christendom in the fifteenth century and with 'civilization' in the eighteenth, before being used by nineteenth-century reformers and reactionaries either to promote change or to defend the status quo." "Twentieth-century developments are the focus for discussion in the other two essays. A number of 'projects' for Europe are examined against the background of the two world wars, consideration is given to recent trends towards political and economic integration and an assessment is offered of the contemporary relevance of the European idea."--Jacket.