This volume investigates the core question of how the United Kingdom navigated its complex and often contradictory relationship with the nascent European Community during the post-war era. Alan S. Milward, a distinguished economic historian, utilizes extensive archival research and primary government documentation to analyze the strategic shifts in British foreign policy. He argues that the UK's approach was defined by a persistent tension between its global imperial legacy and the pragmatic necessity of continental economic integration. The text provides a rigorous framework for understanding the institutional and political constraints that shaped British decision-making during this formative period.

Historians and political scientists frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the complexities of British-European relations. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a comprehensive and authoritative account of the period.