This volume examines the complex diplomatic and political maneuvers that transformed Britain’s relationship with the European Community between 1963 and 1975. Stephen Wall, a former British diplomat, utilizes his extensive experience and access to archival records to reconstruct the negotiations that led to Britain's eventual entry into the European Economic Community and the subsequent 1975 referendum. The text argues that this period was defined by shifting geopolitical priorities, internal party divisions, and the persistent challenge of reconciling British sovereignty with European integration.

Experts recognize this work as a definitive account of British diplomatic history during a critical period of European integration. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous and detailed examination of the bureaucratic and political processes involved in the negotiations.