This work investigates the complex and often ambivalent relationship between the United Kingdom and the process of European integration from the post-war era through the late twentieth century. The authors, Arthur Turner and David H. Gowland, utilize their expertise in political history to curate a comprehensive collection of primary source documents. By pairing these records with analytical commentary, they construct a framework that explains the shifting British policy toward continental institutions and the internal political pressures that shaped these decisions.

Experts recognize this volume as a foundational resource for students and researchers of modern British foreign policy. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the utility of the primary source material for understanding the evolution of the UK's European engagement.