Powerful, precise, morally engaged, wonderfully alert to character, context and the greater purpose of political life - Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the Edge

Compelling, hugely well-informed . . . will stand for many years as the authoritative political history - David Kynaston, author of Austerity Britain, 1945-1951

This is the definitive history of Britain’s tumultuous relationship with Europe – as it’s never been told before. In a story of soaring ambition and backdoor politics, of nation, identity, and belief, acclaimed political writer Tom McTague chronicles the battle of ideas, events, and personalities that first brought the country into the Common Market in 1973, only to take it out of the European Union in an explosive referendum a little over forty years later.

Drawing on unpublished sources and exclusive interviews, McTague uncovers the roots of ideological conflict that raged among the leading politicians of the twentieth century as they fought for Europe's future – Charles de Gaulle, Harold Macmillan, Jean Monnet, Enoch Powell, and Margaret Thatcher.

Alongside these famous figures are lesser-known actors in Britain’s great post-war drama: a group of Eurosceptic student radicals, Cold Warriors, eccentric billionaires, and political strategists who turned the tide of history.

A captivating story of the conflicting ideals that have influenced Britain’s public imagination for more than seven decades, Between the Waves raises the most fundamental question: who are we?

A sweeping, impressive, and ambitious history of modern Europe - Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women

Pages: 560, Year of Publication: 0916, Dimensions: 16.4x16.4cm