What is Europe? When did it come to have any sense of identity or political unity? Could it be that Europe's strength and creativity lies in its very lack of unity?

It is the birthplace of Western civilisation, yet ""Europe"" has meant different things at different times. Today, the term is often used in a geopolitically limited way to refer only to the European Union or, even more exclusively, to a culturally defined core. What will Europe mean in the future?

The international contributors to this volume assembled for the 2012 Engelsberg Seminar - on behalf of the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation - to probe historical antecedents and explore how Europeans have come to perceive themselves and their prospects.

The resulting anthology of essays draws together a range of historical, journalistic, political, scholarly and literary perspectives - in the pursuit of Europe.

Contributors: Peter Alter, Ariane Chebel d'Appollonia, José M de Areilza, Patricia Clavin, Robert Cooper, Argita Daudze, Konstantin von Eggert, John Elliott, Pierre Hassner, Hans-Olaf Henkel, Gunnar Hökmark, Peter Jay, Josef Joffe, Oliver Kamm, Eric Kaufmann, Nigel Lawson, Philippe Legrain, Mark Leonard, Jan-Werner Müller, Anthony Pagden, George Pagoulatos, Kiran Klaus Patel, Agnès Catherine Poirier, Alan Posener, David Rennie, Giulia Sissa, Pär Stenbäck, Bruce Stokes, David Voas, Yu Yongding, Jan Zielonka.