Euro crisis, refugee crisis, Brexit - the EU is at a historic crossroads. After decades of seeming to be on the verge of realizing an ever closer union of the peoples of Europe, unforeseen events are calling the logic of integration into question. National interests are coming to the forefront, and the struggle for common solutions is becoming increasingly desperate. Luuk van Middelaar, an excellent connoisseur of Brussels practices, transforms what seems to be a dry subject into the material of a fascinating narrative. Starting from April 18, 1951, when representatives of the six founding states signed the treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Quai d'Orsay, he describes the key milestones and crises on the journey from continent to union. He brings to life the atmosphere of dramatic events.