The text focuses first on the impact of the Marshall plan on the organization of political and economic life in post-war Europe and how the plan was perceived in European public opinion. It then examines its role in the construction of European union and in the division of Europe. Finally, the book analyzes the debate about the economic impact of the Marshall Plan in the post-war economic "miracle" in Western Europe. The authors of these chapters are well-known historians, economists, and political scientists, whose original chapters derive from their work on post-war Europe.

Martin A. Schain is a Professor of Politics and Director of the Center for European Studies at NYU.