90 Minutes From Europe

This book examines the 'Know How Fund', Britain’s bilateral technical assistance programme in post-communist central and eastern Europe, devised in response to the end of the Cold War. The Know How Fund (KHF) was the technical assistance programme which Margaret Thatcher’s government launched in the spring of 1989 to encourage Poland’s transition from communism to democracy and free-market capitalism. It was subsequently extended to other countries of central and eastern Europe and might be considered a novel experiment in what the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, would later term ‘transformational diplomacy’. Drawing upon still-closed records of the Cabinet Office, the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, this book explores the political origins of the KHF. In particular, the author examines its influence upon the transitional process in the lands of the former Soviet bloc; its part in attenuating the potentially destabilising effects of revolutionary change in Europe; the interdepartmental cooperation and rivalry to which its administration gave rise in Whitehall; and the links forged between officials and the worlds of business, finance and academe in project design and implementation. The volume offers new insights into Britain’s reactions to the collapse of communism in central Europe and the Soviet Union; the role of aid in the making and conduct of British foreign policy; and the significance of New Labour’s establishment of DFID as a separate government department. This book will be of much interest to students of British Foreign Policy, Diplomacy Studies, European history, Post-Communist Transitions and IR in general.

The Last Happy Year: A Novel by Rod Coneybeare

A portrait of poet Louis Dudek as man and artist.

Chelsea FC have enjoyed unprecedented success in England and Europe since Roman Abramovich arrived in 2003. The men's team has set a phenomenally high benchmark, which the Chelsea women's team now aims to follow. Club director Marina Granovskaia has one overarching mission: to replicate the men's team model and transform Chelsea Women into a European powerhouse - a side to rival the acknowledged queens of Europe, Olympique Lyonnais Feminin. So how has coach Emma Hayes set up her side to achieve superpower status? This book dissects the tactical concepts of the team, breaking down each phase of play, and explores the factors that make them a super-club with a viable chance of winning the elusive UEFA Women's Champions League. From team tactics to in-depth player analysis, Europe's Next Powerhouse? reveals the factors that have put them on a path to be a force in England and Europe for years to come.

The ongoing deregulation and liberalization of worldwide air transport markets confronts airport planners with an increasingly problematic context. On the one hand, the capital intensive, large-scale and complex airport investments need a detailed, long/medium-term planning of airport infrastructure. Such planning requires at least predictable traffic volumes (and traffic composition) within the planning horizon. On the other hand, airline route networks are increasingly dynamic structures that frequently show discontinuous changes. As a consequence, the much more volatile airport traffic restricts the value of detailed traffic forecasts. Volatility of airport traffic and its composition requires flexibility of airport strategies and planning processes. The book explores this dilemma through a detailed study of airline network development, airport connectivity and airport planning in the deregulated EU air transport market. The questions the book seeks to answer are: · how have airlines responded to the regime changes in EU aviation with respect to the configuration of their route networks? · what has been the impact of the reconfiguration of airline network configurations for the connectivity of EU airports? · how can airport planners and airport authorities deal with the increasingly uncertain airline network behaviour in Europe?

NJR - BLURB IN RAW FORM The second British application to join the European Communities (EC) was made during Harold Wilson's second Labour government. It ended in failure with French President Charles de Gaulle's veto in November 1967. This book traces the development of Britain's policy towards the EC from the veto to the end of Wilson's government in June 1970. It is based upon recently released British archival resources, and begins with the puzzle of how it was possible for Edward Heath's Conservative government to open negotiations for membership just twelve days after taking office. The book suggests that Wilson's earlier diplomacy was vital for the Conservatives' successful negotiation of British entry by 1973. Despite the 1967 veto, the Wilson government continued to focus on Western Europe, to the diminution of previously important relationships with the United States, the Commonwealth and the European Free Trade Association. The book is focused on Wilson, and examines his personal role in European policy, demonstrating his control over the application, his management of cabinet, and his efforts to win over key European allies. It suggests that a key enabling factor for the pursuit of accession was the complacency of most ministers - with the exception of key foreign office ministers. On the continent, British diplomacy was crucial in creating an environment conducive to the eventual lifting of the French veto and success of the British application. It first facilitated meaningful collaboration with some EC member-states. Second, it prevented harmful developments in the Communities that might otherwise have made British accession more difficult. Wilson was crucially important to this policy and personally strove to ensure its success. Labour's defeat at the 1970 general election meant that the policy was carried to fruition by Heath and the Conservatives, but Wilson's efforts paved the way to eventual British membership.

'A superb book and a must-read for any City fan.' - DANIEL TAYLOR, senior writer, The Athletic 'A thorough and delicious retelling of perhaps not the most successful of European journeys, but definitely the most interesting ... Fantastic.' - DAVID MOONEY, BBC Radio 5 Live 'A book that brilliantly explodes the myth that City have no history or pedigree in Europe.' - SIMON MULLOCK, chief football writer, Sunday Mirror THE ESSENTIAL NEW HISTORY OF MANCHESTER CITY'S EUROPEAN TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES FEATURING A FOREWORD BY CITY LEGEND FRANCIS LEE As one of the first English sides to taste glory in Europe, lifting the Cup Winners' Cup in 1970, City looked set for life among the continent's elite. But as their domestic fortunes went from bad to worse to absolute calamity, the wilderness returned. Avid City fan and respected journalist Simon Curtis dusts off the details of some truly intoxicating away days. Filled with tales of the club's travelling support and the evocative accounts of the journalists who saw the team of the Seventies, Curtis tells the story of a club steeped in history, defiantly refusing to bow to pomp and ceremony as it goes about lifting the ultimate prize. After a spectacular rebuild and having achieved all there is to achieve on the domestic stage, including a record-breaking 100-point season in 2017-18, City's deep-pocketed owners have their sights firmly set on European glory once more. Yet for all their recent success at home, they are anything but welcome guests at Europe's top table.