A European Life - from war to peace Michael Tracy grew up in Scotland during the war of 1939-45. After gaining scholarships to Fettes College in Edinburgh, then to Cambridge University, he worked in international organisations and for ten years was a Director in the Council Secretariat of the European Union institutions. He also pursued an academic career, lecturing in various European universities, including Wye College in England and the College of Europe in Bruges. In Moscow in 1991 he witnessed at close quarters the collapse of the Soviet Union, and subsequently was involved in a new institute in St. Petersburg. Subsequently he had advisory roles in the countries of Central/Eastern Europe during their transition to market economies and accession to the European Union. This book is a lively, often humorous account of his experiences, in which personal contacts figure largely. The final chapter assesses the issues currently facing both the European Union and Russia. Taking the story up to May 2010, it discusses the eurozone rescue package, and the implications of Britain's new coalition government for Britain's relations with the EU. Graham Dalton of the University of Aberdeen admires the depth of knowledge at the heart of Michael Tracy's memoir and concludes: "His thoughts on Europe are well-founded, rounded and are to be taken seriously." Michael has dedicated his book to "Those who think Europe matters, and even more so, to those who don't..".