Some topics might actually prove too daunting to write about even in tomes. Barry Eichengreen, professor at the University of California at Berkeley has undertaken a difficult task in his book The European Economy since 1945: Coordinated Capitalism and Beyond. It entails the economic history of the whole of Europe (east and west), a comparison with the US and some considerations for the future. The result is a very clear and concise book, which also shakes up quite a few preconceptions.