"France and Germany at Maastricht  is simply  political  science at  its best. Its analytical narrative of Franco-German negotiations on  political and monetary union is the most thorough and balanced account of  the pivotal episode in the current  project of  European unity. It   combines a  comprehensive understanding of the national and sectoral  interests at stake in the Maastricht negotiations with a firm grasp of the  institutional and electoral environment in which  negotiations proceeded.  The depth and breadth of  the research material required by a study of this  variety alone is impressive, but Mazzucelli's lucid explanation of its  meaning makes the book a valuable  addition to the fields of  European   studies, comparative  politics and  international relations."                                                    -Carl  C.  Hodge, Okanagan  University College   "In the present context  of  the efforts to  promote a European Union and Franco-German relations, Dr. Mazzucelli's book  constitutes an extraordinarily useful contribution to the statesman's,  diplomat's, scholar's and layman's reflections on these matters and  provides extremely useful leads to all those who, in one way or another,  are responsible for the destiny of the European continent and its relations  with other parts of the world, in particular its transatlantic  allies."                                                   -His  Excellency Alfred Cahen,                     Secretary General, Atlantic  Treaty Association                                                 "This  very  informative  and balanced volume, rich in factual content   and documentary materials, is recommended to politicians, diplomats,  experts in European Union affairs and those who would like insight into  "corridor diplomacy" during  the Maastricht process. This  book  is also suggested to those  who feel responsible for the success of  Hungary's negotiations with the European  institutions."                                                    -Hungarian Foreign Affairs Journal,   Spring `97 "Mazzucelli provides an extremely detailed analysis of  the national decision-making processes of two of the principal players in  the Maastricht negotiations, and a comprehensive discussion of the  national, subnational and transnational actors central to the negotiating  process...The book's focus and methodological  sophistication  make it most  useful for specialists in the field."                                                    -Choice, September `97                                    "The  story Mazzucelli  narrates  is a fascinating one. The reader is  taken inside negotiations in  cabinets, ministerial  offices and   presidential  palaces; in national parliaments, government conclaves,  Commission meetings, and Council deliberations. We are given a detailed  picture of the relationships developed at every level of the bureaucracy  and between regional, national and Brussels bureaucracies. This is one of  the best documented accounts I have seen of the manifold intricacies of EU  politics and negotiation. Mazzucelli has an impressive command of  both the  primary and secondary materials in French, German, Italian and English. She  is also a skilled and assiduous interviewer and has woven into her  narrative information obtained over a period of several years. The book  is  impeccably  footnoted and the 33-page bibliography is a mine of  information. It is a pleasure to read a book  produced with such  care."                                                   -Glenda G.  Rosenthal, Columbia University ECSA  Review,  Fall  `97"The  originality of  this  work, over  and above the attentive  look  at French  and German behavior during this IGC,  is that it analyzes the negotiation -  which was so difficult for several Member States at domestic level -  combining three approaches: "Jean  Monnet's  practical  and   purposeful  way of  doing  things," Putnam's  "two-level   games" (this  approach...seems particularly useful  in the  case of  Maastricht, given  its  emphasis  on both "internal bargaining at the   domestic level  and external  negotiations at  the international   level")  and the "four  images" of  civil  servants  described  by Aberbach,  Putnam  and  Rockman...Anyone involved in another   European Union  IGC should be very interested in this analysis..."                                                    -"Europe" Bulletin,  "European Library," Brussels, 15 & 16  December  `97"Mazzucelli's book  sheds light on the history of Franco-German   governmental  relations as the Cold War ended..., situates Franco-German  bilateralism within a process of multilateral negotiations in the European  Union..., and empirically confirms that it is not possible to understand  European integration without taking into account the institutional  diversity of  states....This volume deserves to be read with  interest...,and offers leads for theoretical reflection to all those who  work in the areas of integration,  foreign  policy and the political  sociology of European states."                                                    -Christian  Lequesne, CERI, Revue Française de Science Politique,  décembre `97"In  light  of  the recent  events in Brussels, this  analysis of  French-German relations in the framework of European  integration is extremely topical....It  examines  whether  the  two  European  powers,  which played a leading role in the period considered,   will continue to play a similar role in  the enlarged Europe of the  future....It should be pointed out that  the  study  is  heavily  based  on   primary and secondary  sources, as well as  interviews with  personalities   from  the political and academic worlds  carried out  in  various European  countries between 1992 and 1994."                                                    -The International Spectator, Rome, April-June `98  "According to Mazzucelli  the  process of  EU intergovernmental  conferences  is not  subsumed under the intergovernmental approach  ....Neofunctional  and  federal  approaches are also not regarded  by her   as  useful  for this  analysis.  In the author's  view, these approaches  underestimate the complexity of the integration process and do not consider  sufficiently  the contradictory  relations between Brussels and the member  states....Furthermore since  intergovernmental  conferences will be an  important element of  European integration, i.e., Amsterdam,  works like   this one  by Mazzucelli  are  important  for  the  analysis  of  the   process of European unity."                                                      -Paul Luif, Austrian Institute of International Affairs, Austrian  Journal of Political Science,  Issue  Number 4 `98

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