Do you think the world of the Eurovision Song Contest, with its crazy props, even crazier dancers and crazier still songs has nothing to do with serious European politics? Think again. The contest has been a mirror for cultural, social and political developments in Europe ever since its inauguration, when an audience in dinner jackets and ball-gowns politely applauded each song. It has been a voice of rebellion across the Iron Curtain, an inspiration for new European nations in the 1990s and 2000s, the voice of liberation for both sexual and regional minorities. It even once triggered a national revolution. 'Hello Europe ' charts both the history of Europe and the history of Eurovision over the last six decades, and shows how seamlessly they interlink - and what an amazing journey it has been. Some comments... 'I curse Chris West for making Eurovision so entertaining I shall have to go back to watching it. He interweaves the often comic stories of the contest with the sometimes tragic recent history of our continent. All of human genius, and our capacity for screwing up, are here, told with wit, wisdom and humanity.' Sir Stephen Wall, British Permanent Representative to the EU 1995- 2000. 'Douze points for this intelligent, incisive guide.' Debbie Young, author. Chris West's other works of off-beat social history are FIRST CLASS: A HISTORY OF BRITAIN IN 36 POSTAGE STAMPS and A HISTORY OF AMERICA IN 36 POSTAGE STAMPS.