In this book some of the world's leading academic experts on American-European relations provide the most up to date presentations of the topic available today. The Iraq War represented a most serious challenge to American-European relations. Some of the contributors argue that NATO, the key of the Atlantic relationship, has been harmed beyond repair. The Cold War is over; America has become more nationalist than it used to be; Europe has become more independent-minded vis-á-vis the United States. Others argue that the war was just another major crisis, like the many crises that had affected NATO even in its golden years during the Cold War. Recently the relationship has already improved a great deal; it is likely to improve even further. The editor attempts to strike a balance between different interpretations.