A historian who lived in Switzerland as a child and returned as a visiting scholar provides a balanced perspective on the country's 1000-year history. Basing his work partly on newly discovered archives in his home village, Birmingham addresses Swiss periods of prosperity as well as early inter-republic strife, post-World War II national self-doubts, and provincial interests that kept it from joining the European Union. He includes b&w photos, maps, a chronology and glossary. First published in the US in 2000 by St. Martin's Press. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)