'This is an exceptionally broad-ranging account of the significance of the Black Sea region. It covers everything from ancient history to comparative perspectives in the modern world, yet its clear focus on the nature of regionalism gives the work both coherence and relevance for the study of politics and international relations as a whole.' Karen Henderson, University of Leicester, UK 'A valuable contribution to the literature on the international politics of the Black Sea region. The chapters in this book provide a comprehensive overview of the divergent positions of the different actors in the Black Sea region...an excellent starting place for anyone wanting to understand the complexities and contradictions of Black Sea regionalism in the twenty-first century.' Andrew Cottey, University College Cork, Republic of Ireland 'At a crossroad between the former Soviet Union Southern Republics and the EU Eastern member states and Turkey, the Black Sea region is a controversial reality and remains underdeveloped and understudied. As such, Ruxandra's book provides a welcomed coherent collection of substantial chapters comparatively addressing the history, structure, and policies of this region. Both the multiple endogenous and exogenous factors of regional cooperation and conflict, notably US, EU and Russia, are taken into consideration and critically evaluated. The result is a well-focused and insightful contribution to the knowledge of progresses and shortcomings of a relevant part of regionalist comparative studies.' Mario Telo, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences 'This is a welcome and excellent addition to the literature on regionalism. An interdisciplinary team of scholars cover various aspects of Black Sea area regionalism and its limitations. Some chapters in this informative book also give valuable comparative perspectives that can contribute to conceptual and theoretical advances in regionalism studies.' Finn