1. Introduction ; 2. Freedom, Law and Competition: The Nineteenth Century as Prelude ; 3. Fin-de-Siecle Austria: Conceiving Competition Law ; 4. Germany Before the First World War: Shaping the Discourse ; 5. The Interwar Period: Competition Law Takes Root ; 6. The Postwar Decades: Competition Law and Administrative Policy ; 7. Ordoliberalism: A New Intellectual Framework for Competition Law ; 8. Competition Law and Germany's Social Market Economy ; 9. Competition Law and European Integration: The Competition Law of the European Union ; 10. 1986 and After: Competition Law, the Member States and European Union ; 11. Law, Regulation and Competition: Europe and the Market ; Bibliography ; Index

It is impossible to do justice to this substantial and important volume in just a few sentences, but let it suffice to say that the core of the work is a narrative about the evolution of competition law and policy, and the weight of the argument is provided by a set of interwoven concerns about the role of law in society, about the forms and means of control of competition and competitive markets, and about the dispersion and convergence of cultural, political and economic influences and effects between different jurisdictions in varied geographical and historical spaces.

`It is impossible to do justice to this substantial and important volume in just a few sentences, but let it suffice to say that the core of the work is a narrative about the evolution of competition law and policy, and the weight of the argument is provided by a set of interwoven concerns about the role of law in society, about the forms and means of control of competition and competitive markets, and about the dispersion and convergence of cultural, political and economic influences and effects between different jurisdictions in varied geographical and historical spaces.' Jo Shaw, Professor of Law, University of Leeds in European Law Journal `For those interested in wider perspectives, in the origins, place and future of competition law, this book is an indispensible must.' Mark Furse, University of Westminster in European Competition Law Review `Fascinating treatise ... the policy arguments dealt with in this book are indeed fascinating, and very persuasively argued ... For those interested in wider perspectives, in the origins, place, and future of competition law, this book is an indisputable must, and on my bookshelf joins Thorelli as a competition law text that is simultaneously good armchair reading.' Mark Furse, University of Westminster in European Competition Law Review `There are books that one wishes had been written earlier and that oneself and others had read earlier. This book is in that category ... Current controversies about European competition law are full of examples in which differing conceptions of competition law go unrecognized and thereby impede mutual understanding. Gerber's book helps us to recognize these differences and thus to reduce these comprehension problems ... This is a fascinating book, and one can only regret that it wasn't written earlier.' Claus-Dieter Ehlermann, Professor of European Law, European University Institute, and former director, EC Competition Directorate, in Europarecht 2000 `It is really a great book, and I am suggesting to everybody to read it.' Franco Romani, Former director, Italian Competition Authority, and Professor of Economics, University of Rome `There is almost nothing published on the history and development of competition law in Europe. It is this important and interesting topic which this book sets out to deal with. It does this very well... interesting and important book ... Most of the comments are clear and sound, and nothing important is omitted. The perspective is broad, but there is plenty of detail.' Dr John Temple Lang, Common Market Law Review `The practising lawyer... may learn more here than elsewhere about the background and history of what has become a highly complex regulatory field. And he or she may close the book at the end with deeper insights of why the rules are what they are today, and how they came about in a complex political, economic and legal setting. And perhaps even more importantly, the story told may assist in guiding us in finding future ways. Elegantly written... this is a timely and fascinating book... essential reading for all seeking to understand the subject, going beyond contemporary technicalities of competition law and policies.' Thomas Cottier, Journal of International Economic Law Vol.3 No.1 `A comprehensive historical document describing the birth and the evolution of European antitrust thinking...The author's book is to my mind necessary reading for all antitrust practitioners. It will provide them with a good "contextual" argument when they will interpret antitrust statutes. But the book is good reading for the public at large as well.' Prof C M Petros The Columbia Journal of European Law Spring 2000 Vol.6 No.2 `a sucessful and useful book that causes a careful reader to look at the world through a new and important lens.' Spencer Waller, Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Antitrust Bulletin 2000

The author has written extensively in the areas of comparative and international law This book, unlike any before, is written from a wide `European' perspective, which demonstrates that each individual national experience is a part of a much larger picture and hence should not be analysed alone The book gives much fascinating historical detail of this area of European Law The author has considerable German connections and handles extremely well the German materials necessary for such a study

Professor David Gerber is Professor of Law and Director of the International and Comparative Law Programme at Chicago-Kent College of Law Illinois Institute of Technology. He has been a Visiting Professor in Law at Munich and Freiburg in Germany, and Stockholm in Sweden. He is also a member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. He formerly chaired the comparative law section of the Association of American Law Schools, and has been a member of the executive committee of the American Society of Comparative Law. He is also the recipient of the Francis Deak Younger Scholars Prize of the American Society of International Law.

The author has written extensively in the areas of comparative and international law This book, unlike any before, is written from a wide `European' perspective, which demonstrates that each individual national experience is a part of a much larger picture and hence should not be analysed alone The book gives much fascinating historical detail of this area of European Law The author has considerable German connections and handles extremely well the German materials necessary for such a study