A comprehensive analysis of how European development policy was shaped, this book explores the role of former colonial officials in shaping the policy agenda and explores this example of 'recycled empire.' Dimier argues that this post-colonial agenda only changed as a result of pressure from the OECD and World Bank in the 1980s and 1990s.
"It succeeds in combining analytical rigour and extensive use of citations with a writing style that is both highly readable and engaging, giving the reader a unique peek into the personalities, convictions and conflicts of the key figures that gave DG8 its shape. ... As a result, this book is essential reading for a wide and varied audience, in both the European studies and international development communities." (Floor Keuleers, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 54 (2), 2016)