The Cyprus problem has defeated all attempts to resolve it for more than forty years. From 1996 onwards the UN, with strong support from the United States, the United Kingdom and other European Union members, mounted the most sustained of all the efforts to reach an agreement, so that a reunited Cyprus could join the European Union in May 2004. Although it came closer to success than any previous attempt, this one was a failure as well. From his unique position as the former British Special Representative for Cyprus, David Hannay tells the story of these negotiations, their ups and downs and of the roles of the United Nations and the European Union. What results is an exceptional first-hand account of a complex situation.