The papers in this volume offer a recollection of Leon Van Hove's rich life as a scientist from the "early days" to his latest interest. They also present, from several points of view, his action in favor of scientific collaboration across national and international boundaries and of the cultural integration of Europe where he acted as a leader in several institutionsparticipation of many distinguished scientists and some top officials of the European Community. They are also a tribute to his figure as a scientist and to his important contributions to many areas of mathematical and theoretical physics, from statistical mechanics to field theory and multiparticle production.

This volume describes the wide-ranging scientific activities of Léon Van Hove, through commentaries by his colleagues and a selection of his most influential papers and documents. The reprinted papers are grouped by topic, starting from his early work in mathematics and theoretical and statistical physics, up to his very last contributions in elementary particle physics and multiparticle dynamics. Van Hove's career as teacher, director and science advisor in many European institutions is presented in sketches by friends and coworkers. A selection of his speeches and documented thoughts on science completes the volume.