Description
Book SynopsisA compelling new history of the EU and the people who sought to shape and challenge it—from Maastricht to today
Trade Review“A glorious new book.”—Alex Andreou,
The Bunker podcast
“A fast-paced narrative of the European Union since the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.”—Denis MacShane,
Encompass Europe“Most books about Europe written by academics are unreadable for the wider public…
Circle of Stars helps the bigger public to understand why we live in a different Europe than just a few years ago.” —Caroline de Grutyer, eu
observer “A highly original and wide-ranging history of the EU. Hodson skilfully weaves together the national and European stories, focusing on political personalities as makers-of-history, carefully picked from across the political spectrum.”—Luuk van Middelaar, author of
The Passage to Europe“At last a book on Europe that infuses oceanic policy shifts with the personalities who drove the drama, and who for better or worse, forged a European Union that has, against the odds, survived one crisis after another.
Circle of Stars is bright with colour and politics, yet does not shirk the hard analyses which the European project must command.”—Tony Connelly, author of
Brexit and Ireland“Hodson’s beautifully written book is a fresh take on the multifaceted story of European integration, bringing to life the personalities and actions of many of the key characters in the drama. This is a must read for anyone interested in the European construction, and how we got to where we are today.”—Simon Hix, coauthor of
The Political System of the European Union“A brilliant account. . . . Hodson once again shows why he’s one of the leading scholars of European integration. In impeccable prose, this contemporary history of the European Union is full of new insights into the central personalities and structural factors that have shaped the dynamics of the EU.”—Matthias Matthijs, Johns Hopkins University & Council on Foreign Relations
“Full of anecdotes and colourful personalities, this lively account covers not only the political leaders who have shaped Europe, but the rock stars, cheap flights and festivals that brought Europeans together across borders.”—Heather Grabbe, author of
The EU’s Transformative Power: Europeanization Through Conditionality in Central and Eastern Europe
