how the eu came about
596263
learned a lot about Europe, the eu is in more trouble than we realize.
684322
An easy read from the begining. IT details events that shaped the pathway to World War II and the rise and fall of the Third Reich and how they managed to defeat themselves. It also proves a EXTREMLY important point as to the reason why we SHOULD get invloved in foreign affairs and not let them escalate.

It discusses how Hitler wanted to shape Europe into his empire and how backstabbing the Russians were and so forth. It is detailed in a lot of places but I would have preffered more pictures and a little more details in some aspects.

I recommend this book to anyone either just getting into the events of World War II or need some more facts about it.
2965190
The ebook did a good job of describing how Ukraine got to the place it is now--It ends in December 2014.  Recent steps in this process are traced.  It's helpful to people who want to process the events of the last few years.
1771362
This is a highly perceptive and sensible analysis of the EU, how it began, and what it has become. It offers fascinating insights about the EU and highlights the massive impact it has upon its member states, political climates and the limiting effect upon member state sovereignty. This is never spoken of in other books of the same theme. At least not like this. Why not? The book seems very well researched indeed, and gave me many "aha" moments. I would recommend this to anyone interested in politics. It's simply a great refreshing read!
2693757
Great read on how it all started in Portugal. Great read and history.
1816659
I am a student of political science, and in my case, I was studying for the subjects "International Institutions" and the "Politics of the European Union". For both subjects, this book has been a very useful source of information, to be complemented with other readings. This books presents an "easy to read" historical information about the developments of International Organisation since the years of the League of Nations. Its first chapters introduce the developments of the League and the United Nations (during and at the end of the Cold War), and the next chapters introduce the developments of the European Union until the Maastricht Treaty.

Good points about this book is that it is easy to read, not boring al all. It presents developments in a simplified way, and moves forward covering important aspect on the subject.

Bad points: it does not include recent developments... I would like to read, for example, about Kofi Annan's years in the UN, but the book was written while Boutros Boutros Gali was the UN's Secretary General.

Despite that, I recommend this book, because it covers the main aspects of international organisation, its easy to read, and will be very useful to precede further readings. The 4 stars relate only for its absence of more recent developments.
2777245
If you had always thought that the deceleration of war against Poland by Germany was the start of WWII and did not know much about what lead to that situation this is the book for you. The book describes what was happening in the months,weeks and days in Europe politically taking backing to the year before to 1938 when Munich Agreement was signed and its ramifications to 1939. This book also most importantly tries to gauge the minds of the more important political leaders at the time about to be involved in the largest conflict the world had ever seen. It tries to piece together different thoughts that moved back and forth to finally lead to the war. I also liked the references of thoughts of regular people in contrast to there leaders which were also supportive. It not only does so in a efficient but also concise and to the point way,the writing style is simple to follow with out going too deep into specifics and sticking to the main objective of telling what lead to the world's greatest war
2471318
A classic, straight-forward diplomatic history that tells it like it is--or was, Dr. Fulop's work explains clearly why some countries allied with Germany came out better than others in the post-war settlements.  Drawing on archival sources from across Europe and the United States, Fulop makes clear how and why the interests of the two superpowers shaped post-war Europe, often with little regard for principle or for the populations of the countries involved.  This work shows the intricate details of the negotiations and disagreements that led to the Cold War in Central and Eastern Europe, and is a must for anyone who wants to understand the origins of that conflict.
4095964
This book is an excellent summary of the critical period when the old feudal Europe was swept away, and the modern industrial Europe was born. It begins describing the philosophes of the ancien regime, and ends with the Communist Manifesto. In between, it builds the bridge between the two.
Breunig descibes each of the major European powers (England, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and of course France), how their status quo was disrupted by the French Revolution and Napoleon, then how their reactionary governments tried, ultimately in vain, to stem the tide of revolution that swept Europe in the 1820's through 1850. One fascinating passage describes how the post-Napoleonic European leaders, desperately sick of war, struck a careful balance of power among themselves to ensure a steady, yet fragile, peace. Yet while maintaining this, the sovereigns (or most of them) ruthlessly crushed their internal conflicts, sometimes willingly accepting help from neighbors and formal rivals.
This book is especially interesting to Americans looking to understand the relationships between European countries and the roots of modern Europe.
1644873
this book provides a probing and personal look at the evolution of American policy and the influence of the Americans living in London during the beginning of the war in Europe. The years that the Britons stood alone while the USA twiddled its political fingers is impressive. Too many of us forget the debt we owe Britain. If you didn't already know this, or if you did not know what went on, this book is a must read.
4901315
Begun as a prelude to a political union, the Euro seemingly has become an expensive and failed experiment according to its critics. David Marsh takes the reader back to post war Europe and the inception of the idea of monetary union describing how political, monetary and economic machinations and stratagems gave rise to this noble attempt to avoid more war and achieve financial and monetary stability. His topical history, given the Euro's present instability, demands a degree of familiarity with the complex interaction of foreign currencies with monetary policy and the world of revaluations, devaluations, exchange rates, Lombard rates  and the complex interconnectedness inherent in global finance. Originally published in 2009, the paperback version has been thoroughly updated to the summer of 2011.  Marsh's extensive interviews and a deep knowledge of monetary affairs along with his revealing footnotes make this book the definite read on the Euro, its background and probably its future.  The book moves chronologically from the end of the World War almost to the present. The frission between France and Germany is central to the story.  The United Kingdom appears to be an interested,  intrusive and important bystander,  while the United States plays almost no role in this book even though the establishment of the Euro was partially in response to the threat of the dollar to European monetary policy. Non political and straightforward, Marsh's appreciation for the likes of Helmut Schmidt, Helmut Kohl, Jean Claude Trichet and Valery Giscard d'Estaing as individuals committed to the success of the Euro is palpable while his clever characterizations of the "causticity" of Thacher, the haplessness of Chirac and the impulsiveness of Sarkozy make equally clear his feelings for those leaders. His last chapter, not so much an update,  is a learned,  non polemical overview of the various financial and monetary scenarios as they might play out on the European and world stage given the now evident and evolving monetary divide in Europe.
2431448
If you are looking for your first EU novel, this is a great one to start with. It covers an long timeline from Palpatine's and well into the prequel films. It also gives the backstory to a character given only a passing and tantalizing reference in Reveng of the Sith.
4976228
Mr. Pye has written a very interesting book focused primarily on the social and commercial history of the lands bordering the North Sea from roughly the end of Roman influence to the beginning of the modern era. The book is structured not as a linear history, but rather as a number of subject-based chapters that almost stand on their own as short essays. For example, there are chapters discussing the development of law and the written word;  marriage, romance and families; commerce and money. The basic theme - which is very effectively argued -  is that this area was much less of a backwater and this age was much less "dark"  than we might imagine. Left relatively free of strong central authority, societies around the North Sea developed extensive trading networks, sophisticated commercial systems and complex economies - all of which contributed as much to our world as their more familiar Mediterranean counterparts.
3601359
Jan Zielonka presents an argument that the European Union impedes integration. He is mainly concerned with the economic and political ramifications of the organization. Some mention is made of the improved passage between countries, but none of the help to commercial and private carriers that used to spend hours waiting at border crossings.

To understand this book one should already be familiar with the past history of Europe and even more recent events.
 There is emphasis on the global financial crisis of 2008 and how it is still unfolding, but it is not explained or details given on its real effects. Neomedievalism is also brought up as to where the current outcome is and will be.
Some awareness of world financial situations is a definite must for understanding the points that are made. It is commented that banks are in bad shape, but again not why this has happened.

In total, despite the title, this is not necessarily a pessimistic report. The growing privatization of pensions, welfare organizations and education are explored as an outcome that will help Europe as an entity.
This is a book that will help those who are already somewhat informed about the European Union to contemplate the future of this organization.
4405557
If you are at all curious about the history and development of the country that came to dominate Europe to this day then this is very fine book. This is the story of how a small area in northwestern Europe extended it's power and control and eventually led a large number of "princes" to from the German state nearly two hundred years after Westphalia. Germany then replaced the long dominant countries of both Eastern Europe (Austria) and Western Europe (France) with a new type of military and a political focus that was a return to monarchal dominance.
This book also covers the Franco-Prussian war which something of a pyrrhic victory and loss. Germany destroyed the French Empire of Louis Bonaparte with the expectation of resurrecting the Bourbon monarchy. Instead a revised republic arose that eventually would be the center of the coalition that would defeat Germany in WWI. France would lose the war, badly, but rise to become a vibrant republic in the later quarter of the nineteenth century.
4428466
I enjoyed this book immensely.  It gave me quite an insight into the development of the European political systems, alliances, belligerents, and describes the power struggles involved.  Well written and researched.
1382901
Very Good overview of Jan III Sobieski's life. Poland was beset by enemies on all fronts. Muslims, Cossacks, and Russians in the East, Swedes to the North, the rising power of Prussia in the West and the Ottomans to the South. This book covers this very well. Europe is at the same crossroad again as the author states. The end of the 17th Century is similar to today, the beginning of the 21st Century with the muslims advancing into Europe. In Jan's day,the French wanted the muslims to win because of their hatred of the Hapsburg's'. This would free Louis XIV to dominate Europe. The muslims would have bowled the French over. The author asks the question: Will someone arise as Jan Sobieski did and save the Europe of today. I don't see this happening. Europe of today, just like in Jan's day, is split between factions, more interested in their own selfish desires than survival. The difference is; there is no one with the Intelligence and Guts to do what is necessary as Jan Sobieski did.