The European Union: A Very Short Introduction
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- Author：John Pinder
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Summary
The European Union （EU） stands out as a fascinatingly unique political organization。 On the one hand， it has shown the potential for developing deep and wide-ranging cooperation between member states， going far beyond that found anywhere else in the world。 On the other， it is currently in the throes of a phase of profound uncertainty about its viability and future。
Showing how and why the EU has developed from 1950 to the present day， this Very Short Introduction covers a range of topics， including the Union's early history， the workings of its institutions and what they do， the interplay between "eurosceptics" and federalists， and the role of the Union beyond Europe in international affairs and as a peace-keeper。
In this fully updated fourth edition， Pinder and Usherwood cover the migrant crisis and the UK's decision to leave the Union， set in the context of a body that is now involved in most areas of public policy。 Discussing how the EU continues to draw in new members， they conclude by considering the future of the Union and the choices and challenges that may lie ahead。
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area。 These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly。 Our expert authors combine facts， analysis， perspective， new ideas， and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable。
Showing how and why the EU has developed from 1950 to the present day， this Very Short Introduction covers a range of topics， including the Union's early history， the workings of its institutions and what they do， the interplay between "eurosceptics" and federalists， and the role of the Union beyond Europe in international affairs and as a peace-keeper。
In this fully updated fourth edition， Pinder and Usherwood cover the migrant crisis and the UK's decision to leave the Union， set in the context of a body that is now involved in most areas of public policy。 Discussing how the EU continues to draw in new members， they conclude by considering the future of the Union and the choices and challenges that may lie ahead。
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area。 These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly。 Our expert authors combine facts， analysis， perspective， new ideas， and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable。
Reviews
Allan Aksiim
，
A sufficient （historical） overview of the European Union and its predecessor agreements in Europe。 Sometimes too many acronyms and dry text but the density of information was better than empty fluff that is often in many （more American） books。
Julia
，
Read for a class on the European Union and found it helpful but not interesting enough to finish on my own。
Lisa
，
Cute book。 Listened to it on audio。
Fred Grün
，
I had never read any book on the EU before but this seemed to me to be a decent introduction to its history and functioning。 I just felt slightly put off by the fairly dense style of the book at times: lots of topic-specific vocabulary， lots of treaties and details you can easily lose track of。。。 That is certainly partly due to my own ignorance， but I wish it had been more of an easy read with perhaps less information but more simplicity and clarity。 The book is written from a pro-EU perspective I had never read any book on the EU before but this seemed to me to be a decent introduction to its history and functioning。 I just felt slightly put off by the fairly dense style of the book at times: lots of topic-specific vocabulary， lots of treaties and details you can easily lose track of。。。 That is certainly partly due to my own ignorance， but I wish it had been more of an easy read with perhaps less information but more simplicity and clarity。 The book is written from a pro-EU perspective but this bias is clearly stated at the beginning of the book and therefore not disturbing。One interesting aspect of the book is that it reminds us of the fact that Britain has always been reluctant to be part of the EU and shows that Brexit has been long in the making。 。。。more
Akram Salman
，
يتحدث الكتاب عن كل جوانب الاتحاد الأوروبي: أسباب تأسيسه ومراحل تأسسيه وشرح آليات عمله وسياساته الخارجية والداخلية والاقتصادية。 لم يتكون الاتحاد الأوربي دفعة واحدة، بل في بادئ الأمر بتأسيس الجماعة الأوروبية للفحم والصلب عام 1952 التي ضمت ست دول فقط لا غير، المملكة المتحدة لم تكن بينها، وباعتبار الفحم والصلب أساس الصناعة العسكرية فهكذا تضمن الدول الست السلام فيما بينها وهذا هو الغرض الأساسي من الاتحاد، ثم تطور الاتحاد تدريجياً مروراً بمراحل طويلة من المفاوضات المضنية والاتفاقيات المهمة في كل المجا يتحدث الكتاب عن كل جوانب الاتحاد الأوروبي: أسباب تأسيسه ومراحل تأسسيه وشرح آليات عمله وسياساته الخارجية والداخلية والاقتصادية。 لم يتكون الاتحاد الأوربي دفعة واحدة، بل في بادئ الأمر بتأسيس الجماعة الأوروبية للفحم والصلب عام 1952 التي ضمت ست دول فقط لا غير، المملكة المتحدة لم تكن بينها، وباعتبار الفحم والصلب أساس الصناعة العسكرية فهكذا تضمن الدول الست السلام فيما بينها وهذا هو الغرض الأساسي من الاتحاد، ثم تطور الاتحاد تدريجياً مروراً بمراحل طويلة من المفاوضات المضنية والاتفاقيات المهمة في كل المجالات حتى يحدد شكل الاتحاد من جهة وحتى يساهم بشكل إيجابي بحياة الدول المنضمة للاتحاد من جهة أخرى هذه الدول التي أخذت بالتزايد حتى وصلت إلى 24 دولة فيما بعد。يناقش الكتاب العثرات والصعاب التي واجهت دول الاتحاد وتجارب الاتحاد الجيدة والسيئة، فنرى المملكة المتحدة التي لا ترى في الاتحاد إلا وسيلة اقتصادية بينما فرنسا تراه وسلية لدمج ألمانيا المنهزمة بالحرب العالميةالثانية بتحالف معها وهكذا تقضي على أي خطر مستقبلي بعودة الحرب، كما رغبت فرنسا مراراً وتكراراً بالخروج بالاتحاد الأوروبي من تحت العباءة الأمريكية سواءاً بالاقتصاد أو بالدفاع وهذا ما كانت تعارضه المملكة المتحدة دائماً。 إلا ان فرنسا نفسها لعبت دور بتهميش الجماعة الأوروبية للطاقة الذرية لان الرئيس الفرنسي الجديد -وقتها- ديجول كان متعصب للقومية ولم ترق له فكرة الفيدرالية فحاول الحفاظ على الطاقة الذرية بيد فرنسا، وغيرها كثير من المشاكل والتناقضات التي تنبع من اختلاف أهداف دول الاتحاد。 هذه الجزئيات تعيد لأذهاننا طفولية الفكرة التي تطالب الدول العربية بالاتحاد التام الذي يصل لمرحلة الصهر للخروج بدولة واحدة تلغي كل الدول الأخرى تحت مسمى الوحدة، برأيي على الأمة أن تفكر بأشكال أخرى من الاتحاد وتضع باعتبارها الاتحاد الأوروبي مثال يحتذى به。 ترجمة الكتاب ليست جيدة مما ساهم في تعقيد الشرح للقارئ، لذلك لا أنصح المبتدئين به أبداً。 اعتقد أن الكتاب يجب تبسيطه أكثر من هذا فهو معقد في كثير من أجزاءه。 。。。more
Grace
，
Obviously outdated by Brexit， the first portion of the book detailing all the treaties is understandably dry， but from the 1970s it gets more interesting mainly because of UK exceptionalism， special treatment and wrangling， all of which provides a long tail for Brexit。 So， this ended up being more interesting than I thought it would be。
Emma Dargue
，
Didn't enjoy this book at all。 I thought it would be a simplified explanation of how the EU works。 However in my opinion it's complicated the information it's trying to get across by blinding the reader with an incredible amount of jargon and specialised words which make it difficult to read。 Will be trying other titles in this series as I am hoping that this is a case of me not jelling with a particular book。 Didn't enjoy this book at all。 I thought it would be a simplified explanation of how the EU works。 However in my opinion it's complicated the information it's trying to get across by blinding the reader with an incredible amount of jargon and specialised words which make it difficult to read。 Will be trying other titles in this series as I am hoping that this is a case of me not jelling with a particular book。 。。。more
Doroti
，
It is not very often that one can come across such a read on the EU。 Yes， it has the facts side of a textbook but it also has this nice narrative line where different member states' interests are explained and the way they led to certain important EU decisions on many tangible topics， e。g。 why France wanted the euro， why Germany could not afford to oppose it despite the stability of the Deutschmark。 And as much as i find this natural when talking about events that happened back then an the dawn It is not very often that one can come across such a read on the EU。 Yes， it has the facts side of a textbook but it also has this nice narrative line where different member states' interests are explained and the way they led to certain important EU decisions on many tangible topics， e。g。 why France wanted the euro， why Germany could not afford to oppose it despite the stability of the Deutschmark。 And as much as i find this natural when talking about events that happened back then an the dawn of the European communities， as these are perceived as history today， i find it even more curious for events that are closer to date - it is nice to know that such an approach can be found in a book， not （only） the press。Very useful small book i used as a memory refresher。 。。。more
A。
，
A very important book for the citizens of the EU to read， especially for high-school students i。e。 first time voters。 My only problem with the book was that it contained way too much data to process for an introductory read。 But， the glossary at the end was a great help when reading about the many EU organizations and treaties。
Gabriel Stein
，
Brief but interesting A very brief， but interesting and well written summary of the European Union。 This book covers the history of the EU and its development in different spheres。 For anyone who lacks the time to read more deeply， this is a good introduction。
Sher
，
I read the 2018 edition of the book， and overall， I found it very informative about the EU- how it started， through its evolution， and the EU's goals and impact today。 We also get sone analysis about the relationship of the US to the EU。 But， we also get a helpful view into Brexit， and some of the very real dangers ahead for the EU- questions about its survival。 I read the 2018 edition of the book， and overall， I found it very informative about the EU- how it started， through its evolution， and the EU's goals and impact today。 We also get sone analysis about the relationship of the US to the EU。 But， we also get a helpful view into Brexit， and some of the very real dangers ahead for the EU- questions about its survival。 。。。more
Diane S ☔
，
Thoughts soon。
Chrissie
，
I am reviewing the third edition of this work。 It carries through to the changes implemented up to the year 2013。 Clearly further editions will be necessary-- a fourth edition has already come into print but is not available in audio format。 Brexit is not covered。Britain’s reluctance to fully support the European Union is shown to be by no means a new phenomenon。 Their reluctance has been visible from the very start。 Understanding how it has come to be that Britain will be leaving the Union is s I am reviewing the third edition of this work。 It carries through to the changes implemented up to the year 2013。 Clearly further editions will be necessary-- a fourth edition has already come into print but is not available in audio format。 Brexit is not covered。Britain’s reluctance to fully support the European Union is shown to be by no means a new phenomenon。 Their reluctance has been visible from the very start。 Understanding how it has come to be that Britain will be leaving the Union is shown in the book by covering their and other member states’ involvement and participation historically。 The book focuses to a large extent on how the European Union has developed over the years; its primary focus is historical。 The succession of treaties that have made the Union what it is today is the primary basis of the book。 Is this what is needed？ I do not think so。 What is needed instead is a book that educates ordinary people so they better understand how EU functions today and how it can be used to attain goals promoting peace， democracy and economic prosperity， the promotion of human rights， protection of the environment and equality between the sexes， different races， cultures and beliefs。The book is factually accurate and balanced。There are all too many bland statements and obvious generalizations。Terms used only in the European Union pepper the text， some of which are not even defined。 One example is the word “acquis”， which is a collective term covering all treaties， regulations and directives between EU member states。 There is an excessive use of acronyms。 All too often general statements are made that can be interpreted in different ways。 This is because so many of the words employed have specific EU definitions， the result being that the general public may easily misinterpret what is said。 There exists a plethora of terms which in the EU context have a specific definition that differs from the words’ normal meaning。The second chapter lies at the core of the book。 It is the chapter that must be read carefully。 If you can get your head around that， you will understand the rest。 It is dense。 Explanations are stripped down to the bare minimum。 An average reader will have difficulties。 There is a lot of repetition in the following chapters。 Some chapter titles do not properly explain what the given chapter will cover。The audiobook is read by David De Santos。 He articulates every word clearly and reads at a slow pace which is necessary for a document such as this。 His performance I have rated five stars。***************************The book is covered in a group （Nonfction Side Reads） discussion here: https://www。goodreads。com/topic/show/。。。 。。。more
Jason
，
The quality of the book is first rate， but I simply cannot rate a book so dull as this any higher。
Mohamed IBrahim
，
دخلت الكتاب ببعض المعلومات عن الاتحاد الأوروبي وخرجت منه بلا شئ جديد。 غير منظم ولا يعطي ترتيب منطقي للاحداث بل يقفز قفزات طويلة ولا ترتيب تاريخي。والترجمة أيضاً كانت سيئة للغاية مما زاد الطين بلة。
Lujain Alloosh
，
Well 。 。 。 this book is not for people who， the only economics books they've read was "Economic for Dummies"， nor is it an "introduction"。 I think I should just stop and pick up a light novel， I need one。 Well 。 。 。 this book is not for people who， the only economics books they've read was "Economic for Dummies"， nor is it an "introduction"。 I think I should just stop and pick up a light novel， I need one。 。。。more
Grant
，
An excellent overview of a very complex and currently relevant topic。The new edition considerably updates the previous text。 Well worth getting the revised version。
Daniel Wright
，
Chapter 1: What the EU is forChapter 2: How the EU was madeChapter 3: How the EU is governedChapter 4: Single market， single currencyChapter 5: Agriculture， regions， budget: conflicts over who gets whatChapter 6: Social policy， environmental policyChapter 7: 'An area of freedom， security and justice'Chapter 8: A great civilian power。。。 and more - or less？Chapter 9: The EU and the rest of EuropeChapter 10: The EU in the worldChapter 11: Much accomplished。。。 but what next？ Chapter 1: What the EU is forChapter 2: How the EU was madeChapter 3: How the EU is governedChapter 4: Single market， single currencyChapter 5: Agriculture， regions， budget: conflicts over who gets whatChapter 6: Social policy， environmental policyChapter 7: 'An area of freedom， security and justice'Chapter 8: A great civilian power。。。 and more - or less？Chapter 9: The EU and the rest of EuropeChapter 10: The EU in the worldChapter 11: Much accomplished。。。 but what next？ 。。。more
Nigel Bamber
，
Not a leisure read， but a good introductory reference book。
M。 Ashraf
，
This was a very good VSI。 the history of the European Union the different treaties and institutions that form the Union。 I liked the parts about the common currency and the sort of prediction about the Brexit :） It is interesting to see what will happen in the next couple of years to the Union， the book keeps an optimistic view but it is an unpredictable world right now :）The passage on Turkey was interesting too。 Union politicians have voiced a number of reasons for doubting whether Turkey sh This was a very good VSI。 the history of the European Union the different treaties and institutions that form the Union。 I liked the parts about the common currency and the sort of prediction about the Brexit :） It is interesting to see what will happen in the next couple of years to the Union， the book keeps an optimistic view but it is an unpredictable world right now :）The passage on Turkey was interesting too。 Union politicians have voiced a number of reasons for doubting whether Turkey should become a member。 First， there has been reference to the Copenhagen criteria and the country unsuitability on the ground of the human rights abuses， the role of the military in politics， weakness in the economy and the extent which reforms can meaningfully be made。 Second， there is the concern regarding the size of Turkey （it would before long be the EU's largest member state， owning to its high birth rate） and the resultant potential for a large scale migration to the other member states and for the voting weight in the Council。 Third， there has been much talk of enlargement fatigue and the need for more substantial pause before such a major expansion。 Fourth， and perhaps underlining all of these other dimensions， is the notion of Turkey's otherness。 As a majority Muslim population， as a state with a tenuous claim to be geographically European and as state of a different historical path from the current member。 it challenges many conceptional of what the EU is and should be。 The part on a potential Brexit: Even if the UK did leave， it would still find itself neighboring a Union that bought British goods and services， but in which the British government no longer had an institutional voice and vote。 Moreover， the UK current position as a desirable entry point to the EU for the third countries' business would also be undermined。 Seen as such a constructive engagement would offer much more likelihood of an acceptable policy mix than would a metaphorical throwing up of the hands。 。。。more
Susie
，
Not the most interesting book by any means， however a pretty good introduction to all the little bits of the European Union and their functions。 Also gives a good overview of the aims of the Union - may make you particularly sad that we're leaving it。 Not the most interesting book by any means， however a pretty good introduction to all the little bits of the European Union and their functions。 Also gives a good overview of the aims of the Union - may make you particularly sad that we're leaving it。 。。。more
Ahmad Sharabiani
，
The European Union: A Very Short Introduction （Very Short Introductions #36）， John PinderOver the past few decades， the European Union has seen many great changes。 Negotiations for the accession of six new states have begun， and membership， which already covers almost all of Western Europe， will soon extend to most of Central and Eastern Europe。 The Union's institutions have been reformed， and its powers may soon reach beyond the economy and the environment into the fields of foreign policy and The European Union: A Very Short Introduction （Very Short Introductions #36）， John PinderOver the past few decades， the European Union has seen many great changes。 Negotiations for the accession of six new states have begun， and membership， which already covers almost all of Western Europe， will soon extend to most of Central and Eastern Europe。 The Union's institutions have been reformed， and its powers may soon reach beyond the economy and the environment into the fields of foreign policy and defense。 This thorough yet succinct introduction has been completely updated to take the many recent developments into account。 John Pinder provides a detailed and coherent view of the evolution of the European Union， and investigates its future as Europe thrives in the new millennium。 。。。more
Carlos
，
A very accessible book to every non-knowledgeable reader with regards to the European Union。 Pinder does an excellent job in engaging us with the essential and historical facts while offering understandable， political & legal lingo。 Insightful and an extremely helpful pocket book for dummies！
Thomas Kouroughli
，
A very good introduction to the complexities of the EU。 This book manages to be concise whilst providing all the key information related to the EU's activities as well as touch on contentious issues regarding the EU， often seen in public discourse。 A very good introduction to the complexities of the EU。 This book manages to be concise whilst providing all the key information related to the EU's activities as well as touch on contentious issues regarding the EU， often seen in public discourse。 。。。more
Mahmoud El serafy
，
من جماعة للفحم والصلب الي اتحاد يجمع دول بداية من عام 1950 وتكوين البذرة الاساسية الي عام 1991 وتنفيذها بشكل الاتحاد الاوروبي بكامل اركانهتخيل انهم لم يصلوا الي شكل الاتحاد كما نحن نعرفه الان بين ليلة وضحاها！！！ ولكن من خلال مدة تصل الي 41 سنة بين مفاوضات ونبذ نقاط الخلاف بين الدولاجمل ما تخرج بمعرفته من قراءة الكتاب عن دول الاتحاد الاوروبيانهم ثابروا علي تحقيق نجاح وحدتهم。
badrawy
，
الاتحاد الأوروبى بكلمات بسيطة ، و لكنها تحتاج الى الكثير من التركيز و التركيز يفتح معك الكثير من الافاق ، و المقارنات و ما يميزه هو وجود خطوط للمعرفة و تليها رغبة فى التبحر فى هذه التجربة
Hager Ragab
，
（（لن تصنع اوروبا دفعة واحده，ولا وفقا لخطة عامة واحدة，بل ستبنى من خلال إنجازات ملموسة تخلق أولا تضامنا واقعيا。））اول كتاب لي مع سلسلة مقدمة قصيره جدا يحتوي معلومات عن بدايه الاتحاد منذ خمسينات القرن الماضي والمراحل التي مر بها الي يومنا الحالي وحتي مستقبله 。كتاب جيد لمن يريد معرفه مختصره عن الاتحاد الاوروبي 。
Adham Hamdi
，
بداية بست دولة و معاهدة للفحم و الصلب بدأ الاتحاد الاوربي ليصير ما هو عليه الان。رغبة الاوربيين ف الاتحاد بقيادة المانيا صنعت المعجزة。
Mohamed Esam
，
الكتاب بالرغم من كثرة صفحاته وبعض الأجزاء مملة فيه إلا إنه بيوضح كيفية إتحاد الدول وطريقة بناء الإتحادات والنظرة المستقبلية والتنازل من أجل مستقبل أفضل 。كتاب جيدجدا أنصح بقرائته。
Anthony
，