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Circle of Stars

A History of the EU and the People Who Made It

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Circle of Stars

By: Dermot Hodson
Narrated by: Elliot Fitzpatrick
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About this listen

A compelling new history of the European Union and the people who sought to shape and challenge it—from Maastricht to today

The European Union is the most ambitious, and one of the most contentious, international organizations ever created. Decisions made in Brussels shape the lives of over 500 million Europeans, and its laws and policies resonate around the world. But how has the European Union endured over three turbulent decades marred by crises at home and abroad?

In this major account, Dermot Hodson traces the development of the European Union from its establishment in 1993 through to Brexit, COVID-19, and the invasion of Ukraine. Hodson shows how the union has been held together not by faceless technocrats but national leaders who stood together in times of turmoil despite a fierce backlash from a new generation of right-wing populists. Circle of Stars offers a rich appraisal of Europe's troubled past and turbulent present—focusing on the people who built the European Union as we know it today.

©2023 Dermot Hodson (P)2023 Tantor 21st Century Europe Modern Politics & Government World Imperialism Socialism Latin American Capitalism

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This is an excellent new addition to EU studies. Hodson weaves through the characters and key events that have shaped modern European history.

A fascinating overview of modern European history

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Factual history is of course fine - but the usage of the word “populism” whenever any mention of right wing entities is jarringly obvious bias. There is no mention of left wing populism. What populism actually means is in reality “democracy” ie. popular and therefore “what the people prefer” - it’s not really the slur it’s being hyped up to be by the use of endless repetition.

use of the word “populism” constantly

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