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Circle of Stars

A History of the EU and the People Who Made It
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Brief Description
A compelling new history of the EU 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 organisations ever created. Decisions made in Brussels shape the lives of over... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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A compelling new history of the EU 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 organisations 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 EU endured over three turbulent decades marred by crises at home and abroad?

In this major account, Dermot Hodson traces the development of the EU 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 EU as we know it today.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300284225

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 August 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 20 b-w illus.

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Dermot Hodson is a professor at Loughborough University London and visiting professor at the College of Europe, Bruges. He was formerly an economist at the European Commission’s DG for Economic and Financial Affairs.

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  • Circle of Stars
    A compelling new history of the EU 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 organisations 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...
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