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smacg20's review
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Informative, interesting view of EU from a pre-Brexit UK perspective in 2015
mistercrow's review against another edition
3.0
3.5-4 stars, mainly for British audiences. Something lacking...
ronanmcd's review
4.0
This was really dull. Absolutely nothing to do with the author, who did his best to invest dinner personality. The subject is just astoundingly dry, even as it deals with the lives of a half billion people.
It's a good overview of the organisation, still mostly in date despite brexit. The one thing that surprised me is how the EU is still largely only an economic union, and a political union as a secondary matter.
Finally, this is the first Pelican I have read since it's relaunch a few years ago; most titles are too narrow and niche for my interest. The series is way over designed. Things that are perfunctory such as the contents etc use a large sans face for style. And it feels like that, as though the style is paramount; wide rules, huge type, full black pages as chapter breaks. It's a nice style visually, but unnecessary. The actual text pages are superbly set, and are all that's needed; two faces, rules for acronyms and well spaced small caps, neat indents and clear tables.
It's a good overview of the organisation, still mostly in date despite brexit. The one thing that surprised me is how the EU is still largely only an economic union, and a political union as a secondary matter.
Finally, this is the first Pelican I have read since it's relaunch a few years ago; most titles are too narrow and niche for my interest. The series is way over designed. Things that are perfunctory such as the contents etc use a large sans face for style. And it feels like that, as though the style is paramount; wide rules, huge type, full black pages as chapter breaks. It's a nice style visually, but unnecessary. The actual text pages are superbly set, and are all that's needed; two faces, rules for acronyms and well spaced small caps, neat indents and clear tables.
mr_shengen's review against another edition
1.0
Ridiculously biased, especially given the title of the book. Doesn't even attempt to try and label any of the positives the EU has done and just goes into the different criticisms levied at it.
This is genuinely the level of writing you would expect from the Express or something. Awful.
This is genuinely the level of writing you would expect from the Express or something. Awful.
guvenator's review against another edition
5.0
The European Union: A Citizen's Guide is a very interesting, thought-provoking introduction to the EU--what it is, how it came to be, what it could come to be and the trials and tribulations that face it as political traditions across Europe fall victim to apathy and populism.
Bickerton does a terrific job of exposing the European Union for what it really is, "warts and all" in Cromwell's phrase, laying bare the facts and inviting the reader to pass judgement on its failings and successes.
It is a timely intervention ahead of Britain's referendum on membership of the EU on 23rd June. It cuts through the propagandist nonsense of the Leave and Remain campaigns alike. I recommend you read it, for curiosity if nothing else, but more than anything to inform yourselves with a volume more academic and ruminating than anything else about the EU out in the ether.
Bickerton does a terrific job of exposing the European Union for what it really is, "warts and all" in Cromwell's phrase, laying bare the facts and inviting the reader to pass judgement on its failings and successes.
It is a timely intervention ahead of Britain's referendum on membership of the EU on 23rd June. It cuts through the propagandist nonsense of the Leave and Remain campaigns alike. I recommend you read it, for curiosity if nothing else, but more than anything to inform yourselves with a volume more academic and ruminating than anything else about the EU out in the ether.
robinellacott's review
1.0
Given the title I expected a neutral introduction to the history, structure, procedures and politics of the EU, written in a way that does not require a lot of technical legal or economic knowledge, ie a textbook but then accessible to ordinary citizens. This book does not fit that description at all. It is rather an elongated essay delineating the views of the author on many different aspects of the EU. The author wants to say a lot in a limited number of words, and therefore makes a lot of bold statements (i.e. "X is the case in the EU, because of reason Y) without explaining these further. If you are not well versed in European political history and/or economics, this book can be tough to get through without constantly googling names and economic principles. Therefore, I would not call it a guide, and I would not deem it an enlightening read for ordinary citizens.
askannakarenina's review against another edition
4.0
Good overview of the history of the EU, as well as its current struggles and institutions. As riveting as complicated international law can be.
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