Roy H. Ginsberg is Jean Monnet Chair in European Integration Studies and Joseph C. Palamountain, Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College.
Roy Ginsberg is probably the leading U.S. academic expert on the
complexities of the European Union's external relations. Yet his
writing never fails to address the big questions of power,
sovereignty, and purpose which the subject raises, and he does so
in a deeply humanistic way.--Christopher Hill, University of
Cambridge
A clear, in-depth account of the process of European integration. .
. . Very well written and extremely well organized, Ginsberg's book
provides students of European integration with a fresh approach to
issues such as political unity, political thought, decision-making,
and international security. . . . A must read for anybody
interested in European studies.--Gabriela Marin Thornton, EU Center
of Excellence, Texas A&M University
Demystifying Europe is a rare and wonderful find a highly readable,
provocative textbook full of useful and usable information. I
thoroughly enjoyed the approach, which thankfully gets away from
some of the traditional textbook format. Ginsberg's aim to
'demystify' the EU through an interdisciplinary and comparative
approach is to be greatly commended. His comparison of EU
governmental institutions to those of the United States sheds much
light on the governmental features unique to the EU. A must read
for students and instructor alike.--Glenda G. Rosenthal, Columbia
University
Ginsberg's book is indispensable for students and scholars seeking
a clear, accurate, and readable account of how the European Union
works. He traces the organization's history, clarifies its
institutions and procedures, and critically assesses a vast amount
of literature on the subject. This comprehensive and
reader-friendly text is the best I've seen.--Michael Sodaro, George
Washington University
One of the most accessible books I have ever used in a class on the
European Union. What I liked most was the combination of historical
overview and theoretical discussion so students could see how
actual political events have shaped the theoretical debates. The
book's language is easy to understand (especially for U.S. students
who have almost no prior knowledge of the EU) and the content is
well structured.--Stefan Fritsch, Bowling Green State University
and University of Salzburg
Roy Ginsberg has produced a terrific piece of work to mark the
fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Union's
birth certificate. This book really DOES demystify the EU for the
interested beginner, while even the most grizzled veteran will
learn things they didn't know. If there is another book on the EU
that is this much fun to read, I've not yet found it.--John
Peterson, University of Edinburgh
Roy Ginsberg is the premier American scholar on the European Union.
Better than anyone, he has elaborated the sui generis nature of an
institution in which independent Member States have pooled their
sovereignty in certain areas and retained it in other areas. But in
his newest book, he has emphasized how this unique regional
integration has grown over time, not just in the number of Member
States, but in the development and maturity of its institutions.
The breadth of his scholarship and his impact on transatlantic
relations are astonishing. This book is yet another of his seminal
works and a must-read for anyone interested in understanding one of
the most important and least understood institutions in the world,
the European Union.--Stuart E. Eizenstat, former U.S. ambassador to
the European Union, undersecretary of state, and deputy secretary
of the treasury
The best undergraduate text I have ever seen on European
integration. It's easy to read, and I was so pleased to see the
glossary and bolding of terms such as 'comparative advantage' and
'globalization.' Too often, books on the EU assume knowledge of
such terms, and I spend most of my class explaining their European
context.--Stephanie Anderson, University of Wyoming
This book provides a lucid and much needed 'demystification' of the
European Union. Anyone interested in the EU will find this book
extraordinarily worthwhile for introducing the reader to the
history, the policies, the politics, and the international
relations of a unique and very important actor in the
world.--Alberta Sbragia, University of Pittsburgh
This is the book we have all been waiting for: a text that covers
everything we need to know about the EU in a highly readable form.
The book takes a broad sweep, recapping the history of Europe
before detailing the history of the European Union, reviewing the
theories of European integration, and explaining what goes on
inside the EU before turning to how it deals with the outside
world. It will be welcomed by novices looking for an intelligent
introduction to the mysteries of EU governance and by teachers
searching for a text that really does demystify the EU.--Vivien A.
Schmidt, Boston University
Ginsberg s text is deliberately pedagogic, with welcome concluding
sections in each chapter on review, key concepts, study questions,
and recommendations for further reading. . . . Exemplary in
providing the simple analytical building blocks supranationalism,
intergovernmentalism, acquis communautaire, acquis politique,
multispeed Europe, outputs, comitology, and the like and then
showing how blurred these concepts become as political clashes and
pragmatic compromises unpredictably mix bits of each approach. . .
. The beginning student could hardly find [a] better guide to the
unique construction of the European Union than [this] introductory
text.--Elizabeth Pond "Internationale Politik "
Ginsberg 's text is deliberately pedagogic, with welcome concluding
sections in each chapter on review, key concepts, study questions,
and recommendations for further reading. . . . Exemplary in
providing the simple analytical building blocks supranationalism,
intergovernmentalism, acquis communautaire, acquis politique,
multispeed Europe, outputs, comitology, and the like and then
showing how blurred these concepts become as political clashes and
pragmatic compromises unpredictably mix bits of each approach. . .
. The beginning student could hardly find [a] better guide to the
unique construction of the European Union than [this] introductory
text.--Elizabeth Pond "Internationale Politik "
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