The European Union: A very short introduction. 2nd ed

Book abstract:
This pocket-sized book describes how and why the European Union has developed from 1950 up to the present. The authors John Pinder and Simon Usherwood, write with expert knowledge of the European Union and explains the interplay between governments and federal elements in the institutions; consensus over the single market and the environment; and conflicts over agriculture, social policies, the Euro and frontier controls. They show how the Union relates to its European neighbours, the United States, and the rest of the world and outlines the choices that lie ahead.

The book consists of eleven short chapters. It is clear, concise and is useful reading for anyone seeking to understand what is happening in Europe.

John Pinder was Director of the Policy Studies Institute and is Honorary Professor at the College of Europe. He has studied the development of the European Community since 1950, seeing it as a framework for lasting peace and prosperity. His books include Foundations of Democracy in the European Union (1999) and The Economics of Europe (1971). He is Chairman of the Federal Trust and has been Vice-President of the International European Movement and President of the European Union of Federalists.

Simon Usherwood is a Lecturer in Political, International and Policy Studies at the University of Surrey.