Product Description

This best-selling textbook provides a broad-ranging but concise introduction to the EU, covering all major aspects of European integration. The revised and updated new edition includes expanded coverage of policy and policy making and of theoretical approaches to the study of the EU.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #182912 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Review

'A clear, detailed, user-friendly book.' - European Library
 
Reviews of previous editions:

'[A] very useful text...Among hundreds...about the phenomenon of European integration, this book stands out as one that really tackles the complexity of the economic, political and legal systems of the EU succinctly.' - Giedrius Surplys, Journal of European Affairs

About the Author
JOHN MCCORMICK is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Indianapolis campus of Indiana University, USA and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Sussex. 

Customer Reviews

Thorough introduction - put your academic hat on when reading
The EU is a complex beast. This book covers the EU from a broad range of angles - what it is and how it reached its current form, how it works and through which institutions, in which policy fields and what the broad thrust of the EU's policies in key fields is, how it impacts on the lives of Europeans and the EU's position in the world. It's an excellent book that will give you a decent understanding of the EU.

John McCormick approaches these themes from the academic discipline of comparative politics and public policy. He serves up each chapter with a brief introduction, then the meat, followed by a conclusion which doubles as a summary of sorts. Coverage of each theme is to the point and well-structured.

A reviewer of this book on the American Amazon.com-site writes that McCormick uses easy language. But if, like me, you're not used to reading academic texts on political systems and/or international organisations, you may disagree. It's not a light read and calls for concentration, partly because of McCormick's fairly academic writing style, partly because of the complex topic, and partly because a lot of info is condensed into a relatively short book.

A worthwhile read if you want to move (well) beyond the rough but incomplete understanding of the EU you'll get from just reading papers and magazines.