BookEuropa! is a virtual book group which will discuss interesting books with a European theme.
To get us started we have chosen one book in each of two categories, and Francesca Lacaita has provided initial reviews. The idea is that you read one (or both!) of the books, and then add your own thoughts and comments. This way we hope to set up a discussion which will help us to appreciate the books, and maybe persuade others to give them a try.
Our first two categories are deliberately broad: they are ‘Travel, History and Culture‘ and ‘Politics and Economics‘. Francesca has chosen a couple of crackers to get us started – ‘European Identity‘ , a collection of thoughtful essays edited by Jeffrey Checkel and Peter Katzenstein, and ‘In Europe: Travels through the Twentieth Century‘, a wonderful tour of the continent in both geography and history by the Dutch journalist Geert Mak. Both books will certainly give you plenty to think about on your next European holiday!
To read Francesca’s reviews, just follow the links in the titlebar above. I hope that they will persuade you to go on to read at least one of the books – and that you will share your own thoughts with us by adding comments.
Depending on the reaction to this first try, we’ll choose more books sometime before Christmas. We’d like to hear your ideas, so please follow the link to give us your recommendations. As well as the initial two categories, I think we should also have one for fiction – with as wide a definition of what’s ‘European’ as you like. If you agree – ideas please!
I appreciate that this system lacks the traditional bookgroup ingredients of a glass of wine and a chunk of somebody’s homemade shortbread – but with luck we can create some of the benefits of a good read and a chat with friends. I hope you enjoy it.
John Brand
Chairman
European Movement in Scotland
BookEuropa! 
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