Circle of Stars
A History of the EU and the People Who Made It
Published on 26. August 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
496 pages
978-0-300-28422-5 (ISBN)
Description
A compelling new history of the EU and the people who sought to shape and challenge it-from Maastricht to today
The European Union is the most ambitious, and one of the most contentious, international organizations ever created. Decisions made in Brussels shape the lives of over 500 million Europeans, and its laws and policies resonate around the world. But how has the EU endured over three turbulent decades marred by crises at home and abroad?
In this major account, Dermot Hodson traces the development of the EU from its establishment in 1993 through to Brexit, Covid-19, and the invasion of Ukraine. Hodson shows how the union has been held together not by faceless technocrats but national leaders who stood together in times of turmoil despite a fierce backlash from a new generation of right-wing populists. Circle of Stars offers a rich appraisal of Europe's troubled past and turbulent present-focusing on the people who built the EU as we know it today.
The European Union is the most ambitious, and one of the most contentious, international organizations ever created. Decisions made in Brussels shape the lives of over 500 million Europeans, and its laws and policies resonate around the world. But how has the EU endured over three turbulent decades marred by crises at home and abroad?
In this major account, Dermot Hodson traces the development of the EU from its establishment in 1993 through to Brexit, Covid-19, and the invasion of Ukraine. Hodson shows how the union has been held together not by faceless technocrats but national leaders who stood together in times of turmoil despite a fierce backlash from a new generation of right-wing populists. Circle of Stars offers a rich appraisal of Europe's troubled past and turbulent present-focusing on the people who built the EU as we know it today.
Reviews / Votes
"[An] original and lively history of the EU aimed at general readers. . . . [Hodson's] intention is to humanise what is often described by critics as a remote, faceless institution."-Paul Gillespie, Irish Times"A glorious new book."-Alex Andreou, The Bunker podcast
"A super balance of people and policy-highly readable, but also with plenty of depth!"-Paschal Donohoe, Ireland's Minister for Public Expenditure, and president, Eurogroup, on LinkedIn
"Hodson's focus on the role of leaders adds a new dimension to the many EU books that emphasize institutions or policies. . . . A lively and interesting account of the past three decades of the EU's existence."-Fraser Cameron, International Affairs
"A fast-paced narrative of the European Union since the 1992 Maastricht Treaty."-Denis MacShane, Encompass Europe
"Most books about Europe written by academics are unreadable for the wider public. . . . Circle of Stars helps the bigger public to understand why we live in a different Europe than just a few years ago."-Caroline de Grutyer, EUobserver
"This book offers a very lively history of the European Union. . . . It succeeds very well in its aim to bring the story of the European Union to life."-Ivo Maes, Journal of European Integration History
"A highly original and wide-ranging history of the EU. Hodson skilfully weaves together the national and European stories, focusing on political personalities as makers-of-history, carefully picked from across the political spectrum."-Luuk van Middelaar, author of The Passage to Europe
"At last a book on Europe that infuses oceanic policy shifts with the personalities who drove the drama, and who for better or worse, forged a European Union that has, against the odds, survived one crisis after another. Circle of Stars is bright with colour and politics, yet does not shirk the hard analyses which the European project must command."-Tony Connelly, author of Brexit and Ireland
"Hodson's beautifully written book is a fresh take on the multifaceted story of European integration, bringing to life the personalities and actions of many of the key characters in the drama. This is a must read for anyone interested in the European construction, and how we got to where we are today."-Simon Hix, coauthor of The Political System of the European Union
"A brilliant account. . . . Hodson once again shows why he's one of the leading scholars of European integration. In impeccable prose, this contemporary history of the European Union is full of new insights into the central personalities and structural factors that have shaped the dynamics of the EU."-Matthias Matthijs, Johns Hopkins University & Council on Foreign Relations
"Full of anecdotes and colourful personalities, this lively account covers not only the political leaders who have shaped Europe, but the rock stars, cheap flights and festivals that brought Europeans together across borders."-Heather Grabbe, author of The EU's Transformative Power: Europeanization Through Conditionality in Central and Eastern Europe
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
20 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
392 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-28422-5 (9780300284225)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Dermot Hodson is a professor at Loughborough University London and visiting professor at the College of Europe, Bruges. He was formerly an economist at the European Commission's DG for Economic and Financial Affairs.