Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

The European Union. Edited by Norris Smith. New York: H.W. Wilson, 2005.

1 vol. 177 p. $50. ISBN 0-82421046-8.

This is a very good reference for understanding the creation and function of the European Union.

"From small beginnings, as a modest confederation for managing coal and steel, the European Union has grown to encompass 25 nations, approximately 455 million people, and more than 2 million square miles of territory…". This entity has done peacefully what ambitious conquerors such as Charlemagne, Napoleon and Hitler could not accomplish with their armies. When talking with school librarians in Lithuania last summer, they recognized that having joined NATO, their children might be called upon to fight an enemy that had never before been an enemy to their country. Sections include "History and Structure," "EU Membership," "Trade and Finance," "Open Borders," "EU Security and Relations with the U.S." and "Environmental Policy." The Appendix includes a three-page timeline of the European Union beginning with World War I and ending with December 17, 2004 when Turkey was invited to apply for membership. The bibliography includes books, Web sites and additional periodical articles with abstracts. Because the European Union has not been discussed that much in the media here, this will be a very welcome addition to social studies teachers and debate coaches. Highly recommended.