The Dream of Europe
7 June 2023
Geert Mak's The Dream of Europe is a history of the first 20 years of this century in the European Union. It's told sometimes in a historical narrative voice and sometimes in a first person voice of someone who was particularly affected or involved. Often the first person voice is of an immigrant, as the story of the past 20 years in Europe is really one of extreme demographic change. At 43 I'm the average age of a European today, which is also the oldest that average has ever been and it's only predicted to go up (although not quite as fast as my age will). Mak takes us through the introduction of the Euro through the financial crisis starting in Greece through the refugee crisis from Syria. The truly amazing thing is that through it all only the British have abandoned the project. Holding the Union together has been the guiding principle often throwing others aside. Mak does an excellent job of making the story memorable and personal while providing plenty of context.
