Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2024 -

Kundnani (Chatham House, UK) has written a thoughtful volume detailing how European integration and the EU are inherently tied to colonization, race, and exclusivity. EU advocates, he argues, often only define the European project through democracy and liberal principles but fail to note the ethnic and cultural aspects. The author argues that the EU is an expression of regionalism akin to nationalism. He also traces the historical concept of Europe and argues that contrary to assertions from so-called pro-Europeans, there was no break in 1945 from problematic aspects of European history including imperialism, slavery, and supposedly civilizing others. European identity was first tied to being Christian, as opposed to being Muslim, in the Middle Ages and was later tied to being white starting in the 15th century. Kundnani illustrates that European countries have never come to terms with their colonial legacies, and thus Europe suffers from an "imperial amnesia." The author's comparisons of the 2015 influx of Syrian migrants to Europe, Brexit, and the 2022 war in Ukraine, juxtaposed with European identity and race, provide valuable insight. Overall, this volume sheds light on aspects of European integration that are often overlooked.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.