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The long-awaited sequel to Geert Mak's landmark In Europe 'Mak is the history teacher everyone should have had' Financial Times How did the great European dream turn sour? And where do we go from here? From the author of the internationally acclaimed In Europe, a stunning history of our present, examining the first two decades of this most fragile and fraught new millennium. The great European project was built out of a common desire for peace, prosperity and freedom; a wish for a united Europe striving towards a common goal. The EU was to set an example- an arena for close cooperation, tackling crucial shared concerns from climate change to organized crime, promoting open borders and social security. But the first two turbulent decades of this century have been times of rapid and profound change. From the shores of Lampedusa to Putin's Moscow, the continent threatens to tear itself apart. What's happened to Europe's optimism and euphoria? How has it given way to nostalgia, frustration and fear, the fragile European dream in danger of turning into a nightmare? In The Dream of Europe, Geert Mak, one of Europe's best-loved commentators, charts the seismic events that have shaped people's lives over the past twenty years. Mak's monumental book In Europe defined the continent on the verge of a new millennium. TheDream of Europe brings us up to the present day, through the rocky expansion of the EU, the aftermath of 9/11 and terrorist attacks across Europe, the 2008 financial crash and the euro crisis, the tragedy of the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, the rise of right-wing populism and Brexit. Like no other, Mak blends history, politics and culture with the stories and experiences of the many Europeans he meets on his travels. He brings this continent to life, and asks what role does Europe play now, and how might we face our challenges together, in the spirit of solidarity and connection. 'A powerful, humane and serious mind' Guardian 'Mak is a truly cosmopolitan chronicler' Independent Praise for In Europe- 'Fascinating... a splendidly panoramic picture of our common European home' Literary Review 'Every page sparkles with insight' Herald'Spectacular and beautifully crafted' Sunday Times… (more)
Europe is an old continent and has throughout the centuries undergone various battles, wars, kingdoms, migrations, and what have you. The Dutch journalist revisited, in his own way of course, the history of Europe in a previous work, titled [b:In Europa: Reizen door de twintigste eeuw|50268943|In Europa Reizen door de twintigste eeuw|Geert Mak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587200079l/50268943._SY75_.jpg|566023] (to link one edition; but it's available in English and other languages); I haven't read that one (yet). The sequel, which can be read on its own, is this book here, which will probably be translated as 'Big Expectations. In Europe 1999-2019'.
As you can imagine, Mr Mak revisits Europe's history of the past 20 years, right before and right after the shift into the 21st century. It's also my first encounter with the man's writing. In this thick tome, he takes you back on a long and turbulent journey in Europe, in its various countries, through his meetings with befriended politicians, working people, and others. In a very accessible style, Mr Mak recounts the various crisis, the problems with the Euro (the new currency), the financial crisis of 2008 (which still isn't over, even though every news item is currently centred around the Coronavirus), the migration crisis of a few years ago (also far from over), the impact of neoliberalism, and more, like the Brexit, which is due for... the end of 2020?
Of course, there's more in this book than just the several crisis. I know, the black cover and indeed, what has happened on this continent and still is going on, isn't exactly something to be joyful about, though underneath it all, it does show how resilient many people are or how resilient humanity can be.
Even if you've lived to tell the tale of the past 20 years, a lot has been forgotten or buried under other news. In this way, via a book like this one, it's good to refresh your memory, to know where we came from and how the world is evolving and ever-changing. The way Mr Mak broaches the events, the various subjects, his interactions with the people he met - people who have to face the austerity and other imposed regulations and laws each day - makes you a bit more aware of what is going on in the world. A few words: manipulation (not only by politicians, but they sure know how to fool "the people"), poker, hypocrisy, ... and much for the love of money.
Obviously, you can't write about events in Europe without writing about Russia, Turkey, the USA, China, Africa and thus globalisation in general. Much of what he wrote about is not a closed chapter at all, but an unfinished chapter, an chapter in progress, whose end is not in sight, not for a long time to come.
Think you know how the world works? You don't. Newspapers don't tell everything, even distort reality (as do politicians), and that's when you need books like this one - yes, written by a journalist, surprisingly ;-) - to see the world (and foremost Europe) in a different light. Europe may have a European Union, but each country still likes to preserve its sovereignty and culture in various domains (which is way the EU can't always intervene, due to national responsibilities not transferred to the higher, covering level).
In short: a highly recommended book! For more detailed reviews, there are enough of those on Goodreads. ;-)
----------
Recently, in June 2020, an epilogue, aptly titled [b:Epiloog bij Grote Verwachtingen|53997550|Epiloog bij Grote Verwachtingen|Geert Mak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592048471l/53997550._SX50_.jpg|84366874], was published in light of the current Coronacrisis. In this little book of /- 90 pages, Geert Mak tackles the Coronacrisis, how countries deal with it - it's all very fresh - and how previous epi/pandemics were dealt with. A recommended addendum to 'Big Expectations'.
----------
A few related, Dutch works (some of which were translated into English) that I've read to this date:
* [b:Hoe durven ze? De Euro, de crisis en de grote hold-up|13342245|Hoe durven ze? De Euro, de crisis en de grote hold-up|Peter Mertens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1325261197l/13342245._SY75_.jpg|18555657] (my review) * [b:De eurocrisis|13541462|De eurocrisis|Martin Visser|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436541141l/13541462._SY75_.jpg|19105119] (my review) * [b:Dit kan niet waar zijn|23165612|Dit kan niet waar zijn|Joris Luyendijk|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410106176l/23165612._SY75_.jpg|42711356] (my review) * [b:Europese Unie|25501281|Europese Unie|John Pinder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431035225l/25501281._SY75_.jpg|72192] (my review) * [b:Europa in woelig water|46216114|Europa in woelig water|Hendrik Vos|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563640941l/46216114._SY75_.jpg|71186154] (my review) ( )
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Wir kommen weit her/ Liebes Kind/ Und müssen weit gehen/ Keine Angst/ Alle sind bei Dir/ Die vor Dir waren/ Deine Mutter, Dein Vater/ Und alle, die vor ihnen waren/ Weit weit zurück/ Alle sind bei Dir/ Keine Angst/ Wir kommen weit her/ Und müssen weit gehen/ Liebes Kind
- Heinrich Bóll
Dedication
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
The long-awaited sequel to Geert Mak's landmark In Europe 'Mak is the history teacher everyone should have had' Financial Times How did the great European dream turn sour? And where do we go from here? From the author of the internationally acclaimed In Europe, a stunning history of our present, examining the first two decades of this most fragile and fraught new millennium. The great European project was built out of a common desire for peace, prosperity and freedom; a wish for a united Europe striving towards a common goal. The EU was to set an example- an arena for close cooperation, tackling crucial shared concerns from climate change to organized crime, promoting open borders and social security. But the first two turbulent decades of this century have been times of rapid and profound change. From the shores of Lampedusa to Putin's Moscow, the continent threatens to tear itself apart. What's happened to Europe's optimism and euphoria? How has it given way to nostalgia, frustration and fear, the fragile European dream in danger of turning into a nightmare? In The Dream of Europe, Geert Mak, one of Europe's best-loved commentators, charts the seismic events that have shaped people's lives over the past twenty years. Mak's monumental book In Europe defined the continent on the verge of a new millennium. TheDream of Europe brings us up to the present day, through the rocky expansion of the EU, the aftermath of 9/11 and terrorist attacks across Europe, the 2008 financial crash and the euro crisis, the tragedy of the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, the rise of right-wing populism and Brexit. Like no other, Mak blends history, politics and culture with the stories and experiences of the many Europeans he meets on his travels. He brings this continent to life, and asks what role does Europe play now, and how might we face our challenges together, in the spirit of solidarity and connection. 'A powerful, humane and serious mind' Guardian 'Mak is a truly cosmopolitan chronicler' Independent Praise for In Europe- 'Fascinating... a splendidly panoramic picture of our common European home' Literary Review 'Every page sparkles with insight' Herald'Spectacular and beautifully crafted' Sunday Times
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(4.02)
Wikipedia in English
1
As you can imagine, Mr Mak revisits Europe's history of the past 20 years, right before and right after the shift into the 21st century. It's also my first encounter with the man's writing. In this thick tome, he takes you back on a long and turbulent journey in Europe, in its various countries, through his meetings with befriended politicians, working people, and others. In a very accessible style, Mr Mak recounts the various crisis, the problems with the Euro (the new currency), the financial crisis of 2008 (which still isn't over, even though every news item is currently centred around the Coronavirus), the migration crisis of a few years ago (also far from over), the impact of neoliberalism, and more, like the Brexit, which is due for... the end of 2020?
Of course, there's more in this book than just the several crisis. I know, the black cover and indeed, what has happened on this continent and still is going on, isn't exactly something to be joyful about, though underneath it all, it does show how resilient many people are or how resilient humanity can be.
Even if you've lived to tell the tale of the past 20 years, a lot has been forgotten or buried under other news. In this way, via a book like this one, it's good to refresh your memory, to know where we came from and how the world is evolving and ever-changing. The way Mr Mak broaches the events, the various subjects, his interactions with the people he met - people who have to face the austerity and other imposed regulations and laws each day - makes you a bit more aware of what is going on in the world. A few words: manipulation (not only by politicians, but they sure know how to fool "the people"), poker, hypocrisy, ... and much for the love of money.
Obviously, you can't write about events in Europe without writing about Russia, Turkey, the USA, China, Africa and thus globalisation in general. Much of what he wrote about is not a closed chapter at all, but an unfinished chapter, an chapter in progress, whose end is not in sight, not for a long time to come.
Think you know how the world works? You don't. Newspapers don't tell everything, even distort reality (as do politicians), and that's when you need books like this one - yes, written by a journalist, surprisingly ;-) - to see the world (and foremost Europe) in a different light. Europe may have a European Union, but each country still likes to preserve its sovereignty and culture in various domains (which is way the EU can't always intervene, due to national responsibilities not transferred to the higher, covering level).
In short: a highly recommended book! For more detailed reviews, there are enough of those on Goodreads. ;-)
----------
Recently, in June 2020, an epilogue, aptly titled [b:Epiloog bij Grote Verwachtingen|53997550|Epiloog bij Grote Verwachtingen|Geert Mak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592048471l/53997550._SX50_.jpg|84366874], was published in light of the current Coronacrisis. In this little book of /- 90 pages, Geert Mak tackles the Coronacrisis, how countries deal with it - it's all very fresh - and how previous epi/pandemics were dealt with. A recommended addendum to 'Big Expectations'.
----------
A few related, Dutch works (some of which were translated into English) that I've read to this date:
* [b:Hoe durven ze? De Euro, de crisis en de grote hold-up|13342245|Hoe durven ze? De Euro, de crisis en de grote hold-up|Peter Mertens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1325261197l/13342245._SY75_.jpg|18555657] (my review)
* [b:De eurocrisis|13541462|De eurocrisis|Martin Visser|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436541141l/13541462._SY75_.jpg|19105119] (my review)
* [b:Dit kan niet waar zijn|23165612|Dit kan niet waar zijn|Joris Luyendijk|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410106176l/23165612._SY75_.jpg|42711356] (my review)
* [b:Europese Unie|25501281|Europese Unie|John Pinder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431035225l/25501281._SY75_.jpg|72192] (my review)
* [b:Europa in woelig water|46216114|Europa in woelig water|Hendrik Vos|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563640941l/46216114._SY75_.jpg|71186154] (my review) (