The Mediterranean : the European Union's ‘near abroad’

Abstract

A knowledgeable, articulate guide, Christopher Pollacco takes his reader on a guided tour of The Mediterranean - The European Union's 'Near Abroad', crossing vast spaces and historical time-scales. The Mediterranean littoral is not unlike a Greek forum - a meeting place of civilizations and progenitor of great ideas; and like a Greek tragedy, it resounds with conflict, paradox and human misery. Pollacco has meticulously woven into this backdrop the threads of European policy towards a beguiling but mercurial neighbourhood. He demonstrates both the continuity of Euroepan interest in the region as well as the reasons for Europe's consistent failure to stabilize the cradle of Western civilization.