I was a teenager when the Berlin wall came down and so my geography lessons learned in school were about a world where countries such as the USSR and Czechoslovakia existed. Unfortunately, as an adult, I never took the time to learn about these both New and very, very old Countries of Europe that have emerged now that communism has lost much of its stronghold. Fortunately for me, this is now changing as in my work we are beginning to collaborate more and more with these formerly Soviet countries (thanks to the EU). So I guess I really should have read this book a long time ago as, for instance, it might have helped to know a little about Albania before we started that collaboration last year.

Written in 2006/7 Michael Pailin visited a lot the countries he too had heard very little of as part of a travel program he was making with the BBC. He writes with good humor and a genuine interest, hope and kindness for the places and people he meets along the way. The historical facts are interesting (though I see from another review that the Bulgarian history may be inaccurate). His hope that Europe can be unified by co-operation shines through the book (I am guessing from this he was anti Brexit).

Unfortunately, though for my personal rating of the book, there were just too many countries and too much history to keep straight. I felt like I have felt when I have spent too long in a Museum or Art Gallery, I love the places at first but after a few hours my headaches from the information overload. Nevertheless, It has renewed my interest in traveling to every Country in the EU (and now those that are looking to join). It will also be a handy reference book for when I do so as it gives a snapshot in time of these countries, before the world recession but recently after communism. It will be interesting to see how my own opinions compare to Palin’s at the time.