THIS IS EUROPE | An intro from Ben Judah

Britain Debrief with Ben Judah

What does it now mean to call yourself European?

Who makes up this population of some 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home, and who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries, steward our criss-crossing planes, lovingly craft our legacy wines, fish our depleted waters, and risk life itself in search of safety and a new start? In a series of vivid, ambitious, darkly visceral but always empathetic portraits of other people’s lives, journalist Ben Judah invites us to meet them. Drawn from hours of painstaking interviews, these vital stories reveal a frenetic and vibrant continent which has been transformed by diversity, migration, the internet, climate change, Covid, war and the quest for freedom. Laid dramatically bare, it may not always be a Europe we recognize – but this is Europe. REVIEWS: "Imagine Ballard and Houellebecq teaming up on a Grand Tour, and you will have some idea of just how vivid, urgent and unsettling this superbly written book is." ― Tom Holland "Thrilling, first-hand tales that explore the danger and ambitions of life in Europe." ― The Financial Times "Unflinching . . . a powerful piece of reportage." ― The Guardian "Makes you expand the boundaries of your sympathies and your understanding. It’s an astonishing achievement." ― Evening Standard "An extraordinary series of interviews" ― Rory Stewart ― The Rest Is Politics "Brilliantly vivid." ― Daily Mail "Illuminating . . . a bold literary and journalistic experiment. Judah knows how to tell a story and does so with panache." ― The Spectator "Superb . . . a compelling read." ― The New European "A hallucinatory tour de force . . . life affirming." ― The Jewish Chronicle "Brilliantly told . . . highly readable" ― The Times "Such an ambitious project it automatically deserves applause . . . reminds us that below every system and conflict there are human beings." ― Irish Times

"A singular journalistic achievement." ― The Fence