National Thought in Europe: A Cultural History (Europa)

"Joep Leerssen has written a wide-ranging, lucid, concise and elegant essay that replaces the many European nationalisms in their cultural contexts. It should appeal to students and tell their teachers something new as well." [-][-]Peter Burke, Emmanuel College, Cambridge University - "This book should be studied by all working in the field of nationalism. Leerssen is a scholar of the first rank, and I doubt if there is any serious scholar of nationalism who will fail to profit from this treasure house of erudition and reflection. The book is itself a delight to read."[-][-]John Hutchinson, London School of Economics, in Nations and Nationalism

Bringing together sources from many countries and many centuries, this study critically analyses the growth of nationalism - from medieval ethnic prejudice to the Romantic belief in a nation's -soul . The belief and ideology of the nation's cultural individuality emerged from a Europe-wide exchange of ideas, often articulated in literature and belles lettres. In the last two centuries, these ideas have transformed the map of Europe and the relations between people and government. Tracing the modern European nation-state as the outcome of a cultural self-invention, cross-nationally and historically, Leerssen also provides a new approach to Europe's contemporary identity politics. This study of nationalism offers a startling new perspective on cultural and national identity. National Thought in Europe was shortlisted for the "http://www.livre-europeen.eu/index.htm">Europe Book Prize.