The European Culture Area: A Systematic Geography, Sixth Edition

Dr. Jordan writes an excellent introduction to European geography. It is easy to read and understand and chapters are accompanied by lots of self-taken pictures (black and white). It begins with the question of what is Europe and who is European, a very relevant question as the European Union expands. Dr. Jordan lists a dozen empirical characteristics of Europe such as Christian and democratic that isn't universal but serves well as a fundamental description of Europe to a novice. The best section is on the historical and cultural splits between Northern and Southern Europe, and Western and Eastern Europe. Dr. Jordan details the reasons for the splits; for example, the northerly extent of the Roman Empire and the westerly extent of Islam. The weakest section is on the European Union which is arguably the most important issue in Europe today and essential for geographers. More detail is needed on what it does and how it works. I highly recommend it for any geographer, political scientist, or historian interested in Europe but without a lot of background with the region.