Professor Juliet Lodge reviews Michael Hindley’s, ‘The Semi-Detached European’, considering what the EU achieved for Britain

For anyone over the age of seven, being in Europe has been the backdrop to our lives. It was always there, taken for granted and of little interest. And that’s how most Europeans see it too. It’s a symbol of post-world war two reconciliation of course. But it is also a convenience for ordinary people who want to pop around Europe, not worry about roaming fees, use the same currency – the Euro – in most EU countries, and have more or less the same benefits as the locals should they temporarily or permanently choose to live, love, work and stay there.