Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, for the “Get Caught Reading” campaign

Eric Hobsbawm’s books, and among them The Age of Extremes, have deeply inspired my political thought, my understanding of history and my commitment to the European project, says Mr Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament.

And added: “His dissection of the horrors of the short twentieth century and the interconnectedness of European and global affairs are a constant warning and at the same time a dispassionate critique of the status quo, of its inequalities and social injustices. Thanks to his thorough, lucid and gripping analysis he remains an intellectual reference of our times.”

© European Union, 2013