The microstates of Europe are usually the stuff of travel guides. Klieger offers brief historical sketches of Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Vatican City, and Monaco. He includes two chapters on the sixth microstate, Malta. He also considers a number of wannabes with short histories. Klieger points out that the microstates have maintained their more or less independent status for centuries. The book is rather whimsical—Klieger includes a recipe for stewed rabbit with advice to send 'condolence letters to rabbits' families.' There are references and a bibliography. The book can be recommended for the general reader or traveler to the European microstates. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers only.

Choice Reviews

This remarkably readable, erudite and original book sheds light not only on the history and current rationale of European micro-states, but also, and more importantly, reveals important features of the contemporary world, including a timely analysis of the limits of globalism. It is an entertaining and enlightening book which should easily find its niche in one of the micro-markets of academic publishing.

Thomas Hylland Eriksen

This book is an ingenious and unusual in-depth exploration of a phenomenon that has for too long been a relatively unanalyzed but distinctive aspect of European society. The author explores intriguing and revealing byways of history and reveals to us in micro much about how nation states are created and maintained in macro.

Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart, University of Pittsburgh