The United States has received a gift from 27 of its closest friends for the nation's 250th anniversary. Those countries are the members of the European Union, and for the most part they were with us in 1776. For sure, France was. England wasn't, but they aren't in the EU. They are, however, our friends today. Time heals all wounds.
This project is officially known as the EU Ambassadors Book Collection: Words That Unite, Stories That Connect. The gifts are books, each selected by the EU ambassadors. They are English translations of books “that reflect its national spirit or connections to the U.S. The initiative honors shared history while investing in a future shaped by empathy and mutual respect, and it reaffirms the European Union and the United States’ commitment to literacy, cultural exchange, and the power of stories to bring people together. Together, the donated volumes form a collective gift symbolizing friendship and the power of ideas to transcend borders.”
Jovita Neliupšienė, EU Ambassador to the United States, explained, “I have always believed that books are one of the most meaningful forms of diplomacy. Long before we meet one another, we encounter each other through stories — through the characters, histories, humor, and values that shape our societies. This collection invites American readers to discover Europe not through headlines or politics, but through literature. It is both a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and a tribute to the enduring friendship between Europeans and Americans.”
Some of these books will be very familiar to you. Other probably not. They all undoubtedly represent works that the giving country sees as important. Here is the list.
Austria: “The Marshall Plan - Since 1947. Saving Europe, Rebuilding Austria” (2017) by Günter Bischof & Hans Petschar
Belgium: “Maigret in New York” (1947) by Georges Simenon (Translated by Linda Coverdale)
Bulgaria: “Time Shelter” (2022) by Georgi Gospodinov (Translated by Angela Rodel)
Croatia: “The Goldsmith's Treasure” (1871) by August Šenoa
Cyprus: “American Dreams: The Story of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission” (2024) by Keith E. Peterson
Czech Republic: “Václav Havel: The Power of the Powerless in the 20th Century” (2023) by Martin Vopěnka
Denmark: “The Copenhagen Trilogy” (1971) by Tove Ditlevsen
Estonia: “Silverwhite” (1976) by Lennart Meri (Translated by Adam Cullen)
Finland: “Beasts of the Sea” (2025) by Iida Turpeinen (Translated by David Hackston)
France: “Democracy in America” (1835) by Alexis de Tocqueville (Translated by Arthur Goldhammer)
Germany: “The Long Road West,” Volume I 1789-1933 & Volume II 1933-1990 (2007) by Heinrich August Winkler
Greece: “The Iliad” (approx. 8th century BCE) by Homer (Translated by Peter Green)
Hungary: “Embers” (1942) by Sándor Márai (Translated in Carol Brown Janeway)
Ireland: “Outside History” (1990) by Eavan Boland
Italy: “A Thousand Wonders: A Journey to Discover Italy” (2020) and “A Thousand Wonders in Blue: Discovering Italy by Sea” (2023) by Geronimo Stilton (2023)
Latvia: “Birkerts. Libraries. Light.” Birkerts’ Centenary Edition (2025) by Latvian National Library Support Foundation
Lithuania: “White Shroud” (2018) by Antanas Skema (Translated by Karla Gruodis)
Luxembourg: “Luxembourg-America, 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries” (2015) by Georges Calteux, Paul Dostert, Ferdy Dumon, Jean Esch, Carlo Krieger, Paul Lesch, Sandra Schmit, Guy Thomas, Pauline Weis
Malta: “Diplomat by Destiny” (2025) by George Saliba
Netherlands: “Bells for America: The Cold War, Modernism, and the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington” (2021) by Diederik Oostdijk
Poland: “The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution” (2009) by Alex Storozynski
Portugal: “Above the Salt” (2023) by Katherine Vaz
Romania: “The Hooligan's Return: A Memoir” (2003) by Norman Manea (Translated by Angela Jianu)
Slovakia: “Sergeant Michael Strank: Mary (Strank) Pero’s Memory Book of Her Brother” (2009) by Bruce Bauer and Carol Bauer
Slovenia: “The Complete Plays” (2012) by Ivan Cankar
Spain: “The Revolt of the Masses” (1937) by José Ortega y Gasset
Sweden: “Swede Hollow” (2019) by Ola Larsmo (Translated by Tiina Nunnally)
European Union: “Memoirs” (1978) by Jean Monnet (Translated by Richard Mayne)
