John Pinder author page

John Pinder biography

John Pinder was a British writer and policy scholar whose published work on European integration is widely used by older students and young adult readers studying politics. He co-authored The European Union: A Very Short Introduction with Simon Usherwood for Oxford University Press, a concise overview of the EU that appears on secondary and sixth-form reading lists.

Across his career he wrote and edited books explaining the institutions, history and development of European cooperation, including studies of the European Parliament and accounts of the evolution of the Union from the post-war period onwards. Publisher listings and library catalogues show multiple editions and reprints of his EU overviews and handbooks.

Pinder served as an Honorary Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin and chaired the Federal Trust in London. He was also active in pro-European civic organisations, holding elected roles that reflected his research interests in federalism and democratic accountability.

His writing remains a reference point for A-level Government and Politics courses and introductory university modules that bridge school and higher education.

Selected publication: The European Union: A Very Short Introduction, latest edition co-authored with Simon Usherwood and published by Oxford University Press.