A fascinating survey of popular culture in Europe, from Celtic punk and British TV shows to Spanish fashion and Italian sports.

From One Direction and Adele to Penelope Cruz and Alexander Skarsgard, many Europeans are becoming household names in the United States. This ready-reference guide covers international pop culture spanning music, literature, movies, television and radio, the Internet, sports, video games, and fashion, from the mid-20th century through the present day.

The organization of the book—with entries arranged alphabetically within thematic chapters—allows readers to quickly find the topic they are seeking. Additionally, indexing allows for cross-cultural comparisons to be made between pop culture in Europe to that of the United States. An extensive chronology and lengthy introduction provide important contextual information, such as the United States' influence on movies, music, and the Internet; the effect of censorship on Internet and social media use; and the history of pop culture over the years. Topics feature key musicians, songs, books, actors and actresses, movies and television shows, popular websites, top athletes, games, clothing fads and designers, and much more.

Despite the fact that the book covers such a broad swath, the 128 thematically ordered entries are cogent and concise. There is almost literally something here for everyone. . . . As one might expect from a volume devoted to popular culture, the content is not merely informative but fun. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers. * Choice *

Juliana Tzvetkova, PhD, is professor of communication and language studies at Centennial College in Canada.