Scarlett: guys, I'm organising a meeting about politics in Central Europe at the ASEEES conference.
Madison: Nice!
Carter: do you need help?
Scarlett: Exactly, I'm looking for some panellists, people with names and knowledge about the topic
Carter: I will ask Pieter Judson, he's very popular now
Scarlett: The historian?
Carter: yes, it's him, he teaches in Florence, Italy now
Scarlett: This would be perfect, he is quite famous now
Madison: oh yes, I've read recently his book about the Habsburg Empire, his claims are fascinating 
Carter: they are, and it's so well written!
Madison: yes, very readable, not academic at all, like a good novel
Scarlett: Could you summarise his claims shortly? I need to know what direction this is going to be able to create a coherent panel. 
Carter: So i would just call it very anti-nationalist. He doesn't believe in nation states and presents the Habsburg Empire as a kind of a predecessor of the EU.
Scarlett: which is not a good prediction for the EU
Carter: not necessarily, Judson suggests that the Habsburg Empire didn't have to collapse as it has been presented so far
Scarlett: by the national historiographies of the successor states?
Carter: Yes, they present the empire as a "prison of nations" that had to fall and had been collapsing for a while.
Carter: Judson argues that it was not the case. It is a narrative created post factum 
Scarlett: ok, this sounds fascinating.
Madison: I think you will find a lot of scholars ready to discuss with him
Carter: Sure, and it can be one of the best panels at the conference, easily
Scarlett: Great! So will you talk to him? I have some funding of course to pay for the flights etc.
Carter: Perfect! I will talk to him and let you know
Scarlett: Thanks a lot girls!
Scarlett is organizing a meeting about politics in Central Europe at the ASEEES conference. She's looking for panellists with names and knowledge about the topic. Carter will talk to a famous historian called Pieter Judson, who has written a book about the Habsburg Empire and its fall.