In "Philhellenes," Christopher M. Woodhouse documents the phenomenon of philhellenism during the second and third decades of the 19th century. Before Lord Byron ignited the fire, there was some interest in Greece, but there was no philhellenism.

In this book, the author highlights the birth of the phenomenon and its various causes: classical education, the Grand Tour, the ancient legacy, strategic interest in the eastern Mediterranean, and analyzes the broader temporal and geographical context.

For the Greeks, Lord Byron was a poet, a hero, and his contribution to the liberation of Greece was literally unmatched. Byron's romantic realism inspired action-oriented people and resonated with their political allies, while Shelley’s artificial romanticism appealed to aesthetes and idealists.

But who were the others who wanted to contribute to the Greek struggle? Radicals, romantic volunteers, as well as adventurers, lawyers, politicians, poets, antiquarians, merchants, and reformers; both well-known and shadowy names parade through this edition.

Unknown facets, behind-the-scenes events, and less-known episodes of the Revolution come to the fore from a true philhellene who loved Greece more than anything else.