Most of us actually know very little about the long history of Greece. Even if Pericles and the Parthenon are relatively familiar to us, what do we know about such an important figure as Epaminondas? We all remember the achievements and conquests of Alexander the Great at every opportunity, but we rarely refer to the very significant Hellenistic period. When we hear Byzantium, we often bring to mind a world dominated by intrigues and conspiracies. And yet, the Byzantine Empire lasted more than 1,000 years, was largely Greek, and saved Europe twice from invasions from the east. But the history of modern Greece is also written through a "spectacular" succession of triumphs and disasters, from the revolution of 1821 and the Great Idea, the National Schism and the Asia Minor Catastrophe to the Occupation and the Civil War, the dictatorship of the colonels and the Metapolitefsi, the years of abundance but also the years of crisis, the memoranda and the threat of Grexit. "The narration of events is fascinating and the protagonists of History stand out in relief."  Conn Iggulden "Charming, vivid narrative."  Kate Mosse