Modern Greece: A Short History

by C M. Woodhouse

Acclaimed for its penetration, balance, and insight, Modern Greece tells the story of Greece and its people, from the founding of Constantinople to the eclipse of socialism in the late twentieth century. C. M. Woodhouse is uniquely qualified to write the history of Greece, having served there in the Allied military and the British embassy during and after World War II before writing several books on Greece. In this classic work, which Woodhouse has updated five times to create a truly comprehensive history, the depth of his knowledge and understanding of the country and its citizens comes through clearly in every chapter, as he ranges from the ascendancy and eventual fall of the Byzantine Empire through the emergence for the first time of a unified Greek kingdom in the 1800s to the political turmoil of twentieth-century politics. This is a book for readers and travelers who wish to understand the history and culture behind the beauty that is eternal Greece.

Genres: History, Greece, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

I read this book some time ago.

If you want to know what happened next in the history of modern Greece this might be adequate for your needs but if you hope for insight and analysis you are better off looking for something else. For instance the edition I read closed with the victory of the New Democracy party in an election, this Woodhouse - who himself had been among other things a MP for the Conservative party in Britain - saw as heralding a dramatic new departure in the history of modern Greece, a moderately more disinterested observer might have noticed it was just more of the same.

As you might expect from his biography, Woodhouse did not have a problem with the quasi colonial relationship of the Great Powers to Greece either.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend this succinct readable survey of "modern" Greece, which is to say, soon after the beginning of the Common Era and therefore modern as opposed to ancient Greek history. I am well into the 20th century and find it very enlightening albeit discouraging: Greeks and the Powers who have called the shots seem to repeat the same pattern over and over. The present pickle isn't anything new, alas.

I'm up to the end of the 1950s now and am extremely disappointed with the short shrift given to the Civil War that followed WWII. This was an extremely damaging and crucial period for Greece and if I had blinked, I would have missed any mention of it here. i realize i am reading a survey; nonetheless, this is a serious omission. And when it is mentioned, it seems to be biased against the communists. The author should give a disinterested account.

[Fred Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good short account of postclassical Greek history. Woodhouse gives a good overview of Byzantium from its founding by Constantine to its fall in 1453, although one would not expect more than a quarter of a history of "modern" Greece to be given over to Byzantine history. He focuses primarily on politics and diplomacy; this is not a cultural history!

[J.Christopher Proctor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and readable but not exactly light. It's very much a traditional history.

Also, the last quarter of the book (everything post-World War 2) was more difficult to follow. I think the level of detail just shot up as the time periods covered got closer to the present which made it hard to keep track of all the politicians and generals constantly coming and going.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent overview history of Greece. It was very light, and easy to read, for a history book.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief and sometimes opinionated overview of Greek history from Byzantine through 1990. Informative, though lacking a bit in characterization given the constraints of time vs pages.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not breezy reading, but not intimidating either, once you see the pattern of countries and people changing sides all the time, from 324 to 1981.
One sidelight: the inter-marrying royal families of Europe were breeding grounds for spare kings and royal consorts, wherever needed, and Greece got its share, for better and worse. Another: intermural warfare within the
Christian church was often more intense than enmity with Islam, or anyone
else. The English author fought with the Greek resistance against Hitler,
but you have to Google him to find that out. A very even-handed historian and a lively writer. (Greece still has problems and so do the religions.)

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the time this was a thorough look at Greece from 324 C.E. to modern days (1985).

[Jason Nikolaou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greek schools ought to be teaching this instead of fairy-tales.

[Patrick Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the plus side, it is humane and well-written. On the negative side, Woodhouse was not a historian by training or trade and this shows, making the book even more dated than it would inevitably be based on its age. In particular, modern readers will find it rather vehemently anti-Turkish.