The Greeks

'Monumental . . . A wonderful book.' Peter Frankopan



'Magisterial . . . remarkable.' Guardian



'Erudite and highly readable . . . An authoritative guide to the countless ways in which Greek words and ideas have shaped the modern world.' Financial Times

The Greeks is a story which takes us from the archaeological treasures of the Bronze Age Aegean and myths of gods and heroes, to the politics of the European Union today. It is a story of inventions, such as the alphabet, philosophy and science, but also of reinvention: of cultures which merged and multiplied, and adapted to catastrophic change. It is the epic, revelatory history of the Greek-speaking people and their global impact told as never before.



Roderick Beaton is Emeritus Koraes Professor of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature at King's College London. He is a four-time winner of the Runciman Award, for books including George Seferis: Waiting for the Angel: A Biography; Byron's War: Romantic Rebellion, Greek Revolution, which was also shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize and, most recently, Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation, also shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and Commander of the Order of Honour of the Hellenic Republic.