That Greece Might Still Be Free. The Philhellenes in the War of Independence
When in 1821, the Greeks rose in violent revolution against the rule of the Ottoman Turks, waves of sympathy spread across Western Europe and the United States. More than a thousand volunteers set out to fight for the cause. The Philhellenes, whether they set out to recreate the Athens of Pericles, start a new crusade, or make money out of a war, all felt that Greece had unique claim on the sympathy of the world. As Byron wrote, 'I dreamed that Greece might Still be Free'; and he died at Missolonghi trying to translate that dream into reality.
William St Clair's meticulously researched and highly readable account of their aspirations and experiences was hailed as definitive when it was first published. Long out of print, it remains the standard account of the Philhellenic movement and essential reading for any students of the Greek War of Independence, Byron, and European Romanticism. Its relevance to more modern ethnic and religious conflicts is becoming increasingly appreciated by scholars worldwide.
This new and revised edition includes a new Introduction by Roderick Beaton, an updated Bibliography and many new illustrations.
“Ever since it was first published in 1972, That Greece Might Still Be Free has become the classic and still-definitive account of those volunteers. . . . But even for the reader who has only a passing interest in Greece, either ancient or modern, That Greece Might Still Be Free tells a compelling story that is part of the foundations of the ‘West' that we know today. It is a story, too, with many pertinent lessons on such subjects as ‘holy' war, ethnic cleansing, the power of abstract ideas in an age of literacy and mass media, and last but not least the enduring appeal and the terrible human cost of nationalism in the modern world.” Roderick Beaton, Koraes Professor of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature, King's College London, in his new introduction.
Contents:
Introduction by Roderick Beaton; 1. The Outbreak; 2. The Return of the Ancient Hellenes; 3. The Regiment; 4. Two Kinds of War; 5. The Cause of Greece, the Cause of Europe; 6. The Road to Marseilles; 7. Chios; 8. The Battalion of Philhellenes; 9. The Battle of Peta; 10. The Triumph of the Captains; 11. The Return Home; 12. The German Legion; 13. Knights and Crusaders; 14. Secrets of State; 15. Enter the British; 16. Lord Byron joins the Cause; 17. 'To bring Freedom and Knowledge to Greece'; 18. Arrivals at Missolonghi; 19. The Byron Brigade; 20. Essays in Regeneration; 21. The New Apostles; 22. The English Gold; 23. The Coming of the Arabs; 24. The Shade of Napoleon; 25. 'No freedom to fight for at home'; 26. French Idealism and French Cynicism; 27. Regulars Again; 28. A New Fleet; 29. Athens and Navarino; 30. America to the Rescue; 31. Later; Appendix I, Remarks on Numbers; Appendix II, The Principal Philhellenic Expeditions; Notes on the Select Bibliography; Select Bibliography; Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Material Since 1972; Notes; Index.
No. of pages: 480
. No of illustrations: 35. No. of maps: 5.
William St Clair, FBA, FRSL, is Senior Research Fellow at
the Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, and of the Centre for History
and Economics, University of Cambridge. His works include Lord Elgin and the Marbles and The Reading Nation in the Romantic Period.
http://ies.sas.ac.uk/fellows/senior
research fellows/williamstclair.htm
