BRITAIN'S GREEK ISLANDS
Kythera and the Ionian Islands 1809 to 1864
Author: Peter Prineas
ISBN 9780980672213
Soft cover 230mm x 150mm, 415 pages, bibliography,
notes, index, maps and 16 pages of illustrations
'Britain's Greek Islands' tells the story of five decades in the nineteenth century when the British ruled Kythera and the Ionian Islands. It is a very readable history, painstakingly assembled from hundreds of hand-written letters and documents, most previously unpublished. The book conveys the texture and detail of life, society and politics in the island of Cerigo (Kythera) and the Ionian Islands and illuminates important but largely forgotten events. Based on extensive research in the archives, and illustrated with maps, photographs and historic prints, 'Britain's Greek Islands' reveals the sometimes turbulent relations that existed in the Protectorate named the 'United States of the Ionian Islands'. The narrative is placed within the wider history of Europe and the Near East, from the Napoleonic Wars, through the Greek War of Independence, the Crimean War, and conflicts over the 'Eastern Question' that resonate to this day.
'A labour of love, meticulously researched. A fascinating personal account of the Seven Islands which were "British" before becoming Greek.' – Vrasidas Karalis, Department of Modern Greek, University of Sydney.
'Prineas paints a lively portrait of the history of the United States of the Ionian Islands, as the British named their protectorate. He follows the often extravagant lifestyles of the state’s lord high commissioners who, believing that the British-style parliamentary system was unsuitable for its Ionian subjects, oversaw a highly undemocratic political regime, centred in Corfu, which became increasingly unpopular with the islands’ elites and wider populations. ... Much more than the history of one small island, Britain’s Greek Islands is a worthy contribution to the study of the history of the Ionian Islands and Greek history in general.'
- Damian Mac Con Ulladh, Athens News
'Congratulations on an original, thorough and well-researched book''
– Jim Potts, Corfu
Listed in Books of the Month for January 2010.
- Newsletter of the Hellenic Society Prometheas, Washington DC, USA.
ORDERS AND INQUIRIES
Kytherian Association of Australia: Kytherian World Heritage Fund
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