Brigands with a Cause by Koliopoulos, John S.;

Hosszú leírás:

This book examines both brigandage and irredentism in Greece since the War of Independence, tracing the intimate links between the two, their impact on Greek politics and statecraft, and their influence on the modern Greek state. It also served as a safety device which defused explosive situations. Unable to prevail over illegitimate group violence, the state tried to divert it into two generally acceptable channels - irredentist activity, and the incorporation of brigands into paramilitary units - giving it a semblance of legitimacy and rendering its activities less dangerous to the security of the state. Eventually the characteristics and values of brigandage itself and those who practised it became the predominant features of the modern Greek state and society, albeit wearing a mantle of Western respectability.

Based on a wide range ogf sources, this study aims to separate reality from myth in examining the forces and factors involved in turning brigands into national heroes.

'outstanding study ... Koliopoulos traces in meticulous detail the ebb and flow between internal brigandage and external irredentism ... In terms of originality, the use of a wide array of little known sources, and the clarity of his argument, John Koliopoulos has shown he has no superior among historians of modern Greece.' Times Higher Education Supplement