Modern Greece

Though there are countless books on ancient Greece and its profound influence on Western societies, U.S. media has significantly less coverage on modern-day Greece; this encyclopedia, edited by independent scholar Thomopoulos (Greenwood’s History of Greece), fills that gap with its comprehensive coverage. The introduction sets the tone by depicting key events in Greece over the last 200 years, including the war of independence from the Ottoman Empire, Greece’s occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II, and the nation’s relationship to the European Union and the United States. There are more than 200 entries, organized into 16 chapters on aspects of Greek culture and society, including geography, history, social class and ethnicity, and art and architecture. Each entry concludes with a list of cross-references and suggestions for further reading. A section that examines the daily lives of four Greeks offers readers unique insight into today’s Greece.