This book is the fulfillment of a son’s duty to his father. Andreas Papandreou, in the autumn of 1995, asked his son Nikos to create an outline of his memoirs. However, the dramatic turn of events and the lack of necessary detachment from them, along with the subsequent death of Andreas Papandreou, did not allow the plan to materialize at that time.
Now, after the father’s death, the son comes to fulfill his duty. Nikos Papandreou reassembles the life of the politician from a new perspective: that of a comprehensive political narrative. Andreas becomes the narrator of his own life through his speeches. “Just like the author, he builds the narrative of modern Greece, the complete and fascinating picture, based on detail.” The interpretation attempted places the entirety of Andreas’s life under a certain perspective.
It seeks to reveal the fabric, whether real or imaginary, that connects the individual events. It allows the reader to explain the myth without demystifying the figure. It prompts them to admire not only the interpreted personality but also the effort of interpretation.
Because both the lifetime work of the politician, as evidenced by his speeches, and the interpretation of his life, as evidenced by the book, clearly rely on thorough groundwork. This book is aimed at those who have wondered where Andreas Papandreou’s ability to captivate the masses came from. It approaches the personality of the politician with discretion, sensitivity, and the immediate understanding that a son has of his father, managing to provide answers.
