Ioannis Kapodistrias was a visionary politician who was far ahead of his time and became the first Governor of Greece after its liberation from Turkish rule.

Christopher Woodhouse describes his tumultuous life in this biography, the great value of which lies in the careful study of rich archival material, letters, monographs, and detailed bibliography. As a result, one of the most impressive portraits of one of the most emblematic figures of modern Hellenism emerges.

His early steps in Corfu. Medical studies in Padua. His tenure as an extraordinary commissioner of the Ionian Islands. The organization of the defense of Lefkada against Ali Pasha. His service as foreign minister to Tsar Alexander I. The unfulfilled love with Roxane Stourza. His connections with the movement of Rigas in Vienna. His decisive contribution to the creation of the Swiss state. First governor and founder of Greek Independence.

All the episodes are artfully connected, aiming to present a profound and highly informative study of the era and the life of Kapodistrias. A life that Woodhouse sees as a tragedy and develops its course to the tragic end with sustained skill and aptly chosen phrasing, so that the book reads like a grand historical novel of the 19th century.