The truth is that only recently has the perspective of a generation of people who see Greek history for what it truly is, and not through the Western European interpretative frameworks, particularly of the 18th and 19th centuries, begun to enter the public consciousness. These Western European-centric frameworks inevitably leave gaps in the Greek case. The good thing, of course, is that although we were somewhat late in Greece, we have finally reached the point where we can discuss the continuities and discontinuities of Greek history in a relatively civilized manner, the peculiarity of which mainly lies in how many twists it contains.

Of course, there have always been voices and writings. But they were overshadowed either by those who "proved" that the Greeks descended from Sirius, or by those who claimed that the fisherman on the morning of June 22, 168 BC got into his boat as a Greek and came out of it, after finishing his work, simply Greek-speaking. In all of this, scientific progress has played a role, of course. Based on this, we can now trace with relative accuracy the relationship between us and the people who lived in the same geographical area, e.g., during the Mycenaean period, as well as the migrations of populations over the centuries.

However, it is known since the time of Herodotus and Thucydides that a completely objective history may not exist, at least regarding the interpretation of historical data. On the other hand, of course, this does not mean that history should consciously become a victim at the altar of political interests, personal ambitions, and ideological obsessions. With this in mind, we turn to the specific book that raises many questions.

We are talking about the first, now well-known, recording of modern Greek history in the chronicles of the new Greek state, and indeed before its official recognition. The narrative begins with the decline of the Greek Empire. Yes, this is how the Byzantine Empire was referred to in European literature until the Crimean War (1853-1856) and before the neutral - "politically correct" for the West - term "Byzantium" was established. It ends with the heroic resistance of Messolonghi (1826), probably not coincidentally, given the role this event played both in the psychology and in the political developments of the great powers: psychologically, it revived the European philhellenic movement, while politically it pushed the great powers towards a final solution to the Greek question, so that whatever could be saved from the "useful," for some, Ottoman Empire, which was faltering (obviously not only due to the Greek uprising). The year of publication of the volume is 1828, in French. The authors are Iakovakis-Rizos Neroulos and Ioannis Kapodistrias. The name of the latter was kept secret. And thus the questions begin.

Was indeed one of the authors the first governor of the new Greek state? Why did Kapodistrias not want his name to be mentioned? Which parts of the book did he write himself? How objective or propagandistic is his approach? What conclusions can be drawn from his writings regarding his political views as well as the vision he had for both the new Greek state and the broader European space? What is his psychological profile in the Ottoman Empire and what lessons does it impart for today's practice of politics and diplomacy? Why has this important book remained practically invisible for about two centuries? Ultimately, are we a nation-state or a state-nation?

The book has an opinion and takes a specific stance on a series of issues that we still discuss (e.g., borrowing from foreign powers or their involvement, etc.). The authors' position regarding the role of Russia is provocative. Was Kapodistrias really pro-Russian? And how dictatorially did he want to govern? These and many more in a book that changes much in the discussion about the Revolution of 1821.
The translation is excellent and the text is readable. Professor Kontogiorgis's introduction sets the reader in the mood and helps them decode the text. The appendix contains letters from Kapodistrias that are extremely enlightening.