Rodrick Beaton reevaluates the life and work of Lord Byron through the long journey of his relationship with Greece. Beginning with the poet’s youthful travels from 1809 to 1811, the author traces the years of his fame in London and his self-imposed exile in Italy, culminating in his decision to dedicate himself to the struggle for Greek independence.

He then explores Byron’s dramatic transformation from a romantic rebel to a "new public man," who for the first time submits to a specific political cause in order to lay the foundations, during his "hundred days" in Messolonghi, for a new kind of politics in Europe – that of the nation-state as we know it today.

"Why did Byron get involved in the Greek struggle? Driven by this question, Beaton writes a systematic study based on exemplary and thorough source research... One of the book’s incomparable virtues is that it carries scholarly substance through a captivating narrative."

"There is nothing comparable to this book, as Beaton has excellent knowledge not only of the Greek and British sources but also of the contemporary British and Greek political and social context. Byron’s War changes our perception of what Byron tried to achieve in Greece and will serve as the starting point for all subsequent discussions on this issue."

"Byron’s War is an unsurpassed portrait of a complex personality. After engaging in new archival research and studying the painful civil conflicts between rival revolutionary factions, Beaton has crafted a captivating narrative centered on Byron's transformation from a mere philhellene to a pragmatic and courageous political figure. Beyond the military game or the idealization of klephts, Byron was a modernizer and internationalist who saw the Greek Revolution as a critical stake and believed that the future establishment of the Greek nation could inspire the transformation of Europe."

Awarded the "Nikos Themelis" Prize by the literary magazine "O Anagnostis."