Customer Reviews

Inside Hitler's Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941-44

5 star:		(13)
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Every Greek of every political inclination must read this magnificently written book.

There were times, such as reading the note of an unknown Greek Jew at Auschwitz-Birkinau saying farewell to his parea...and to his beloved fatherland Greece,which brought tears to my eyes.

This engrossing book goes a long way in exposing many myths about the war years, including the recent apotheosis of Aris Velouxiotis- the "legendary" Kapetanios of the ELAS. He was,in fact, no "palikari"-but merely a psychotic,power-hungry murderer, no more and no less.I do not say this lightly for I am the son of a former ELAS fighter and this book confirms many of the things my father told me. One thing that it confirms is that we Greeks suffer from the disease of acute disunity.This book examines the consequences. Only in understanding the causes can we find a remedy to this disease which continues to plague us even today.I urge you all to read this book!

A stunning and engrossing account of the affects of occupation upon indigenous populations of Greece. While it centered mostly on the political aspects; it also included an appreciative amount on how the individual was affected and what part the individual played. Equally impressive was the unbiased description of ELAS through its political beginnings to its battle with the British at the end of the occupation. A group whose political asperations may be questionable, yet still provided the youth of the time with hope agianst tyranny (a fact disregarded by many) and the opportunity to rebel agianst it. Overall, any one should read this book (regardless of background) as an important lesson in how war affects civilians and how the afflicted populous battle with not only a physical enemy but also with ethereal ones like adversity and hopelessness. One can learn much on the human condition through the history of the people within this book.

This tome begins with the chaotic political and social landscape of Greece preceeding World War II before delving into a nation ripped asunder by competing forces. Mazower's research is exhaustive and his art of story-telling is the perfect medium for relating the epic proportions of this relatively unknown chapter in the history of that war. For one who knew little of Greece's nightmarish occupation, Mazower held my attention from beginning to end. With so much to tell, the book is understandably dense. But as with anything of value, the effort is rewarded with unforgettable stories of treachery and bravery, quisling intrigues and patriotism, cruelty and the undying nature of the human spirit. Read it and weep!

Overall this is a good book. It is not the most organized book nor the most enthralling in terms of colorful language and storytelling, but informs the reader in a way that makes it hard to quit reading. This book isn't a collection of eyewitness stories, though it has many clips here and there from eyewitnesses. Instead, it tells the story of what the average Greek went through (famine, massacres, deportation, plundering, torture, etc). It deals mainly with the guerilla warfare that took over the whole country. Mazower explains how the different groups (communist, Nazi, Greek royalist, British, etc) dealt with each other. What is surprising is that their was no "good" or "bad" group; all of them made mistakes and did unspeakable things. Mazower seems to write completely unbiasedly and informatively. The only reason this book didn't get five stars is because it is somewhat disorganzed and can be confusing. Those who want to read about Germans and Nazism in Greece may be disappointed. But those who want to learn how the war changed Greece and her people forever will not be let down.

Meticulously researched and thoughtfully written, Mazower's Book is a valuable contribution to our understanding of European history in the first half of the twentieth century, especially during the decade of the 1940s. As the title suggests, this is a work about the German occupation of Greece. The unique character of Greece's political, social and economic structures make the story especially complicated. The suffering of the Greeks during the occupation was particularly intense. The famine that caused many thousands of deaths is a part of the suffering. So were the occupiers' reprisals at resistance activity. The author offers insightful analyses of the work and organization of the resistance, including various Communist groups, to show how and why the communists were able to carry on a civil war against the Athens government once the war was over. In an excellent chapter on the suffering of Jewish Greeks, he details how about fifty thousand Jews -- mostly from Salonika -- were deported to death camps in Poland and elsewhere. Personally, I take some comfort in Mazower's statement on page 159 that, in general, most Orthodox Christian Greeks made a determined effort to save their Jewish compatriots from the invaders by hiding them and providing them with food.

Mazower has recently edited a book of fourteen essays titiled After the War Was Over, exploring the question of how collaborators were dealt with in the years following the occupation. ...

This book is a favorite in our family as it Describes with a Heart, not only "cold" History, The Occupation of Greece and the Tragedy of Greek Jewry in WW2. There are many books in Israel to be found with personal accounts that have no scientific perspective. They can be boring. On the other hand there are Historians who write about WW2 as a military campaign, ignoring the Human Perspective. Mark Mazower is intelligent enough also to see thru the Political Background. Greece was divided like many countries by "Right-Left". This distorted many peoples views about what was happening. Some people (including some jews) who hated the British or the Communists, Co-operated with the Nazi's. Mark's Book is Historically Scientific, Not Politically Biased, and has enough Personal stories too make this a winner. I would like to read Mark's other books.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
The writer provides a very detailed account of the experience of Greeks and Greek Jews during the war. The writing style is very gripping and almost places you there.
My parents grew up during that era in Greece and always comment about it -- especially at the dinner table! As I read the book, I often recalled their comments and compared their experience with that described in the book. I can tell you the book is very accurate and unbiased.
Additionally, having lived in Greece myself, I now have a better understanding of the profound way the occupation shaped modern Greece in terms of politics and every day life.
I unequivocally recommend this book.

Every Greek MUST STUDY this book.What can happen to a country when the winds of war sweep all aside,but the role of the various political factions and collaborators brought the total misery that was experienced in the period 1941 to 1950 and beyond. Greece was destroyed both by outsiders and locals alike and this book explores and relates all details. The true democratic character of the country was brutally supressed,first by the Germans and then by the "Allies". Greece did not achieve true democracy until AFTER 1981 when Papandreou was elected.The root causes of all misery that prevailed in Greece during Hitler's occupation were also responsible for the post war problems. This book tells all and a message should emerge from reading it.... for all Greeks "We have met the enemy and it is mostly us" Costas Spalaris

I am privileged to have met, interviewed, and became a confidant to Stylianos Kyriakides, an Olympian and champion marathon runner who lived through the occupation of Greece during WWII. This work verifies every word he spoke. It was a horror that is being forgotten except where it happened. This is tragic; history must be learned and heeded or we will be doomed to repeat it.

Excellent work about Hitler's occupation in Greece (1941-1944).Mr Mazower has written a remarkably well researched book about a dark historic period in Greece which I found fascinating reading and thoroughly enlightening. His accounts of events are easy to follow despite the intricate political powers at play and the transiency of numerous political figures featured in the events. He clearly explains the conditions that precipitated the resistance movement which in turn gained such momentum that it became a formidable force against the enemy and how this movement was used by the allies during the war but it fell out of favour once the war was over for fear of the country falling under communist rule. Great book which I don't think is pertinent only to people interested in Greek history but anyone interested in the plight of the occupied world during this period.
Another excellent book I would recommend by the same author is "Thessaloniki. city of ghosts"