Inspired by philhellenism as a law student, George Finlay (1799-1875) took part in the Greek war of independence alongside Lord Byron. While later researching the history and archaeology of the country, Finlay also sought improvements to the administration and economic development of the independent Greek state. Published in 1861, this two-volume account of the Greek revolution, including its military conflicts and political consequences, traces events up to the creation of a constitutional monarchy. Volume 2 covers the civil wars among the Greeks and the first independent government of Ioannis Kapodistrias. Finlay's narrative includes Kapodistrias's assassination and the international recognition of Greek independence with the creation of the Greek monarchy. He describes the conflicts that arose from autocratic centralised rule, and the unrest in 1843 that led to limits on royal power in a formal constitution. Finlay's seven-volume History of Greece (1877) is also reissued in this series.
