My Greek Drama: Life, Love, and One Woman's Olympic Effort to Bring Glory to Her Country

A unique perspective on the politics of Greece -- One of the most popular and revered women in Greece, the author -- Gianna as she is known to millions -- has helped lead her country for decades. Equally poised among and a personal friend of heads of government, royals, and financial leaders, she has an insiders understanding of the current Greek crisis and its potential impact on the worlds economy. As founder of the Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Program at Harvards John F Kennedy School of Government and as a high-profile participant in the Clinton Global Initiative, the author is a well-respected opinion leader on the international stage. A story of politics, romance, and redemption -- Born to a middle class family on the island of Crete, Gianna describes how her upbringing provided her with the strength and determination she needed to succeed in the male-dominated world of Greek politics and business. After building her own law practice, she leaped into the rough-and-tumble world of governance, where she spearheaded educational reform as an Athens city councilwoman and quickly rose to a position of national prominence as a member of the Hellenic Parliament.
Her marriage to one of the worlds richest businessmen was her entree into a world few people have ever experienced. That world has allowed her to understand how power really works and how to overcome adversity to achieve something truly great. A first-hand view of the political games behind hosting the Olympics -- Gianna led her countrys efforts both to bid for and to host the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games, an event that the head of the International Olympic Committee described as unforgettable dream games. She reveals, however, that the reality of putting together the games was a nightmare. It took a herculean effort to overcome political bickering, bureaucratic intransigence, and international intrigue and deliver an event that truly honoured the heritage of the games. Never before or since have the Greek people come together in such unifying self-sacrifice -- an effort Gianna insists is needed for Greece to survive the current crisis.