Failing to learn from a long history of tragedy, Greek leaders took center stage in Europe's debt crisis after the implosion of Wall Street in 2008. However, the country's fragile relations with Europe and the Western world are not new. Diving into the depths of the country's economic failures, Theodore G. Karakostas scrutinizes the events that led to Greece's financial crisis. He highlights how the West ignored Greece's sovereignty and explains why the country's plight was avoidable. In a comprehensive overview of the country's history, Karakostas examines the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church and its continued role as a stabilizing force. He recounts Germany's injustices against Greece before exploring the country's commonalities with Russia. After an illuminating discussion of the roles of Hellenism, orthodoxy, and democracy, Karakostas delves into the details of the West's intervention and its blatant disregard for the country's interests in favor of other considerations, such as NATO. Highlighting historical facts and political details left out of the headlines, Karakostas frames Greece's financial crisis in a context that looks past the country's flesh wounds.