In this real-life political thriller, former Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou tells the inside story of the six years during which the Greek drama changed Europe and riveted the
world. It is the story of a country forced by past mistakes into unprecedented actions with enormously painful consequences. A story about the people who shaped events by trying to respond to
rapidly evolving circumstances often beyond their control. About decisions – good and bad, right and wrong – taken in official and behind-the-scenes gatherings in Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt,
Paris, London, New York, Washington and Athens; in Luxembourg châteaux courtyards, Davos kitchens and Bilderberg gatherings; in elegant offices and dreary basement meetings rooms.This is the
breath-taking story of an incredible period, told for the first time not by an outside observer, but by one of its protagonists.George Papaconstantinou was born in Athens in 1961, and studied
economics in the UK and the US, obtaining a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. After working for 10 years at the OECD in Paris, he returned to Greece to serve in a policy advisory
capacity for the Greek government. In 2007, he was elected to the Greek Parliament, and in 2009 to the European Parliament. In October 2009 he was appointed Finance Minister in the newly formed
government of George Papandreou. From that position he played a key role in the Greek crisis, negotiating the first bailout with Greece’s European partners and the IMF.
