Greece's 'Odious' Debt: The Looting of the Hellenic Republic by the Euro, the Political Elite and the Investment Community Anthem Finance: Amazon.co.uk: Jason Manolopoulos: Books

Review

'The graphic portrait of a deeply troubled country and the shocking story of the failure of past and present economic experts to grasp the nature of the problems.' —Thomas Mayer, Chief Economist, Deutsche Bank

'A fascinating account of the crisis-ridden saga of Greece and a wider European economy prompted by the superficial nature of Europe’s political process, its institutions, and the impunity of its leaders. Psychologically insightful and gritty in his practical recommendations, Manolopoulos possesses a knack for chiselled and punchy prose – all of which make the read a pleasurable must.' —Guerman Aliev, CEO of Altpoint Capital Partners

'Incisive and engaging, this book provides a unique perspective on the Greek crisis by combining a thoughtful analysis of Greek society and economy with one of politics at the EU level and of global financial markets.' —Dr Dimitri Vayanos, Professor of Finance and Director of the Paul Woolley Centre for the Study of Capital Market Dysfunctionality, London School of Economics

'Manolopoulos brings the Greek debt crisis into historical perspective, providing an insightful analysis of what went wrong. This book is essential reading for everybody who wants to understand the challenges the Eurozone is facing.' —Michael Ganske, Head of Emerging Markets Research, Commerzbank

'Through a critical but accessible discussion of key conventions in economics and finance and ample presentation of anecdotal material, this book offers a unique introspective look into Greek socio-political culture and how this, combined with the fallacies and excesses of the international financial system and the EMU architecture, led to what the author calls ‘Greece’s Odious Debt’.' —Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, Hellenic Observatory, European Institute, London School of Economics

Review

‘[An] excellent study both of the eurozone and of the Greek case by Jason Manolopoulos, Greece’s ‘Odious’ Debt (Anthem Press). He shows conclusively that the eurozone is far from an optimum currency area.’ —Samuel Brittan, ‘Financial Times’

‘There have been plenty of books about the Wall Street crisis of 2008 but fewer, to date, about the sovereign crisis that followed it. So it is good to be able to recommend Jason Manolopoulos’s work, ‘Greece’s ‘Odious’ Debt: The Looting of the Hellenic Republic by the Euro, the Political Elite and the Investment Community’. […] Mr Manolopoulos is actually a hedge fund manager who takes a very clear-headed view of the crisis. […] The combination of a currency link and weak economic policies doomed Greece to its eventual crisis. But the author entertaining[ly] recounts the long series of denials by EU officials, Greek politicians and investment banks.’ —Philip Coggan, ‘The Economist’

‘…[One] of the first to immerse into the Greek debt crisis in an intelligible manner. [...] [Manolopoulos’s] book is to be recommended to anyone who is endeavouring to picture the Greek misery to its whole extent.’ —Norbert Härin, ‘Handelsblatt’

‘Most of us are familiar with bits of the story and aware of the social and economic strains in Greece itself. But until now there has been no straightforward analysis of the sequence of events that led to the collapse, still less a sketch of how the story might end. Manolopoulos is a Greek hedge fund manager, and so doubly qualified to provide this. […] The author is tough on Greece but he is also tough on Europe. The euro was mis-sold and the temporary bail-out has made matters worse.’ —Hamish McRae, ‘The Independent’

‘As with so much economic history, Manolopoulos reveals just how many factors, and negligent hubristic individuals, helped cause the monumental disaster. He is even-handed in apportioning blame – everyone carries some.’ —David Walker, ‘Investment Week’

‘Jason Manolopoulos’s new tome is an enjoyable romp through the story of how Greece got caught out in the international economic crisis.’ —Business Diary, ‘The Independent’

‘The author, who is also a founder of an emerging-market hedge fund, sets out to analyze the Greek fiscal crisis and its larger reverberations. […] This is a brave, complicated and timely book.’ —Nancy F. Koehn, ‘The New York Times’

‘It beggars belief that an already debt-drowning nation could be allowed to borrow in excess of 300 billion euros without the means to escape more “odious” debt, but Manolopoulos sheds light on psychological biases that contribute to systemic, repeated errors. […] Manolopoulos gives an incisive perspective on this Greek tragedy in the making.’ —‘Nexus Magazine’

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Outstanding 15 Sep 2011

By Jake

Format:Paperback

I have read and now will re-read and hi-light Jason Manolopoulos's analysis of the Odious Greek Debt. It is an excellent unbiased right down the middle accounting of how Greece wound up in the position it now finds itself in. I have bought several copies and have sent them to my friends. I hope everyone with an interest in this debacle, will do the same. My only wish is that all of the incompetents in charge would read this book and take heed. Until Greece can establish the principal of fairness and Justice for all - it will remain stuck in this cycle of greed and corruption. I don't have much faith that it can establish or will extricate itself.

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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

INSIGHTFUL - WORTH READING 23 May 2011

By Vicki Drakopoulos

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In the past ten years or so, I have read many good books about the business world. They have provided me with a better understanding of the economic predicaments we have been facing. "Greece's Odious Debt" has surprised me. It is more than a book about Greece; it is more than a book about the European Union. The writing is superb; the information provided is exceptional, and with the unexpected bonus of understanding the psychology that contributed to the devastating economic turmoil we are engulfed in, this has truly given me insight and a clearer picture of how things work and why this happened. Knowledge is vital, it is essential to our understanding the world we live in, and this book has provided an incredible wealth of information that surpasses every single book on economics and business that I have read in the past ten years. I honestly did not expect this, which makes it even more rewarding. This book packs a punch, and amazingly, it is a complete pleasure to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Excellent book - deserves a broader audience. 6 Mar 2012

By Galeos

After reading endless newspaper opinion pieces decrying the mismanagement in Greece post its entry into the Eurozone I was looking for some more detailed historical context. This book was exactly what I was looking for. It is well written while being accessible for the general reader. The front cover makes it look like an academic textbook which I imagine could turn off a lot of non-specialist readers which would be a crying shame. I have recommended this book to many.