This year marks the 120th anniversary of the death of Charilaos Trikoupis, the most important Greek politician of the 19th century. Who was Charilaos Trikoupis? The restless columnist of "Who is to blame?", the troubled prime minister of "Unfortunately, we have gone bankrupt", but also the optimistic politician of "Greece is destined to live and will live". The founder of Greek parliamentarism, the prime minister of modernization, and the father of Greek railways. This biography sheds light on his political profile, his career, the work he left behind and what he did not manage to do, his achievements, and his mistakes. By placing him within his political and social environment, it describes the reality of his time and his effort to overcome it. Through his personal correspondence, the press of the time, and discussions in Parliament, his strong personality and modernizing policy are highlighted. At the same time, his daily life is recreated and his private life is explored, with elements that often surprise us. Through the narrative of Charilaos Trikoupis' life, from his birth in 1832 to his death in 1896, the images of Greece's history come vividly to life, from its independence and the monarchy of Otto to the constitutional monarchy of George I. And thus, the gradual development and evolution of the country, which he himself strove to bring to a European level, is simultaneously recounted. Trikoupis was one of the privileged of his time, as he spent many years of his youth in Paris and London, acquiring European experience and a cosmopolitan mindset that made him different from other political leaders of the 19th century. A member of parliament at 33, a minister at 34, a party leader at 40, and a prime minister at 43, he dominated the political life of the country from 1875 to 1895, with joys, satisfactions, and recognitions, but also with sorrows and disappointments. He lived a full life, which is depicted and brought to life in this biography. By framing the narration of significant events with the inclusion of small details, the book helps the reader to recreate in their imagination not only the image and personality of Trikoupis but also the surrounding atmosphere of his time. *** Lydia Tricha was born in Athens in 1950. She studied law in Athens. From 1988 to 1993, she was actively involved in the administration and management of E.L.I.A., of which she was the general secretary and vice president. Since 1987, she has been engaged in the research of modern Greek history and has processed the archive of Charilaos Trikoupis. Today, she is the vice president of the Foundation of Education and European Culture, and her research interests focus on the parliamentary elections of the 19th century and the writing of a biography of Spyridon Trikoupis. Her book "Practicing Law in Athens: A Journey in the 19th Century" (Sakkoulas Ant. N., 2003) was awarded by the Academy of Athens in 2004.

                Other books by: Diplomacy and Politics, E.L.I.A., 1991 Diaries and Letters from the Front, Balkan Wars 1912-1913, E.L.I.A., 1993 Charilaos Trikoupis and Public Works, Kapon, 2001 The Known and Unknown Charilaos Trikoupis, Kapon, 2002 Charilaos Trikoupis: A Biographical Journey, Kapon, 2009 (album)