Fields of Wheat, Hills of Blood : Passages to Nationhood in Greek Macedonia, 1870-1990

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Although it is true that the Greek state has been engaged in the past in a policy of assimilating the people of its Slavic-speaking pockets in Macedonia into mainstream Greeks, it is not fair to portray Greece as an irrational, repressive country. Peaceful assimilation is accepted by most countries throughout the world as a means of promoting national unity. I agree that in many cases, assimilation processes were not exactly suave, but in all cases the basic human rights were fully respected, and as a Greek person whose family roots are in the ethnically Greek town of Korytsa (now Korce, Albania) and the formerly ethnically Greek town of Monastiri (now Bitola, FYROM), all I have to say is that the Greek state's mechanisms of repression back in the 50s and 60s pale in comparison to what my people suffered and are still suffering by the Albanian and Old Yugoslav/FYROM authorities. No book will do justice to the Truth about the Balkans, unless it covers the policies of ALL countries of the area. It is not fair to demonize Greece just because Greece is the most open, tolerant and democratic society in the area..

Rating:
Summary: This book tells the Truth
Review: Excellent book accurately depicting the history of the region. The Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia (Northern Greece) have nearly lost their identity due to the consistent barrage of threats and abuse from the irrational, repressive Greek government. Cambridge Press showed its true colors when it buckled under the pressure of Greek terrorists who threatened violence if they published the book. The Greek goverment refuses to recognize Macedonians in that region as a distinct minority for fear that they will have to offer human rights to the 700,000 plus Slavic Macedonians in the region. This just shows how much Greece is "the Cradle of Democracy".

Rating:
Summary: Exelent Book!!
Review: I was amaized to find (and read) book like MS Karakasidou's.It is not so offten that book is writen without prejudice and with bearing the facts of the existence of the Macedonian minority in Republic of Greece. Not Slavophonic Greeks, but Slavic Macedonians, natives to the Northen Greece, the teritory of Makedonia.
We can debate here, of how well,or indepth, of acurate the book is, nothing is perfect in this world, and if it is, it will be boring, so for me this book done its justice. And told the story of forgotten Nation (minority) who's existance can not be forgotten and left on the mercy of the official Athens.
The book its self reise lot of questions and in the same time give lots of answers, wich,person who for first time exopsed to the intricate history of the Balkans and specialy Macedonia, have more clearer picture of things.
I can only aplaude to the honesty, determination and curage of MS Karakasidou, to publish this book.
It is time for the world, to hear about the Macedonian struglle for recognition in Republic of Greece.And Greece's extended eforts of assimilation, and above all the "Democracy" wich eluded this people from 1913 to this day.

Rating:
Summary: Exelent Book!!
Review: I was amaized to find (and read) book like MS Karakasidou's.It is not so offten that book is writen without prejudice and with bearing the facts of the existence of the Macedonian minority in Republic of Greece. Not Slavophonic Greeks, but Slavic Macedonians, natives to the Northen Greece, the teritory of Makedonia.
We can debate here, of how well,or indepth, of acurate the book is, nothing is perfect in this world, and if it is, it will be boring, so for me this book done its justice. And told the story of forgotten Nation (minority) who's existance can not be forgotten and left on the mercy of the official Athens.
The book its self reise lot of questions and in the same time give lots of answers, wich,person who for first time exopsed to the intricate history of the Balkans and specialy Macedonia, have more clearer picture of things.
I can only aplaude to the honesty, determination and curage of MS Karakasidou, to publish this book.
It is time for the world, to hear about the Macedonian struglle for recognition in Republic of Greece.And Greece's extended eforts of assimilation, and above all the "Democracy" wich eluded this people from 1913 to this day.

Rating:
Summary: WELL researched an UNBIASED
Review: It is interesting to see what other write for reviews based solely on their OWN BIAS and a even mentioned that the author is of Turkish origin . . . NEWS FLASH the war has been over YEARS ago! This book is very much the truth. It is hard understand the views of those who are RACIST, BIASED, and want to have us take their opinion when their do not look from the outside. I have reseached this FOR YEARS, from INSIDE and OUT and I will have to agree with this book, though some parts I do not, very few. SO if your looking to learn more about this "territory" read this and more. And yes I AM Greek! Proud of it everyday as I walk the streets of Athens. But "Pride" here goes TOO far whith more of a definition of BIAS, RACISM . . .

Rating:
Summary: WELL researched an UNBIASED
Review: It is interesting to see what other write for reviews based solely on their OWN BIAS and a even mentioned that the author is of Turkish origin . . . NEWS FLASH the war has been over YEARS ago! This book is very much the truth. It is hard understand the views of those who are RACIST, BIASED, and want to have us take their opinion when their do not look from the outside. I have reseached this FOR YEARS, from INSIDE and OUT and I will have to agree with this book, though some parts I do not, very few. SO if your looking to learn more about this "territory" read this and more. And yes I AM Greek! Proud of it everyday as I walk the streets of Athens. But "Pride" here goes TOO far whith more of a definition of BIAS, RACISM . . .

Rating:
Summary: Old style propaganda
Review: It's always interesting to see an author of Turkish descent to write a book about Greek territories. Yet, the result was the expected one. "Macedonia is not exclusively Greek", "her obsession with the truth had brought to her death threats, apparently from outraged Greeks", "nation-building in northern greece (Macedonia)" etc. etc. and Karakasidu found of course protection from Anglo-Americans.
Does this reminds a bit of the preparations for the Cyprus 1974 invasion?
Yes! I vote 1 on this propaganda book.

Rating:
Summary: A deceiving study
Review: One needs to remind the author, that Assiros is not representative of Macedonia as a whole. Assiros is just a fragment of the Macedonian puzzle. There is very little doubt, that the area north of Thessaloniki had been predominantly Slavic ever since the time of the Slavic invasions (up until the the Neuilly Treaty), while the indigenous Greeks were pushed below the Verria-Serres line. That there were few Greek-speakers in the predominantly Slavophone Assiros region prior to the arrival of the Thessalians during the late 1700's, does not imply that the Greekness of Macedonia is a recent phenomenon, as she insinuates. Karakasidou is deliberately misleading the reader here! She doesn't mention anywhere in her book that in the neighboring Chalkidiki region (just 40km to the south) no Slav had ever set foot there! Most of southern Macedonia was Greek-speaking as any ethnologic map can illustrate, while Assiros fell in the northern Slavic zone. Yes, *some parts* of northern Greek Macedonia were recently Hellenized in order to homogenize the region, but the overwhelming character of Macedonia remained Greek-speaking(not just pro-Greek)throughout the centuries. Maybe she needs to re-read Brailsford more carefefully?

Rating:
Summary: Old style propaganda
Review: This book is a work on (historical?) anthropology and in that field my qualifications are non existent: at best I am an amatuer (in the french sense). That said, I found the arguments of the book rather convincing. The book is obviously well researched and well thought out. I highly recommend it to anybody but esspecially to Greeks like myself who would like to have a look at (a part of) the history of modern Greece, more objective than the myths presented in official textbook-history writing. It is a good start. I can't refrain from commenting on the other reviews. Firstly I dont think that the author chose to participate in "politically charged debates", rather, she was drawn into them. Secondly it is unfair (not to say stupid) to criticise such a book for its limited scope, it is like criticising an encyclopaedia for having a very broad scope! Finally this is an anthropological book and it should be judged as such. To endorse or codemn (!) it based on whether it agrees or not with your "ideology" is an act that says something about the reviewer, but nothing about the book itself.