In this award-winning biography, Petsalis-Diomidis closely examines Maria Callas"s life in Athens from 1937 to 1945. These years have been largely absent from previous works about Callas but were crucial to her professional and personal development. The author has taken advantage of archives in Athens and interviewed more than 200 of Callas"s colleagues, uncovering much new material and establishing many revealing incidents in her life. Several chapters focus on her professional development: her studies with Trivella and de Hidalgo, her concertizing in and around Athens, and her work with the Greek National Opera. Petsalis-Diomidis recounts Callas"s daily life, her friendships, and her rivalries at the conservatory. He also examines her personal life -- romances, her alleged collaboration with the occupying forces during WWII, and the growing rift with her mother. Though it is a detailed historical biography, the writing and pace are novelistic. Petsalis-Diomidis himself explains: "The story is often surprising, always interesting, and it certainly contributes to a better understanding of the woman behind the prima donna." 157 b/w illustrations, 6 x 9"