Travel Europe Books

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker
This short, lively history by a Cambridge classicist examines not only the building’s construction in the fifth century B.C. but also its subsequent life as Byzantine cathedral, Ottoman mosque, and iconic ruin and tourist destination. Beard steps adroitly through such controversial matters as the ownership of the Elgin Marbles, and is happiest when teasing out contradictions in the building’s history: the Parthenon as it appears today is largely the result of the depredations of Victorian archeologists bent on stripping away anything that was not from Periclean Athens, and of extensive reconstruction in the nineteen-twenties—the combined results of which would be unrecognizable to any Athenian of classical times. She suggests that the Parthenon is ultimately as much an ideal of classicism as it is an actual building, and she relishes the story of the German scholar who went to Athens early in the twentieth century but couldn’t bear to visit the Parthenon, in case it didn’t live up to his expectations.
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker

Review
‘An extremely entertaining read … a book that is both learned and eloquent’ - Erich Segal; ‘If you’re planning a trip to Athens - or to the British Museum - this … is a must-read; but armchair travellers will be equally enthralled’ - Andrew Crumey, Scotland on Sunday; ‘The classical world still rouses fierce passions, and books like this help to make the study of ancient Greece urgent and relevant’ - Tom Holland, New Statesman; ‘Wry, lively … entertaining, provocative … highly readable’ - Alexander Masters, Times Literary Supplement; ‘A classic in every sense of the word: scholarly, informative, but with a laugh - or at least a broad smile - on every page. I loved it - and so will you’ - John Julius Norwich; ‘She succeeds brilliantly in bringing back [the ruins of the Parthenon] to imaginative life’ - Joan Smith, Financial Times; ‘Sophisticated, engaging … she unravels the intricacies with the light and deft touch which characterises the whole book … something for classicists and laymen alike’ - Gavanndra Hodge, Independent on Sunday
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Order The Parthenon (Wonders of the World): Mary Beard form Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR JOHN FREELY’S OTHER BOOKS

Strolling Through Athens
“A magnificent walking guide to the city…His knowledge is encyclopaedic…he brings the millenniums of history alive. If you want a cultural guide to the ancient city, this is the one for you.” Anthony Sattin, “Books of the Week”, Sunday Times

Strolling Through Istanbul
“…a classic. The best travel guide to Istanbul” The Times

The Western Shores of Turkey
“…Enchanting guide…a work of genuine scholarship, lightly worn and charmingly conveyed. I fell in love with the book and stayed enamoured until the final page.” Paul Bailey, The Sunday Times

“…the record of a journey undertaken by a man effortlessly able to convey in depth the meaning of what he sees.” Marlena Frick, Scotsman, Edinburgh

The Cyclades
“A charming and informative companion for anyone exploring these enchanting islands.”Andrew Steed, Stanfords Maps and Travel Books

Legend has it that the Ionian Islands were created as Zeus’ beautiful lover, Io, raced through the Ionian Sea escaping Hera’s wrath. Rising from the waters between Greece and Italy, the Ionians – peaks of an underwater mountain range – are quite unlike any of the other Greek islands and are some of the most culturally, historically and mythologically rich in all Greece. Consisting of Corfu, Paxos, Ithaka, Lefkas, Cephalonia, Zakynthos (Zante) and Kythera, they have been inhabited since Paleolithic times and have a colourful and often turbulent past. Variously invaded and occupied by the Goths, Arabs, Normans, Venetians, British, Germans and most recently by tourism, they have always absorbed and assimilated other cultures whilst still retaining their unique character and identity.

The Ionians have been made famous in literature from Homer and Aeschylus to Gerald Durrell and Louis de Bernières and numerous myths are associated with them: Corfu is linked to the voyage of Jason’s Argonauts, Aphrodite was born on Kythera, Paxos and Corfu were once joined until Poseidon threw his trident and separated them and Odysseus’ home was on Ithaka. John Freely, who has visited and travelled throughout the islands over the course of 40 years, here illuminates the history, culture and present day of all seven islands, providing the most readable and comprehensive guide to the magnificent Ionians.

Order The Ionian Islands: Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaka and Beyond: John Freely form Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

Synopsis Malta & Gozo Directions gives you the best of these islands in an easy-to-use format. The “Ideas” section helps you plan your trip with full-colour spreads covering the variety of attractions Malta has to offer, from the fortified town of Valletta and neolithic temples to the best places to eat and drink. The “Places” section breaks the city down into convenient areas, each chapter exploring a particular district, with eating, drinking and shopping options along with a run-down of the sights. “Essentials” lets you know how to get around, where to change money and everything else you might need for a smooth trip, while “Language” has enough phrases and vocabulary to help you make a few local friends.

About the Author
Victor Borg has a well established background in travel writing having been published in Malta, the UK and the USA. He is a regular columnist for the Maltese daily paper, Malta Today.

Order The Rough Guides’ Malta Directions 1 (Rough Guide Directions): Victor Borg form Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

This text looks at the best of the world’s country homes in the mythical land of Greece. Go island hopping with the Stoelties and discover the best of Greece’s hidden treats, such as the hilltop summer house of Robert Browning, descendant of the English poet, in Hydra, or the romantic home of Onassis’s ex-pilot basile Touloumtzoglou and his wife Tilly. This book features 22 country houses found in Greece.

Order Living in Greece (Taschen Specials): Barbara Stoeltie form Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

With enticing titles such as "Savoring the Shore in Connecticut," "Flying High in Quechee," "Indian Summer in Kennebunkport," and "Stirring Things up at Sturbridge," Away for the Weekend: New England provides a full year’s worth of weekend opportunities.

Because she experienced the daunting feeling of wanting to "do it all" in New England without knowing where to start, author Eleanor Berman compiled this useful guide to help narrow down the choices: "The selections are admittedly personal, limited to locations and events I have visited and enjoyed, so not every single sightseeing attraction, lodging, or restaurant in each location is included. I’ve tried instead to pick only the best–places I’ve either been to myself or had recommended to me by local sources or frequent visitors." While she makes it clear that this is a guide devoted to destinations and events, Berman does list some of the special inns and dining places for each location covered. The seasonally inspired getaways are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

In addition to an alphabetical index, the helpful category listing includes entries under headings such as "beaches and parks," "children’s activities," and "historic sites." Whether you have a weekend or longer, this book provides an excellent source of ideas for exploring New England. –Kathryn True

Review
“Great for detailed driving tours and inn suggestions…” — Glamour — Review
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Order Away for the Weekend: New England: 52 Great Getaways in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Isl and, Vermont (Away for the Weekend, New England): Eleanor Berman form Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

Review
Praise for Wheeler’s Terra Incognita”Compelling . . . leaves the reader with a visceral understanding of the mysterious, even sublime power the poles have exerted on the human imagination, and the desolate beauty that resides there amid the glaciers and icebergs and penguins.”–Michiko Kakutani, The New York TimesA triumph . . . I cannot believe that anything better will ever be written about Antarctica.” –Daily Telegraph
“The first funny book about Antarctica.” –Los Angeles Times”I have read many accounts of polar exploration, but never one which so touchingly describes its emotional topography. . . . What she has done could not be done better.” –Richard Eyre, The Independent Praise for Cherry”Utterly fascinating…Wheeler has given us an important new understanding of the most notorious calamity in the annals of twentieth-century exploration. Cherry is a wonderful book.”–Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air
“Beautifully written…Wheeler’s vocabulary to evoke this luminous and cruel continent…appears limitless.”–Caroline Alexander, The New York Times Book Review
“Spellbinding…Cherry is an exquisite work.”–The Washington Post

The seahorse-shaped island of Evia – Euboia in classical history and Negroponte for many centuries – is the second largest in Greece, yet it is almost completely undiscovered by tourists. Separated from the mainland by only a sliver of sea, Evia has had a turbulent history. Today it encapsulates the Greece of decades ago – unspoilt and pristine, a haven for the more discerning traveller. Evia, Sara Wheeler’s first book, is the story of a five-month journey she made from the southern tip to the north of the island. Instantly enchanted by the landscape and languid pace of Evia, Wheeler immersed herself in the local way of life, where she witnessed centuries-old traditions, attended a goatherd’s wedding and Bronze-age excavations, was harassed by Orthodox nuns, and spent nights in monasteries and village homes. Her story is a beautifully rendered account of a way of life that in the rest of Greece has all but disappeared and of an island on the cusp of change.

Order Evia: Travels on an Undiscovered Greek Island (Tauris Parke Paperback): Sara Wheeler form Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
When Heinrich Schliemann incorrectly identified in 1876 one of the shaft graves at Mycenae as the “tomb of Agamemnon,” he revived a myth first created by the eighth-century B.C. inhabitants of the Argive plain who looked upon Mycenae’s ruins as the place where Agamemnon gathered the Greek armies for an assault on Troy. It was not until the 20th century that archaeologists accurately dated the Mycenaean tombs to a period 300 to 400 years before any possible date of a Trojan War. This tangled history of remaking and unmaking the myths of Mycenae is the subject of Gere’s fascinating book. It offers a compact and richly informative cultural history that ranges from Aeschylus’s Oresteia and Pausanias’s Description of Greece, a second-century A.D. travelogue, to the spectacular discoveries of Schliemann and the overturning of his conclusions by his more careful successors. Throughout, Mycenae emerges as a place “that seemed to belong to everyone except itself,” serving the purposes of cultures far removed from its own. The arc is decidedly downward, as much of it involves the stripping away of Mycenae’s affiliations with the Homeric epics. Gere concludes with an inspiring guide to the citadel of Mycenae and the Mycenaean treasures in Athens. Apart from an unnecessarily long detour into Schliemann’s life, this book will be welcomed and consulted by all philhellenes. 24 halftones, 2 maps.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.

From Booklist
Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae and leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, who was killed by his wife upon his return from Troy. In the late nineteenth century, archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann opened his tomb, believed to be 3,000 years old. Schliemann identified the body of Agamemnon, whom he said was buried with 16 other victims. The Greek Archaeological Society and the British School of Archaeology carried on where Schliemann had left off, clearing the acropolis, excavating the town outside the citadel walls, and analyzing the artifacts. They found that most of what Schliemann had claimed was false. But one thing is certain, Gere writes: the mask of Agamemnon is made from a sheet of pure gold that attracts tourists to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Gere traces the history of this archaeological site and finds that “progressively a less and less heroic picture of Mycenae has emerged in the years since 1945.” This meticulously researched book, with 24 halftones, is a comprehensive work of scholarship that nevertheless will have nonscholarly appeal as well. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.

Order The Tomb of Agamemnon: Cathy Gere form Amazon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Becom’s photographs of the vernacular architecture of Mediterranean villages are startling, powerful and often piercingly beautiful. Poised between abstraction and realism, his images have the sense of inevitability one associates with great paintings. One hundred color photos are wedded to an engaging travel essay that captures the beauty and bewilderment of daily life in Morocco, the love of excess and sense of isolation in the Italian hill towns, the “majestic, dignified, indifferent, and vain” aura of Spain’s sun-drenched villages. Typical shots show a stucco housefront brightly washed with color; a weathered shrine; votive offerings; a painted door; a Portuguese wall strewn with roses. While these photographs contain few people, they seem to embody the traditional cultures they lovingly explore. This marvelous book of quiet discoveries ties in with a joint BBC-PBS documentary.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
For Mediterranean villagers, dressing their dwellings in bold colors is a way of expressing individuality and pride in a world otherwise ruled by nature and the Church. Becom made their flamboyant architecture the focus of his photographic lens from 1978 to 1988, and the resulting images are here complemented by lively anecdotes. Becom tells of visiting a Venetian fisherman whose cottage he’d photographed five years earlier and finding it painted different hues. As Becom watches, the owner again changes its appearance from lobster-red and yolk-yellow to vermillion and shocking pink. Then there’s the tradition of Camogli wives, who coat their narrow, cliffside houses with striking shades so each husband can recognize his home from the sea. Becom’s graceful text is as satisfying to the mind as his photographs are to the eye, examining why these peasant traditions arose and why, in most cases, they are dying out.
- Lisa Mullenneaux, Iowa City
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Order Mediterranean Color: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Greece: Jeffrey Becom form Amazon.