Greece Books

It has been a favorite pastime of academic biographers of both Shelley and Byron to deride Trelawny. This should suprise nobody. To begin with, with few exceptions, one of the primary qualifications of being a full-fledged academic is delight in derision, especially in derision of those who have firsthand knowledge of the subjects they have spent hours in the stacks on University libraries to gain, perhaps, one mote of additional information.-The common criticism of Trelawny is that he was "naive"-By this they mean that his gives a simple, straightforward account of the time he spent with the two great poets without any ponderous theories to bog him down.-Trelawny first admired Byron, but quickly became disillusioned with his cynicism and became a lifelong admirer of Shelley, so much so that he remarked thus, "As a general rule,threfore, it is wise to avoid writers whose works amuse or delight you, for when you see them they will delight you no more. Shelley was a grand exception to this rule. To form a just idea of his poetry, you should have witnessed his daily life; his words and actions best illustrated his writings." After Shelley's death, he continues to follow Byron on his misadventures until his death. The book is a treat in that it is a delight to read, with page-turning accounts of his roistering times with two great men who shaped our literary world.-Not one footnote! He was there!

If you're interested in the life of Edward John Trelawny, you'll have to look elsewhere. Suffice it to say that Tre' (as his friends knew him) was a privateer, a scoundrel, a lover of poetry, a freedom-fighter and a loyal friend of the most prolific literary talents of the romantic period. 'The Last Days of Shelley and Byron' is an account, not of Trelawny's extraordinary life & adventures, but of the two men that helped make that life so extraordinary. In his own words, he tells of the secret lives of Byron, Claire Clairmont and the Shelley's, their romp through sunny Italy and the tragic death of Percy off the coast of Spezzia. The tale continues as Tre' follows Byron to the civil wars of Greece, where Byron too dies. To his credit, though, it is never "Trlawny's tale", but "Byron and Shelley's tale" as told by Trelawny. It is a deep, insightful book that shows the poets as only a close friend could. Yet throughout, one can not help but love Trelawny himself: the man who supported the impoverished Mary Shelley to her dying day... the man who bought a slave for $10,000 only to set him free... the man who reached into the embers of Shelly's pyre, withdrawing his heart. If you love the poetry of Byron and Shelley & have even a passing interest in the men behind the legends, then Trelawny's memoirs are a must-read.

The lives and deaths of Shelley and Byron ought to interest the world--not just the readers of English--for their poetry covered every topic: the rise and fall of empires, nation-building and nation-breaking, and the vanity of the men who would lead them in victory or defeat. And Edward John Trelawny shows us each poet as a human being. The production of fine writing should not be a mystery; beautiful language comes most eloquently from a troubled heart and a mind committed to seeking knowledge. Trelawny reminds us that Byron's and Shelley's lives were focused on connecting to people through their work; Tre begins each chapter with lines from the work of Byron or Shelley.

The Introduction to this edition of Trelawny's book is written by Anne Barton, a professor at Trinity College, Cambridge University, from which Byron himself graduated about 200 years ago. I disagree with her that Tre's writing is "focused for the most part upon himself" as though he were self-centered, though Barton does say he had "hidden depths" (xx). Based on the form and structure and content of Records of Shelley, Byron, and the Author (and Tre's subsequent life), it seems that Trelawny was aware of the nuances of human character and was more than adequate to the task of knowing complex people. The details he provides in key places are so specific that they could not have been lies or fabrications; Byron's claim that Trelawny could not tell the truth was simply evidence of Byron's pleasure in teasing banter. "Byron's idle talk during the exhumation of [Edward Elliker] William's remains," Trelawny writes, "did not proceed from want of feeling, but from his anxiety to conceal what he felt from others" (146). Byron also concealed his feelings at the cremation of Shelley's remains. It's clear throughout the book that Tre is a sharp observer--of himself and others. And Tre was sensitive to what Mary Godwin Shelley and Williams' wife, Jane, felt about the drowning of their husbands in the Bay of Spezia. Mary Shelley wrote to Tre that she experienced a "blank moral death" (176). Tre shows that the breakup of the Pisan Circle--because of Shelley's drowning--was clearly a personal tragedy with far-reaching consequences.

This is a book for all seasons--but better appreciated while strolling on a beach in some far-flung corner of a poetic universe.

If you're interested in the life of Edward John Trelawny, you'll have to look elsewhere. Suffice it to say that Tre' (as his friends knew him) was a privateer, a scoundrel, a lover of poetry, a freedom-fighter and a loyal friend of the most prolific literary talents of the romantic period. "Records of Shelley, Byron and the Author" is an account, not of Trelawny's extraordinary life & adventures, but of the two men that helped make that life so extraordinary. In his own words, he tells of the secret lives of Byron and the Shelley's, their romp through sunny Italy and the tragic death of Percy in the coast of Spezzia. The tale continues as Tre' follows Byron to the bloody civil war in Greece, where Byron too dies. To his credit, though, it is never "Trelawny's tale", but "Byron and Shelley's tale" as told by Trelawny. This deep, insightful book shows the poets as only a close friend could. Yet throughout, one can not help but love Trelawny himself: the man who supported the impoverished Mary Shelley to her dying day... the man who bought a slave for $10,000 only to set him free... the man who reached into the embers of Shelley's pyre, withdrawing his heart. If you love the poetry of Byron and Shelley & have even a passing interest in the men behind the legends, then Trelawny's memoirs are a must-read.

This is a lovely piece of travel writing about the Island of Rhodes by a master observer of both the human character and the land- and seascapes with which Greece and its islands always delight us. It is a richly sensuous account of Durrell's years in the British civil service just after the end of WWII and just before the island is handed back to Greece. The eye is feted with descriptions of fields, hills, oranges and lemons, and flowers of every form and color. Sounds range from the rhythm of the sea (alternately savage and soothing) to Greek folk songs to sparkling conversation with Brit expatriates (including Gideon the half-sighted wonder). The author even offers a neat summation of a Greek picnic in tems of smells: petrol, garlic, wine and goat. Intermingled with these delicious attacks on the senses there is the play of light over the island as the sun moves across the sky and its rays are filtered through sea mist, mythology and the grim reality of having to rebuild a nation and an island after Nazi cruelty has left it a shambles. Like it or not, the reader is filled in on some mildly interesting points in the author's understanding of ancient history and the medieval Knights of St. John, who came into possession of the island for a time. The last section is about an enormous cookout in honor of a saint at whose shrine miracles have been know to occur, even raising the dead. It is a stroke of irony that during the festivities a young child is run over by a truck and dies the following day despite the best efforts of Mills, a good hearted but overextended British doctor. All in all, this is a delightful book, highly recommendable for those who enjoy travel writing. But Durrell is no Rebecca West, and this is not an example of the best Durrell. But it isn't bad Durrell, either.

Lawrence Durrell wrote this little book based on his life on Rhodes after World War II. This a more mature and settled Durrell than the young man who first brought us "Prospero's Cell" about Corfu or who wrote the "Alexandria Quartet" from Egypt during the war. Durrell's work is a time machine, taking the reader back to recovering Rhodes amidst poverty, sunshine, vibrant villages, and sparkling seas. His eye is fresh and clear, and his descriptions transport the reader to a place and time that are ageless and real. Another small classic!

Reviewed by David Lundberg, author of Olympic Wandering: Time Travel Through Greece

This is a fabulous overview of death and related issues (miasma, psychopomps, ect) in Greece. It was even written in an interesting style, which is refreshing for an academic book.

Originally, I took it out of the library for research on Hekate (Ms. Iles Johnson's pet subject), but I got caught up and ended up reading the whole book instead of just the chapters pertinent to my work. Fabulous. Someday, I will add it to my own library.

I bought this book as soon as it came out. I became a fan of S.I. Johnston as soon as I read her Hekate book.

In this book she describes the evolvement of the relationship between the living and the dead in ancient Greece. Being a Greek I was amazed of how much it has survived of what Greek think as far as the dead are concerned. It is very rewarding to see that so much of the old religion is still around us and that Christianity has not destroyed everything yet...

Having said that, this book is an academic endeavour and not a New Age or Neo-Pagan writing. Mrs. Johnston is a true scholar and she does honour to the University she teaches.

Read her other books too.

A novel with strong imagery and enlightenment. "All roads lead to the Tree, and all Soul's find their immortality." I have given copies to many friends. An important read.

Lucina of Greece was orphaned at a young age and brought up by foster parents; the story begins when she is 13 and is sent to a place called Elysium for study under the tutelage of her philosopher guardian. She is the only woman in Elysium and thought to be very unusual because of her superior intellect. Her life is a battle between cool reason and logic and her own intense psychic abilities, later there is pain because her great strength has little outlet in a female life. She flees Elysium with two companions to the young city of Rome considered by Greeks to be an inferior society. Some years are spent as priestess and oracle giver in a temple until she fakes her own death to escape with a lover and retreats into marriage. Eventually Lucina does return to Elysium for a breath taking ending.

First published in 1947 this is apparently an autobiographical account of one the author's previous lives, but even if you can't accept the idea of this as a past life recollection, at the very least it is a really great read for historical fiction fans, there is an authentic feel to it. Often very witty, the intense psychological explorations stimulate thought about the meaning of life.

At the time of this review, there is no other up-to-date travel guide for visiting Cyprus. The Lonely Planet's "Cyprus" 2nd edition came out right as the Nicosia/Lefkosia opened in 2003 and contains outdated information on the crossing from the Greek/Turkish sides - their 3rd edition is due out this summer. Regardless, LP will have a hard act to follow, since Marc Dubin has written the single most comphrensive travel guide to a country I have ever read. I just returned from a 10 day trip to both 'sides' of Cyprus and used literally almost every page. I wouldn't have been able to see half the things I did without this guide and by relying solely on the state-run information kiosks.

It was astounding to talk to other travellers who showed up to Cyprus as package tourists and were clueless about the political circumstances surrounding the island. This wouldn't have happened if they had stepped out of Larnaca (or controversially, Ercan) airport without having a copy of this guide, if for no other reason that the author constantly integrates both ancient (Greek) and modern (political) historical information into all his location descriptions. Hn addition, there is an appendix of almost 50 pages of a balanced account of the turbulent history of the island that doesn't point sole blame on either side of the Green line. The guide also gives comphrensive information in archeological, endemic plant/animal species, a range of restaurant/lodging recommendations, and scuba diving. Like almost all Rough Guides, this book is intent in educating people to become investigative travellers rather than consuming tourists.

Note that the author frequently warns that pre-packaged tourism rules Cyprus. However, you can still backpack through both sides of Cyprus on intercity 'taxis' (small vans) in the south and dolmus buses in the north. The author is correct when he says that the conditions in hostels in Cyprus aren't comparable to their Northern (or Greek) counterparts and the island is not a budget destination, but you can usually find a hotel in a town for $40-45/night - I found locals in every town who were helpful and even outgoingly friendly after a few minutes of conversation.

In June, 2006 my wife and I traveled extensively through all parts of Cyprus by rental car and carried 4 recently published guidebooks. Even with Lonely Planet and DK carrying 2006 copyrights, neither could hold a candle to Rough Guide (Sept, 2005). Marc Dubin's work is not simply that of a traveler writing a guidebook, but like an expert presenting an insightful, informative, and balanced work. It added immensely to our enjoyment and understanding of Cyprus. The highlights section for each chapter provided an excellent overview of each region, and for the first time I found the maps to be even better than the ones in Lonely Planet. The background information was outstanding for presenting a fair treatment of this divided island, with many excellent spotlights on pertinent Cypriot topics.

At 552 pages it is over twice the length of Lonely Planet's 272 pages and DK's 216. Thanks to Rough Guide we found many places which were not even mentioned in the other books, like the secluded, abandoned cave hermitage of Palea Enklistra or the beautifully situated Kelefos Venetian-era bridge in the Troodos Mountains. The photos are still not as superb as DK, and for that reason I would also recommend DK Top 10 Cyprus (more useful than DK Cyprus), with excellent lists and photos of the island's highlights. All in all, Rough Guide Cyprus is one of the best guidebooks for any country that you could ever find.

All of Patrick Leigh Fermor's books are of an unusual beauty, but this is without doubt the most beautiful of all. But the author is not for just anyone. I have a friend who bought Roumeli and got only ten pages into it before deciding she didn't like it. But there are reasons for that. She has a journalism background and she lives in New York. Appreciating Leigh Fermor involves taking the time to savor elevated language and imagery emanating from several sometimes unfamiliar realms of meaning. Sorry, folks, but the dumbing down process stops here.
In the first chapter we have a description of the author's travels in Trace and in particular the area around Alexandroupolis, which, interestingly, is named for the Russian Czar Alexander II and not for Alexander the Great. The focus here is the people he calls The Black Departers, or the Sarakatsans, a mysterious and little-studies nomadic group who some say are descendants of the original Greeks who came into the peninsula.
Then there is a delightful chapter centered on the monasteries of Meteora and the holy but realistic Father Christopher, the abbot of St. Barlaam, who has a few tales to tell about the foreign occupiers and their mindless cruelty and how the monks outsmarted them on a few occasions.
Chapter three deals with the famous difference between Hellenes and Greeks (or Romios) that has been used as an analytic model by many serious writers who take an interest in modern Greece, including Robert D. Kaplan in his Balkan Ghosts. This is the division or polarity existing within every Greek you meet on the streets and it shows the distinct pulls of the Eastern and Western orientations that still abide in the Greek collective consciousness and which give, sometimes, the impression of a split personality. Mention is made of George Soteriades the archeologist who insisted that Romios should be used only in the pejorative sense of a mean, vulgar, and sordid man. But the word has also had its very distinguished defenders.
Also worth noting is the fact that this book contains the very elegant and entertaining essay called Sounds of the Greek World, of which I cannot resist giving a few examples here:

Chios is a cakewalk on a cottage piano. ....Hermoupolis is the filioque. .....The Plaka is a drunken polyphony at four in the morning in praise of retsina and the tune of a music- box perched on a photograph album of faded plum velvet with filigree clasps at five in the afternoon.

Yes, this book is beautiful. Take the time to read and enjoy it.

Patrick Leigh Fermor's Roumeli gives us a glimpse at many ancient customs of Greece that were still practiced at the time of writing. His book is a must read for any one intrested in Greece

One of the foremost books of true information on the Royal Family of Greece. I bought my copy years ago and to this day use it for references. This particulair publication has a "added value" as the contributor with the help of some remaining members of the Royal Family have an added an extra chapter, my book has this missing.... The new reader will receive some updates finalizing some of the subjects lives and more current developments within the Hellenic Dynasty. Great source for genealogical information as the charts/family trees are superb, second to none. I reccomend it highly.

This is the first book to chronicle the Greek royal family with incredible pictures as well as informative text. Even if you're not a fan of royalty, in terms of historical significance, the photographs in this book provide rare insight into a world gone forever.
This book is stunning and I am thrilled to have it. Each picture is so crystal clear it gives the reader a voyeuristic thrill at catching a glimpse of a familiar face here and there in totally different settings. Every Greek royal born after the invention of photography is depicted in this book and each photograph is given a full page, so there is no squinting at postage stamp size pictures in this book! Even those who may not be very interested in the Greek royal family will find that they overlapped all of the other royal families of Europe so that a rare photograph of Queen Alexandra of Great Britain will literally stop you in your tracks on one page, then a couple of pages later, a breathtaking picture of Marie of Romania or Minnie (Dagmar)of the Russian royal family will have you shaking your head in wonder. I have a few photographic books on the various royal families, and have surfed online for images but many of the pictures here are new to me. Definitely a book to add to the royal photo books, alongside Charlotte Zeepvat's amazing books on Queen Victoria's family as well as the Russian Imperial family.

If you have ever wondered what happened to transform the stupendous marble temples, palaces and baths of Imperial Rome into the fragmentary ruins we see today, read Lanciani. A famous archaeologist, he takes the reader on a learned tour of most of the great and some of the virtually unknown sites of the ancient city and lets us know how emperors, popes, renaissance architects and modern speculators reduced them to their present state . While some of his information is no longer completely accurate due to more recent discoveries and scholarship, nonetheless, his first hand experience of the excavations and his extraordinary knowledge of the history of the city and its monuments make this essential reading for the enthusiastic tourist as well as the student. His descriptions of the many imperial gardens are fascinating and unavailable elsewhere. The volume has murky plates and illustrations, although many readers will not mind this; there are plenty of photos available in other books. One thing that most readers will miss is a map of the city showing the sites the author describes. Highly recommended.

For decades Rodolfo Lanciani studied and excavated the ruins of ancient Rome during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. He wrote this book (he tells us) not as a book on archaeology but as a guidebook for the student of history and archaeology visiting the city. He walks you around from site to site in the city as it existed then. However, he is an archaeologist, and his knowledge of the city, its history and its remains is encyclopaedic. He discourses on everything from the many styles of bricks, and how they are laid, to the design of the systems of aquaducts, to excavation of Nero's golden house, other palaces of other Emperors, ordinary houses, places of worship, to the discovery of the remains of Raphael in the Pantheon, which gatekeepers must be bribed to allow entrance to certain sites, interesting historical anecdodes and on and on and on. There are over 200 illustrations, maps and plans. Lanciani also published a reconstruction of the ancient city map of Rome, known as the "Forma Urbis Romae", so he knew the city of 2000 years ago street by street and house by house.
Dr Lanciani is writing over a hundred years ago, and the power of his prose is staggering - crystal-clear technical discussions combined with 19th Century Romantic English are both enlightening and entertaining.
You will read of early excavations beginning in the Renaissance, beginning with the discovery of Nero's house and the rooms full of statuary that inspired artists of that time, to contemporary discoveries under the direction of Dr Lanciani.
One of my all-time favorites - I always keep it nearby and never tire of reading it.

Instead of trying to fit everything into the imaginary frame of nation-state based historical accounts, it is much better to focus on a place and observe the interaction of civilizations through time.
This book very successfully undermines any simplistic understanding of Balkans and the relationship between faith, state and society.
Essential book for anyone who is seriously interested in history

Today I got Mark Mazower's first book in Hebrew, a translation of this book I have in English.
Two Quotations from the Paperback copy.
p 12 "By 1950, when this book concludes, Salonica's Muslims had been resettled in Turkey, and the Jews had been deported by the Germans and most of them killed."
On the same page "Similar transformations occurred in cities across a wide swathe of the globe - Lviv Wroslaw Vilna Tiflis, Jerusalem, Jaffa and Lahore..."
(I know live with Arabs in Jaffa. S.C.)

p 460 "The Aftermath" : "For returning Jews the experience was a haunting one, Jacques Stroumsa was a young engineer who helped construct the Hirsch camp, and had survived Auschwitz, where his parents and his pregnant wife had been killed. After the war, unwilling to return home , he had left for good. When he eventually he came back for a brief visit, he spent hours sitting on his hotel balcony and looking out over the sea: 'I was smoking cigarette after cigarette for fear the tears would come. A Greek Orthodox friend found me alone around midnight and said: "I understand you, Jacques, you don't really know any more where to go in Salonica, the city where you once knew every stone." And that's how it was."
S.C.: Jacques was my fathers friend at school and Sorbonne in Paris. My father survived WW2 and saved most of the family by leaving Salonica for Athens and hiding there as Christians.
But the book is the History of Salonica from 1430-1950, not only WW2.
WW1 and the Fire in Salonica in 1916.
Very Good reading!