I like to bring a book to read that is based in the area I am visiting. Any books to suggest for reading pleasure while I am in Greece?

My wife is like you. She likes to read a novel on the area. In the last two years we have read Eleni by Nicholas Gage. This is about Northern Greece but after reading this book you will have a better understanding of the fear that was behind Senator McCarthy.
If you are planning on going to the Mani then try, Mani Travels in the Southern Peloponnese by Patrick Leigh Fermor. We purchased both books in Greece for about 18 euros each. Last time I looked, Mani was on E Bay for $75 US.

Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine for Athens. Mary Renault's The King Must Die for Crete. Louis de Bernieres' Corelli's Mandolin for Kefalonia.

Most of my favorite choices have been mentioned, anything by Patrick Leigh Fermour is wonderful, and Mary Renault brings history alive. Corelli's Mandolin is a favorite and is Nicolas Gage. Also Laurence Durrell wrote a few books about Greece (not novels). One is Bitter Lemons.
But don't overlook the classics. When we were traveling in the Peloponnesus, I had Thucydides with me, and it was fun to thumb through and find a description of something that happened right where we were. Same with Pausanius' Travels.

More non-fiction: Dinner with Persephone by Patricia Storage and one I think is called The Olive Tree, but I can't find it right now. Both recollections of time spent in Greece.

My trip report on our recent trip to Greece is turning into a novel... not sure if that counts though, LOL!

If you want to watch a movie before you go... Zorba the Greek is a classic and Shirley Valentine is a lot of fun.

John Fowles-"The Magus"

Nickolas Gage-"Eleni"

From my recent trip to Greece-

Summer of my Greek Taverna by Tom Stone--about living on Crete and Patmos and running a taverna for the summer on Patmos

Mask of Atreus by A.J. Hartley--in the style of the "Davinci Code"--the heroine travels to the Pelopennese--it actually convinced me to stop for a trip to Mycennae, see one of the "death masks" and visit the "Treasury of Atreus."

Anything my Mary Renault except, possibly, The Persian Boy and Funeral Games. The Mask of Apollo and The Praise Singer (the former about an actor and the latter about a poet) are my two favorites.
Mary Stewart's The Moonspinners is an easy read.

A good few years ago a well-known BBC broadcaster, the late John Ebdon, wrote three books on his travels to Greece. For me they are the best written introductions to Greece for the first time visitor. Beginning with his first impressions of the islands which were often hilarious to the bonds he develeoped with Greek locals many of whom became life-long friends.

Sadly they are now out of print but regularly become available on Amazon's market-place section. In order of publishing, the books are:-

Ebdon's Odyssey (his first time in Greece and his journeys to Mykonos, Delos, Andros)

Ebdon's Iliad (his trips to Kos, Karpathos and Rhodes)

Near Myths - A Love Affair with Greece
(his visits to Crete, Simi and Rhodes)

Bill

Many years ago (but who's counting) I read Mary Stewart's "My Brother Michael" and that started my life-long desire to travel.

Mary Stewart is light reading, but fun and she uses lots of classical Greek references in addition to the locale. "My Brother Michael" takes place mostly around Delphi. (Plus her women always wear "frocks&quot

I haven't yet made it to Greece, but I will, and I hope you will share the experiences from your trip.

hi Vera

Could it be the wonderful little book from Lonely Planet publications you are thinking about called 'The Olive Grove' by Katherine Kizilos? If it is, it's available right now at Amazon.

bill

Most of my non-fictions are mentioned here.

There's a very good Scottish writer called paul Johnston who's doing a series set in Athens and with excursions to other places.

"The Last Red Death", "A Deeper Shade of Blue" and "The Golden Silence" so far.

Don't forget Zorba the Greek

You'll find more crime mentioned on this page

http://www.januarymagazine.com/featu...ekmystery.html

And you can have a look at hellenicbooks.com. The web site is a bit clunky, but he has some great suggestions.

Morning Sheila

Paul Johnston's Athens series set in Athens is new to me. I'll search them out today on Amazon.

How are you?

Bill

I too loved the Eleni book by Nick Gage as well as the follow up A Place For Us, and Eleni Gage's book North of Ithaka.
Lately I've also read The Icon by Neil Olson it was pretty good, another DaVinci Code style novel.
Some other books I've liked are
Facing Athens by George Sarrinikolaou. Eurydice Street, A place in Athens by Sofka Zinovieff,
A lone Red Apple by Aurelia (it's set in Mykonos)
Amirosian Nights by D.R. Ransdell.

billbarr: YES! The Olive Grove. A very nice little book.

FWIW, I tried Mary Stewart and thought her books were poorly written and dated. But then, everyone has different tastes, and although my tastes are eclectic, I guess you wouldn't think of putting Pausanius and Mary Stewart on the same list!

Vera

I also really loved CORELLI'S MANDOLIN and ELENI.

Another book I don't think anyone mentioned that I really liked A PLACE FOR HEALING OF THE SOUL: PATMOS by Peter France. Sort of like Under the Tuscan Sun on a Greek island.

pbing--I like to do the same thing when I travel.
have a great trip, and happy reading!

Dina

I can highly recommend three books by Gillian Bradshaw...The Beacon at Alexandria, Imperial Purple, and The Bearkeepers daughter.

Hello Bill. Yes, I like them. Have you read his futuristic Edinburgh books? It was liking those that made me look at the Greek ones.

I'm good, but tired. Hols looming tho'

The Iliad. ;-)