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BOOK PICKS - Greece in Print

Fiction 
Zorba the Greek. Nikos Kazantzakis, Faber Fiction A young English writer (the narrator) inherits a mine on the island of Crete and travels there taking with him Alex Zorba, a middle aged man as an aide to run the mine. Zorba will teach him a thing or two about how life should be lived and appreciated. Probably the most famous of Greek novels internationally, it has inevitably become a part of Greek folklore, sold even next to kitsch souvenirs in touristy shops. Do not be deterred though, this is a wonderful story and above all a powerful philosophical work about the love of life.  amazon.co.uk: £5.19 
Eurydice Street. Sofka Zinovieff, Granda Books  A British lady moves to Athens with her Greek husband and daughters and describes her efforts to integrate in this refreshingly accurate account of modern Greek society, culture and customs, a book that will give you an entertaining and objective insight into the every day life Greece. If you think about moving to Athens or recently have, this is a must read that will save you a lot of questioning and baffling as to how and especially why certain things are said or done in this country.amazon.co.uk: £5.19 
Dinner with Persephone. Patricia Storace, Granda Books  Yet another spot-on study on the modern Greek way of life, one though that wouldn’t go down very well among some Greeks. However, the author’s harsh judgement at times, can not be perceived as prejudiced - on the contrary her love for the country is obvious - and it certainly avoids the cheap and easy mockery that the authors of so many similar books on Greece or other countries resort to in order to make them readable. A useful read before or during your holiday.amazon.co.uk: £5.19 
Inventing Paradise. Edmund Keeley, Northwestern UP Henry Miller and Lawrence Durell visit Greece just before the war and together with Giorgos Seferis and other Greek poets and writers discover the secrets of Greek life. Literary criticism, history, art, philosophy, is what they discuss while they invent their own Greek paradise. amazon.co.uk: £16.95  
History
A Concise History of Greece.Richard Clog, Cambridge. A brief accurate and easily readable book for those who want an insight in the history of the country but have no time for more detailed works. It covers the period from just before the independence from the Ottoman empire until the end of the twentieth century. amazon.co.uk: £13.99 
The Struggle for Greece 1941-49. C.M.Woodhouse, C Hurst & Co Chris Woodhouse was one of the few British officers sent to the mountains of Greece to liaise with the Greek guerillas during the resistance in WWII and the Greek civil war that followed. He was one of the few foreigners with such a deep knowledge of this period of Greek history and inevitably he examines the facts from a British point of view, often making critical remarks for the political situation of the time and its protagonists. amazon.co.uk: £29.70 
Inside Hitler’s Greece. Mark Mazower, Yale UP This book is one of the best accounts of the terror and misery the Greek population went through during the Nazi occupation, authored by one of the world’s leading specialists in Balkan and Greek history, professor Mark Mazower.Q amazon.co.uk: £8.05 
Red Acropolis, Black Terror. Andre Gerolymatos, Basic Books This is a balanced description of the facts around the civil war that broke out after the liberation of Greece from the Nazis, a subject on which objective books are still hard to come by, 60 years on. The author examines the war in the international context of the conflict between east and west. Q amazon.co.uk: £11.87 
A Brief Guide To the Greek Myths, Stephen Kershaw, Constable and Robinson Everything you need to know about Greek Mythology is in this entertaining and informative book. From the birth of the Gods to Jason and Heracles, the Iliad and the Odyssey, the author takes us through famous and less known mythological heroes and events.amazon.co.uk: £7.49
Classics 
The Symposium. Plato, Penguin Classics. Seven Athenians converse during dinner (symposium) about love, philosophy, social behaviour and sexual relationships in Ancient Athens. A classic masterpiece, the most famous (together with the Republic) of Plato’s work and a good introduction to Greek philosophy and the society during the city’s cultural heyday. amazon.co.uk: £5.99 
Odyssey. Homer, Wordsworth Classics. Homer’s second epic poem describing the adventures of Odysseus following the fall of Troy (a story told by Homer in ‘Iliad’ the first of his epic poems). A ten year sea journey to his island, Ithaca and his beloved and loyal wife Penelope. One of the great classics of western civilization. Q amazon.co.uk: £1.99  
Poetry
The Collected Poems, C.P. Cavafy, Oxford World Classics. Constantine Cavafy (1863-1933) is one of the greatest Greek poets. His work is about philosophy, history, emotion and sensual pleasures. Although the full beauty of his poems can only be felt in the Greek language, every poetry lover who has not come across his work yet, will appreciate this book. amazon.co.uk: £6.99 
Urban culture
Athens Street Art. Jerry Goldstein, Athens News The photographer has walked every back street of the capital in his quest to explore its own distinct urban culture as a grand metropolis of the world. A large illustrated publication with 410 works of street art and graffiti that will give you a good feel of contemporary Athens and its art scene.Q €36.99 Buy directly at:+30 210 3333735 
Travel
Mythological Atlas of Greece, P. Olalla - A. Priego Road Editions. This is an award winning large travel guide like no other: It brings together myth and reality in a fascinating way. Written by two Spaniards who researched all available sources from ancient texts, travelled the country for years and identified all the places and sites associated with the Greek mythology, photographed them and finally put them on the map, producing this excellent travel companion for the lovers of Greek Mythology.  Road bookstore: €53 (-20% for In Your Pocket readers) 
Athenian Walks. David W. Rupp, Road Editions. This is the perfect companion to In Your Pocket if you love walking and have the time to look at Athens beneath the surface. The author takes us along 3 walks around Athens and tells us the story of every monument, building or street. An invaluable source of  information that you won’t be able to find in any city guide.  Road bookstore: €15 (-20% for In Your Pocket readers) 
Ancient Athens on Five Drachmas a Day, Philip Matyszak, Thames & Hudson After ancient Rome, the author returns with a clever, travel guide-style introduction to ancient Athens. The book is illustrated with maps, info boxes, and sights. Basically what you expect to find in a good travel guide minus the hotels section! An absolutely enjoyable book amazon.co.uk: £9.07
Cooking 
Mediterranean Cuisine. Ilias Mamalakis, Road Editions Greek TV cooking star and cult personality Ilias Mamalakis compiles this book with 90 delicious and healthy recipes from the wider mediterranean region. Q Road bookstore: €11.75 (-20% for In Your Pocket readers)  
Children
The Greek Gazette, Usborne Publishing An introduction to Greek History in the form and style of a tabloid newspaper! Your kids will love it and you’ll get the chance too to refresh (or learn) a thing or two on the subject in the lightest and most enjoyable of ways. amazon.co.uk: £4.74
Essays
It’s All Greek To Me, Charlotte Higgins, Short Books Guardian editor and specialist in ancient Greece gives a good introduction to the intellectual achievements of the ancient Greeks and the influence of these achievements and their language nowadays. After you read this book you'll realise that you actually speak more Greek than you ever imagined.amazon.co.uk: £7.79
Greece: The Modern Sequel,John Koliopoulos & Thanos Veremis, C Hurst & Co A book that explains the state of modern Greece with reference to its society, politics, culture and the recent historical facts that shaped the country in the last two hundred years. Although authored by academics, it is very readable book for anyone interested in the recent past and present of this country.amazon.co.uk: £14.95

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