Author Topic: Books about Greece  (Read 72419 times)

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #75 on: Wednesday, 02 October, 2019 @ 09:47:58 »
Quote
‘The Last Monk of the Strofades,’ out now in English

Following its publication in Greek last year, “The Last Monk of the Strofades: Memories from an Unknown Greek Island” is now available in English from Abbeville Press.

The book by US photographer Robert A. McCabe and Greek journalist Katerina Lymperopoulou is a unique record of the fortified monastery on Stamfani, the larger of the two Strofades islets off Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea. The 13th century monastery suffered serious damage during an earthquake in November of 1997 and was shut down after another temblor in October 2018.

For centuries, the monastery served as a refuge for seafarers and a target for pirates and Turkish raiders, while in its heyday it was home to some 40 farmer-monks. By 1976, however, only one monk remained, Father Gregory Kladis (1937-2017), who alone tended the monastery until 2014.

The book is intended to tell the world about the Monastery of Strofades and encourage its preservation.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/245051/gallery/ekathimerini/life/the-last-monk-of-the-strofades-out-now-in-english

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #76 on: Wednesday, 20 November, 2019 @ 02:18:23 »
Quote
Top 10: Crime, guns and Greek-inspired literature

Over the years there are Greeks who have written good crime fiction and English-speaking writers who are inspired by Greece and have proved very adept at trawling the Greek underworld. Here are 10 of the best writers of crime novels either based in Greece or featuring Greek protagonists. With summer approaching, perhaps it’s time to take a Greek Noir crime novel to the beach with you.

1. PETROS MARKARIS
2. YANNIS TSIRIKOMOS
3. POL KOUTSAKIS
4. SERGIO GAKAS
5. ANNA ZOUROUDIS
6. GARY CORBY
7. JEFFREY SIGER
8. PAUL JOHNSTON
9. GEORGE PELECANOS
10. PHILLIP KERR
https://neoskosmos.com/en/151739/top-10-crime-guns-and-greek-inspired-literature/

Offline TonyKath

  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 1965
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #77 on: Saturday, 30 November, 2019 @ 19:16:33 »
That's very helpful Maik.  I've seen Markaris's untranslated books  recommended for learners of Greek - with some grounding in the language, but haven't tried myself.  Expensive in the UK via Bibliagora.

Tony

Offline Annie P

  • Participant
  • **
  • Posts: 38
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #78 on: Sunday, 01 December, 2019 @ 07:59:47 »
How about Beryl Darby, can't see her mentioned? She wrote a serious of books set in Crete. They follow the lives of a number of different family members spanning the years 1918  onwards. I have only read the first one, Yannis but enjoyred it very much.

Offline Bryan-in-Kilkis

  • Global Moderator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 354
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #79 on: Sunday, 01 December, 2019 @ 12:11:51 »
I have read and can highly recommend Paul Johnston's 'Alex Mavros' series.  Alex Mavros is a half-Greek half-Scots private investigator based in Athens who comes up against some very unsavoury people in the course of his investigations.  Johnston's portrayal of various aspects of Greece and Greeks is highly realistic and his storylines make the books hard to put down...

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #80 on: Sunday, 01 December, 2019 @ 15:44:27 »
How about Beryl Darby

Thanks, Annie. Hadn't heard of Beryl Darby, as you say, she's written a number of books set in Greece, twenty four from what I can see on the list! Plus a guide to Spinalonga written in 1982.
beryldarbybooks.com

I read the first Alex Mavros and keep meaning to find time to read more... one day... provided I don't have to pay silly prices on Amazon

Offline Colleywobble

  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 363
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #81 on: Saturday, 11 January, 2020 @ 12:38:25 »
Have just read Victoria Hislop's new book," Those who are Loved".About the time from the German occupation through to present time.Gave a good insight into the time of the Greek Civil War and the time of the Junta from one family's aspect.Had heard from locals in Skala that more people died at the time of the Civil War than during the occupation and how it had affected people locally.Can recommend but i would wait until the paper back comes out in the Spring.I had  the hard back as a Christmas present but its a bit expensive.

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #82 on: Tuesday, 19 May, 2020 @ 16:20:27 »
Quote
10 of the best novels set in Greece – that will take you there
From the natural beauty of Corfu and Kefalonia to the caves and myths of Crete, Greece has inspired writers for millennia
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/may/19/10-best-novels-set-in-greece-corfu-kefalonia-crete

Well, yes, Louis de Bernières is in there but so are a few authors you might never have heard of.

Offline kef97

  • Bronze Medalist
  • ***
  • Posts: 52
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #83 on: Tuesday, 19 May, 2020 @ 17:17:11 »
When I was in Patras last October for some medical tests, I met Kostas Kremmydas who played the Police Superintendant in 'The Durrells'.
He was staying at the same Hotel & joined me for breakfast.
What a lovely man!!!
Besides being an Actor he is also an Author. He was in the middle of a book-signing tour to promote his books & very kindly gave me a signed copy of one of his books, a novel titled 'Cave of Silence' which I thoroughly enjoyed reading
His books are all available from Amazon

Offline Misty

  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 295
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #84 on: Tuesday, 19 May, 2020 @ 21:13:06 »
Thank you for the recommendation Kef97, I've just bought it for my kindle.
Also I finally got round to reading Blue Skies & Black Olives by John Humpreys recently, a very entertaining read.

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #85 on: Saturday, 12 September, 2020 @ 17:47:45 »
Quote
Pursuing truth — and fame — a reporter blurred journalism’s boundaries

When Elias Demetracopoulos died in Athens in 2016 at 87, The Washington Post described him as an “ ‘enigmatic’ expatriate.” In its obituary, the New York Times chose similar language, calling him an “enigmatic journalist.”

The man had been so many things, and accused of being many more, that it was difficult to sum up his story. Journalist, Nazi resistance fighter and Wall Street consultant were among his callings; spy, egotist and “dangerous gadfly” were among the accusations. His life was so complicated it was hard to tell where one version of Demetracopoulos ended and another began.

In “The Greek Connection,” James H. Barron seeks to put the pieces together — but the Demetracopoulos puzzle was not the one he originally set out to solve. Barron was researching allegations of a transfer of funds from Greece’s intelligence agency to Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign, which he believed formed an underexplored chapter of Watergate. During a chance encounter with Seymour Hersh, the investigative journalist suggested that Barron contact Demetracopoulos, a Greek expatriate living in Washington who once tried to expose the money scheme.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/pursuing-truth--and-fame--a-reporter-blurred-journalisms-boundaries/2020/09/10/5695d5b8-db1d-11ea-b205-ff838e15a9a6_story.html

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #86 on: Sunday, 07 February, 2021 @ 16:58:36 »
Quote



Viewpark & Darilis Announce Screen Adaptation of Siger’s Greece-Set Mysteries

Viewpark and veteran television producer Yanna Darilis on February 4 announced a screen adaptation of Jeffrey Siger's bestselling Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mystery series.

Viewpark and Darilis will co-produce the adaptation of writer Siger's ten-book series. Production will begin later this year, filming on location in Greece.

The season opener, Murder in Mykonos, is a #1 best-selling English-language book in Greece and due to its immense popularity, Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press, the books' publisher, is reissuing the novel this month.

Combining the popularity of shows such as Death in Paradise and The Durrells In Corfu, this contemporary crime drama series will take viewers to exotic locations all over Greece, from Mykonos to Santorini, from Delphi to Athens, as Chief Inspector Kaldis exposes the seedy underbelly of the white-washed Greek Isles. Experienced, irreverent with a passion for drama, Kaldis is at the center of hard-hitting cases, which run head strong through a mix of contemporary international politics, as well as Greece's ancient past.
https://jeffreysiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Jeff-Siger-Press-Release-Feb-3-Final-YD.pdf

Could be something to look forward to, providing it's snapped up by one of the UK TV companies.

Books available on Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #87 on: Monday, 15 February, 2021 @ 11:58:01 »
Postman's just delivered a used copy at significantly less than Amazon want for a new one, I'll let you know how I get on with it. If anyone's interested, musicmagpie have a couple of used books left at £3.19 and betterworldbooks have some starting from £5.66 - both free p&p to UK addresses.

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #88 on: Tuesday, 16 February, 2021 @ 08:13:00 »
Cracking good read, much better than I expected, suspense goes on to last page.  :)

Offline BeeTee

  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 668
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #89 on: Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 @ 18:47:08 »
Postman's just delivered a used copy at significantly less than Amazon want for a new one, I'll let you know how I get on with it. If anyone's interested, musicmagpie have a couple of used books left at £3.19 and betterworldbooks have some starting from £5.66 - both free p&p to UK addresses.

For those with a Kindle you can get it for £0.99. Sounds like a good read so just about to start it. 

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #90 on: Thursday, 18 February, 2021 @ 01:31:29 »
Don't know how but I totally missed the Kindle version, and I did look for it! If you don't have a Kindle you can read Kindle e-books on your desktop / laptop, either via the Kindle PC app for Windows and Mac users, or via software such as Foliate for Linux. Or there's the Kindle cloud reader for Windows, Mac and Linux.

How to read Kindle books on a PC in 2 different ways

Let us know how you get on with the book, BeeTee.

Offline Misty

  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 295
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #91 on: Thursday, 18 February, 2021 @ 15:32:52 »
Thoroughly enjoyed this book when I read it a couple of years ago, have read another one but trying to remember which one!

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #92 on: Saturday, 20 February, 2021 @ 05:53:18 »
Another book that might be of interest:

Quote
A new author has written his first book, Made by Sea and Wood, in Darkness, which has been published by American publisher Spuyten Duyvil.

Alexandros Plasatis, a Greek immigrant who moved to the UK 20 years ago, writes fiction in English, which is his second language, and moved to Bolton, Greater Manchester a month ago to take up a new job at a local charity.

The novel is set in an all-night cafe in the Greek seaport of Kavala, a scruffy hangout of Egyptian fishermen and ragged locals. It is a collage of linked stories capturing the lives, loves and tales of the immigrant community. The servers at the café, Pavlo and Angie feel alienated from this brutish world of raunchy, wretched men.
https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/new-bolton-author-publishes-novel-set-in-greece/

Looks like Kindle version is free to read via Amazon co.uk

Offline BeeTee

  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 668
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #93 on: Monday, 22 March, 2021 @ 13:21:04 »
Don't know how but I totally missed the Kindle version, and I did look for it! If you don't have a Kindle you can read Kindle e-books on your desktop / laptop, either via the Kindle PC app for Windows and Mac users, or via software such as Foliate for Linux. Or there's the Kindle cloud reader for Windows, Mac and Linux.

How to read Kindle books on a PC in 2 different ways

Let us know how you get on with the book, BeeTee.
Finally, got round to reading this. A really good read and as you say keeps you guessing until the last page.

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #94 on: Sunday, 18 July, 2021 @ 16:22:49 »
Greek murder mysteries seem to be getting fashionable, here's three more, this time from Leta Serafim:

The Devil Takes Half / When The Devil's Idle / From The Devil's Farm

All get good reviews on Amazon, click on cover for more details: https://letaserafim.com/

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #95 on: Sunday, 24 October, 2021 @ 03:35:45 »
Quote
On the trail of myths and legends in Greece's oldest oak forest

In an exclusive extract from his upcoming book, the author charts his adventures in Foloi, the mystical homeland of the centaurs
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/greece/trail-myths-legends-greeces-oldest-oak-forest/

Ah, the centaurs! Reminds me of my school daze. My mate was clowning around in class, as usual, and the master was getting fed up. As usual.

"Nicholls, are you the front end of an ass?"

"Er, no, sir."

"Are you the back end of an ass?"

"No sir."

"So you're no end of an ass then."

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #96 on: Tuesday, 01 March, 2022 @ 19:03:32 »
Quote
I lost my underwear on the trail of Odysseus in Ithaca, Greece

Research for a new guide book meant climbing a rock face on the Greek island crucial in Homer’s story, then crawling through spiky undergrowth. An epic in itself

Walking in the Footsteps of Odysseus (£9.99) can be ordered at janeocochrane.co.uk. The author will be in conversation about the book on 28 April, 6.30pm, at Paddington Library, London. More information from ithaca.gr
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/mar/01/hiking-climbing-on-the-trail-of-odysseus-in-ithaca-island-greece


Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #97 on: Monday, 25 April, 2022 @ 15:04:11 »
Quote
Saga of Family’s Dream Home on Greece’s Corfu

Although they deeply loved Corfu and Greece, they had to deal with ongoing issues in the reconstruction that tested their patience and fortitude. “We were dealing with an architect/supervisor/building manager who would disappear without warning for months at a time, leaving us to manage his team of apprentice builders who spoke little Greek and no English; they too were prone to vanish for weeks on end,” Tully Chaplin states.

“An essential visit to England coincided with the moment ‘Team Albania’ began to dig the foundations; unfortunately they kept digging, in order to sell off as much valuable topsoil as they could, until all possibility of building our original tryptich design became unviable,” she adds wryly.
https://greekreporter.com/2022/04/25/dream-home-corfu/


Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #98 on: Friday, 16 September, 2022 @ 05:17:46 »
Quote
Greek Civil War Novel Based in Corfu Tells Story of Tragedy and Home

Set among Corfu’s picturesque lanes, hamlets and villas, where kings, villagers and saints all walk the same cobblestone paths, “Where the Wandering Ends” reminds readers of the tenacity of those who have lost everything and the enduring power of home.

The novel comes as the third release by internationally acclaimed author Yvette Manessis Corporon and has received praise from various New York Times bestselling authors. Corporon’s latest work was also selected as a weekly “Buzz Pick” by Good Morning America in late August.

The story follows two young friends who are separated by unspeakable tragedy during the Greek Civil War, haunted by a vow to return to one another and their home on the island of Corfu.
https://pappaspost.com/where-the-wandering-ends-greek-civil-war-novel-based-in-corfu-tells-story-of-tragedy-and-home/

Offline Maik

  • Administrator
  • Forum Deity
  • *****
  • Posts: 35164
Re: Books about Greece
« Reply #99 on: Wednesday, 21 September, 2022 @ 15:25:05 »
Quote
Review – ‘The Greatest Escape’, the incredible story of survival in Greece during WWII
https://neoskosmos.com/en/2022/09/21/life/books/review-the-greatest-escape-the-incredible-story-of-survival-in-greece-during-wwii/