Rough Guide to Greece

Well researched and very comprehensive. Plenty of background information about Greece and the section on the Peloponnese has more detail than many of the Peloponnese guides.

Greece:Peloponnese Cadogan Guide

Accurate, informative, written by people who really know the area, over 400 pages, and includes a section on Athens. The best general travel guide for the Peloponnese.

The Peloponnese

E. Karpodini-Dimitriadi

Guide to the archaeological sites and history of the Peloponnese. Informative, detailed, well written, with many photographs, it’s an excellent resource if you are planning to explore the ancient sites.

It was written in 1981 and unfortunately doesn’t seem to have been revised since, so it doesn’t fully represent sites such as ancient Messini where much work has been done in recent years.

The Traveler’s key to Ancient Greece Richard Geldard

If you want to understand the sacred meaning, design, and relevance of the ancient sites this guide is invaluable. The introductory section covers history, religion (with a profile of all the main gods and godesses), and sacred geometry, number and architecture. The author leads you skilfully through the important sites unfolding the deeper meaning and purpose of their design and architecture.

Blue Guide Greece Mainland

Focuses on the ancient sites, museums, history etc. and does not include practical travelling information.  Big, packed with information (the Peloponnese section has 250 pages of it’s own), lovely design and photos. Expensive though.

Art for Travellers - Greece Hannan

Informative art guide covering the major sites and museums.

Linguaphone PDQ Greek

Language course with a book and 4 CDs. Well structured and the audio content is well recorded. However, the content is aimed at the business traveller rather than tourist which is frustrating when you want to learn how to ask for a filter coffee not nescafe, and you get to learn to ask for the hilton hotel and the trade centre. Also the course book is quite light on content.

The Rough Guide to Greek

Handy, pocket sized dictionary and phrase book. The Greek is shown both phonetically and in script.

BBC Greek Language and People Course Book

Popular beginner’s language course that has recently been fully updated. Audio CD integrated with the course is available separately (you will need this too). Each chapter has a specific practical topic - meeting people, shopping etc, and has a lot of useful information in with the vocabulary. Has varied exercises to keep your interest, plenty of content.

BBC Greek Language and People audio CD

Audio CD integrated with the BBC course book.

Greece: Splendours of an Ancient Civilisation  Furio Durando

Large size hardcover, over 400 colour illustrations, this is a really wonderful exploration of the art of ancient Greece. It covers all eras of ancient Greece from the early bronze age, Minoan Crete, Cycladic, Mycenaean, through to the Classical period. Outstanding value.

The Iliad, Homer translated by Robert Fagles

A (literally) blow by blow account of the final stages of the Trojan war. Written 2,700 years ago, it still paints a graphic description of the catastrophic consequences of war. The modern translation makes easy reading and retains the natural rhythm of the poem, though one soon learns to skip over long and tedious passages listing the names of the combatants. The Gods interfere, ruthless and self-serving, using human misery for their political ends and as a virtual reality game for their entertainment, while grabbing plunder is the overriding motivation of the besiegers, and women are merely trophies to be abducted and exchanged.

The Odyssey, Homer translated by Robert Fagles

After 10 years camped in front of the walls of Troy you might think that the Gods would give Odysseus a speedy passage home, but no, the journey was to take him another 10 years, and this is the epic tale of the shipwrecks, monsters, battles and supernatural powers he had to overcome. Odysseus was the last of the Heroes, different and modern in that he used his intelligence and cunning to survive, not only courage and strength. Robert Fagles translation is highly rated.

Tales from Ovid Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes’ critically acclaimed adaptation of the Roman poet Ovid’s interpretation of the classical Greece writers’ versions of the original oral tradition of the Greek myths.... get the picture?

The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony Roberto Calasso

Calasso retells the Greek myths, sometimes many times over, elaborating on different versions of the same story, adding commentary and interpretation, drawing out parallels and repeating patterns to elicit the underlying meanings of the myths. These aren’t the sanitised stories of you might remember from school, but an endless round of abduction, rape, murder and betrayal, and the heroes are callous and monstrous. Along with the dense interpretation Calasso writes elegantly, with humour, and an enjoyable eye for salacious detail. The Gods are a reflection of human consciousness, and the Greek myths recount the birth of modern western consciousness in all its brilliance and destructiveness.