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Best Athens Travel Guides

Rick Steves Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese
With the help of his hardworking staff of 80 at Europe Through the Back Door—in Edmonds, Washington, just north of Seattle—Rick's mission is to make European travel fun, affordable, and culturally broadening for Americans. Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe.
Reviews
"The introduction section covers basics of visiting a foreign country (e.g. money, currency, mobile phone, safety, language norms, Rick's tips on his back door travel philosophy and travelling as a local). I particularly found the maps, Rick's suggested walking tours and the best of all his tips on what to do based on how much time you have, the most helpful. Thanks to the tips and research founded on this travel guide.-- highly recommended."
"Practical advice on sites, accommodations, food, personal and guided tours, and transportation options."
"Information in the book was very helpful and made exploring fun and a little less stressful."
"The recommended places to visit, eat, see, etc., are all top notch, and the guided walks are truly the best way to see sights and the city and learn something about it that one will take away forever."
"Be sure to look into using the FREE downloadable podcasts of tours."
"Rick Steves is the best ever."
"Great overall look for area noted on cover."
"Great book."
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DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Greece, Athens & the Mainland
Packed with insider tips to make your trip a success, you'll find a guide to Greece's stunning historic architecture and its scenic drives that let you experience the best hotels, bars, and shops that the city and coast have to offer. Try local delicacies at fantastic restaurants, bars, and clubs, and enjoy the great views in spots that will take your breath away. We have the best hotels for every budget , plus fun activities for the solitary traveler or for families and children visiting Greece. With hundreds of full-color photographs , hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Greece, Athens & the Mainland truly shows you this destination as no one else can. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
"I have always loved DK travel books for the detailed and easy to digest information and the layout of the books based on the destination each volume investigates."
"REALLY like the brand- great, concise descriptions so its priceless while your there, and on the fly."
"It has a lot of pictures and maps to give you an idea of what to expect."
"DK Travel Guides are the BEST."
"Good book with great maps and photos, print is a little small unless in very bright light."
"As a frequent researcher in Greece it didn't add a whole lot I didn't know, which I hoped for from a 2015 edition, but it was good."
"Great photos and interesting information if you want to learn about Greece."
"just what i was hoping for to help plan my trip to Greece."
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The Parthenon
In the revised version of her classic study, Mary Beard now includes the story of the long-awaited new museum opened in 2009 to display the sculptures from the building that still remain in Greece, as well as the controversies that have surrounded it, and asks whether it makes a difference to the "Elgin Marble debate." Mary Beard has a Chair of Classics at Cambridge and is a Fellow of Newnham College.
Reviews
"Must have book especially if you are going to Greece."
"It's interesting learning about the Parthenon, even if its required for my art history class."
"compact volume, right to the point."
"a book that is hard to put down, the author's telling of the story of this worlds first great building is told in a manor that is thoughtful and charming."
"Will buy more of Mary's books as I find them."
"I am in Athens and have a hard copy of the book at home."
"When Lord Elgin, then Ambassador to Constantinople, was given permission to take the sculpture (1811) from the Parthenon to England he was in fact preserving a priceless treasure, a treasure at risk for being ground down for use in cement. Mary Beard offers a fairly concise telling to the story of the Acropolis and the Parthenon in particular in her book, The Parthenon (2010). She not only offers a history of the Parthenon, but she explores the history of the history of the Parthenon--from Pausanias' comments to Virginia Woolf's comments. Presently, Greece has built a museum not far from the Acropolis, but not on the Acropolis, where portions of the Frieze that Elgin did not take are preserved; the Greeks would like to see the Elgin Marbles in London repatriated to Greece in this museum dedicated to preserving and protecting them. So with this restoration of the Parthenon, and a Greek museum devoted as showcase to the Elgin Marbles, should they be returned to Greece?"
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Best Switzerland Travel Guides

Rick Steves Switzerland
After a day of sightseeing and hiking the Alps, treat yourself to a glass of local wine, cheese fondue, and delicious Swiss chocolate. Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels, B&Bs, and restaurants in cities, villages, and resort towns. Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe.
Reviews
"I wanted to use it to plan a tour of Switzerland from Zurich to Geneva but, while the book has a section on Lake Geneva, there is not ONE WORD on Geneva except to say that other places around the lake are more worthwhile."
"great while planning a Switzerland vacation."
"We used all the time for our trip."
"you do not need to read the entire book just the cities you are planning to visit."
"Great book but wish there was more information around the villages along Lake Constance."
"However, it dissed Geneva where we spent a couple of nights."
"Good descriptions, But it is very difficult to plan a trip, with this guide, I may buy another guide of Rick Steves, as a complement of. Eyewitness Travel Guide, definitely the best."
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Best General Greece Travel Guides

The Corfu Trilogy: My Family and Other Animals; Birds, Beasts and Relatives; and The Garden of the Gods
The tales of a naturalist and his family, who left England for the Greek island of Corfu—where they interacted with fascinating locals of both human and animal varieties—these memoirs have become beloved bestsellers and inspired the delightful series that aired on PBS television. Included in this three-book collection are: My Family and Other Animals : Ten-year-old Gerald Durrell arrives on sun-drenched Corfu with this family and pursues his interest in natural history, making friends with the island’s fauna—from toads and tortoises to scorpions and geckos—while reveling in the joyous chaos of growing up in an unconventional household. Praise for the Corfu Trilogy “A most enjoyable idyll.” — The New Yorker on My Family and Other Animals “A lot of frolic, fun, and charming ribaldry, as well as the warm feeling of having been transported to a lovely spot where worry is unknown and anything is believable.” — The New York Times on My Family and Other Animals “A delightful book full of simple, well-known things: cicadas in the olive groves, lamp fishing at night, the complexities of fish and animals—but above all, childhood molded by these things and intimately recalled in middle age.” — The New York Times Book Review on Birds, Beasts and Relatives.
Reviews
"I heard about 'My family and other animals' a few times before, but finaly took it to read upon an acquaintance' recommendation. There's also a faint child-like feel to the first book, to the stories about first encounters with earthly creatures and the family's reactions to young Gerald's growing "managerie". The stories are hillarious, made me want to learn more about some of the animals (I knew only a few of them, like dogs and a donkey, but I had to search the web for geckos, spiders and various beetles)."
"I enjoyed the book very much, so much that my son decided to also download to his Kindle."
"The books also make his mother seem like a bit of a dimwit (which wasn't how she was portrayed in the TV version), and while it touches on their departure back to Britain due to WWII, it doesn't really get into that."
"I watched this series on public TV and really liked it, but wasn’t sure how it would work in written form."
"As an English professor, seeing Lawrence Durrel in his young days (through Gerald's eyes, of course) was a treat."
"Having watched the "Durrells of Corfu" on Masterpiece theater, I was aware of the plot, but this gives so much more detail."
"This is a great Bildungsroman, which views the trials and vicissitudes of a family coming to grips with life in an exotic locale."
"What an enjoyable read."
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Best Rhodes Travel Guides

Greece: Greece Travel Guide: 101 Coolest Things to Do in Greece (Athens Travel Guide, Rhodes Travel, Crete Travel, Santorini Travel, Corfu Travel, Greek History, Greek Islands)
Tags: Greece, Greece Travel Guide, Travel to Greece, Greece Holidays, Sailing in Greece, Greek Islands, Athens, Crete, Santorini, Crete, Kefalonia, Lefkada, Kos, Rhodes, Mykonos, Greek History, Ancient Greece, Greek Food, Greek Tours, Backpacking Greece.
Reviews
"If you are looking to visit Greece and you want the perfect trip, this is your guide!"
"it's not 101 coolest Things to do in Greece but less than that as some information were just repetitive."
"It is a great book for the tourists really wants to enjoy every place of Greece by knowing all the important things like history, food, significance of the place at the same time."
"I made a Greek basket for a fundraiser and bought everything on Amazon."
"A very handy overview to check that you're not overlooking a key stopping point."
"Nice book."
"I wish I would not have wasted the money, and this was someone's Christmas gift so it makes me upset that I know have to find something else for them."
"Useless book."
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Best Crete Travel Guides

Natural Born Heroes: How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance
More than a mystery of remarkable people and cunning schemes, Natural Born Heroes is a fascinating investigation into the lost art of the hero, taking us from the streets of London at midnight to the beaches of Brazil at dawn, from the mountains of Colorado to McDougall’s own backyard in Pennsylvania, all places where modern-day athletes are honing ancient skills so they’re ready for anything. McDougall redefines the heroic ideal, establishing heroism as a skill set rather than a virtue. The essential narrative here, the twisty tale of a kidnapping that incredibly goes right, is exciting. It is balanced out with the journalistic account of McDougall’s entry into the world of the hero. His personal quest to ‘rewild the psyche’ might seem an awkward fit with war storytelling. But under McDougall’s sure hand the combination improbably works. Kind of like kidnapping a German general on an island swarming with Nazi troops.” — NPR Books “A heady confection that encompasses, among other subjects, military history, archaeology, Greek mythology, neat ways to kill a man and ideas on health and fitness that might just change your life. [McDougall] constructs a fascinating edifice of ideas . But the pleasures of the book are as much to do with the fascinating panoply of characters, war heroes all, British, Commonwealth and Cretan, whose exploits contributed so much to Hitler's downfall.” — The Independent (London). “In the thoroughly absorbing Natural Born Heroes , which tracks heroism from the times of Zeus and Odysseus to the World War II bravery of a motley crew of fighters, Christopher McDougall makes it clear that . His extensive knowledge of fitness training, nutrition and physiology winds artfully around a tale of superhuman resistance during the Nazi occupation of the Greek island of Crete. [McDougall] solves this mystery with a witty eye for every detail, inspiring his own captive audience along the way.” — BookPage (The Top Pick of the Month: Nonfiction). “Compelling . True heroism, as the ancients understood, isn’t about strength or boldness or even courage. trekked across tortuous mountain terrain while avoiding a massive German dragnet..” — Booklist.
Reviews
"This book tells the extraordinary tale of the Cretan resistance—and covers tough muddier, cross-fit and the paleo diet in between."
"Where Born to Run left off, Natural Born Heroes Extended, Deepened and Delivered a compelling story illuminated by Important Knowledge Needed."
"really well written account of wartime stories embedded with references to endurance running/hiking."
"How did bookworm Oxford Brits secret agents manage to fare in the inhospitable mountainous environment?"
"Natural Born Heroes reads in a similar fashion, and was as engaging and informative as Born to Run."
"The characters are real but they also come to life through McDougalls brilliant writing."
"This book has taught me how to toughen up and the toughness of Greek heroes!"
"An interesting but only mostly successful attempt to marry a real-life historical narrative - the daring kidnapping of a Nazi officer by an eccentric team of Allied soldiers on the Greek island of Crete - with commentary on a wide range of fitness trends and theories."
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Best Cyclades Travel Guides

All is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-Being
When journalist Marilynn Preston started her fitness column in Chicago in 1976, most people thought yoga and yogurt were interchangeable terms and the mind-body connection was another name for the neck. "I can inform, inspire, educate, amuse, cajole, and otherwise cheer you on, but when push comes to shove-two excellent ways to burn 100 calories-you're in charge of your own personal well-being. From eating clean to going green, from losing weight to adding muscle, from living longer to dying more easily, Marilynn links body and mind to culture and politics. In her long-running weekly syndicated column "Energy Express," and now in her third book, All is Well, Marilynn offers readers a welcoming evidence-based path to more joy, greater health, and sustained happiness-three essentials of a healthy lifestyle. Marilynn is an ACE-certified fitness trainer and certified Wellcoach, and she has written two other books, “Dear Dr. Jock: The People's Guide to Sports and Fitness” and “Work Well, Be Well.” She created, exec produced and co-wrote the nationally syndicated “Energy Express” TV series about sports, fitness, and adventure for kids and families. More than 20 years later, she still works as a relentless board member, helping girls get the healthy lifestyle training they need to become strong, confident, powerful women.
Reviews
"This is a wonderful book! This makes it a companion book for anyone. A perfect combination of ageless wisdom served up for our fast-paced high tech world."
"Her delicious sense of humor makes delicate subjects like your doctor's total ignorance of diet and exercise, and how to begin an end-of-life conversation clear and compelling."
"A delightful, playful way to get across great ideas for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life."
"(Even an indoor plant finds herself. buying a serious pair of walking shoes."
"I had hoped to find deep insight and words of wisdom that come from living an artful life of mindfulness and honesty, but unfortunately, what she has given us is a series of simple homilies - the icing and not the cake."
"This was an easy read with a lot of wonderful reminders and suggestions."
"With wisdom and compassion Preston speaks from her many years of knowledge and experience in the health and well-being world."
"I love this book because I know the author actually practices what she writes about."
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Best Corfu Travel Guides

Corfu Trilogy
Three classic tales of childhood on an island paradise - My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell - are available in a single edition for the first time in The Corfu Trilogy. It soon became a bestseller and he went on to write thirty-six other titles, including My Family and Other Animals, The Bafut Beagles, Encounters with Animals, The Drunken Forest, A Zoo in My Luggage, The Whispering Land, Menagerie Manor, The Amateur Naturalist and The Aye-Aye and I. Gerald Durrell died in 1995.
Reviews
"I heard about 'My family and other animals' a few times before, but finaly took it to read upon an acquaintance' recommendation. There's also a faint child-like feel to the first book, to the stories about first encounters with earthly creatures and the family's reactions to young Gerald's growing "managerie". The stories are hillarious, made me want to learn more about some of the animals (I knew only a few of them, like dogs and a donkey, but I had to search the web for geckos, spiders and various beetles)."
"You will fall in love with the adventure-driven, sun-seeking, shenanigans-planning Durrell Family as they leave their cold, dreary English home and follow their hearts to the Greek isle of Corfu."
"The Corfu Trilogy is wonderful ..If you loved the The Darrell's of Corfu PBS Series You will love the three book trilogy even more .Gerald Djurrell is a wonderful loving and humorous writer .This is one of my favorite reads in Years ."
"A wonderful story of a single British mother raising 4 kids on the island of Corfu."
"I watched the PBS series and loved it, so it prompted me to purchase and read this trilogy."
"This is a great Bildungsroman, which views the trials and vicissitudes of a family coming to grips with life in an exotic locale."
"The family dynamics are so realistically drawn even in the likely hyperbole; the animal observations are also fascinating."
"Maybe a little too much detail about some of the insects and animals but beautifully written."
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