Are you interested in exploring Greece? Start by reading books on Greece, its history, culture or geography. Discover Greek poetry, films and literature.

Books about Greek history

  • The Greek Myths by Robert Graves

    The Greek Myths: The Complete and Definitive Edition [May 15, 2018] Graves, Robert Paperback – International Edition, May 15, 2018

    This is a lovely comprehensive collection of Greek myths and legends, and it provides an excellent initiation to Greek mythology.

    The book is available in Amazon, and as an audionbook, and also in our e-shop.

  • The Iliad and the Odyssey, by Homer

    This is a stunning set of Homer’s epics, beautifully narrated, capturing the lyricism of the original oral tradition, translated by Peter Green, a leading ancient world scholar.

    "The Iliad" is an epic poem written likely in the 8th century BC. It tells the story of the Trojan War, a mythological conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans over the beautiful Helen of Troy Its sequel, “Odyssey”, tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War.

    These poems were composed and transmitted orally by bards for many generations before they were written down as their creation predates the development of writing in Greece. Homer is the name traditionally given to the author of the ancient Greek epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. According to ancient Greek tradition, Homer was a blind bard who traveled throughout Greece, reciting his epic poems to audiences in public gatherings and private homes. However, the true identity of Homer remains a mystery, and it is not clear whether the poems were actually composed by a single individual or by a group of poets working together over time

  • Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge

    This is an outstanding short introduction to Greek history – with a really neat gimmick. Instead of writing a standard kind of history, Cartledge picks on the eleven most prominent cities of ancient Greece and writes up their story in about ten or twelve pages

Books about Touristic Travel

  • Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese by Rick Steves

    This is a comprehensive guide with advice on how to get the most out of your time and money; the author’s favorite sights and hidden gems; best places to eat, sleep, and relax; detailed maps for exploring on the go and up-to-date information on Athens, Nafplio, Epidavros, Mycenae, Olympia, Patra, Kardamyli, the Mani Peninsula, Sparta, Mystras, Delphi, Hydra, Mykonos, Delos, and Santorini.

    Avaialble on Amazon, and also in our e-store.

  • Mount Athos: The History of the Greek Mountain and the Center of Eastern Orthodox Monasticism, by Charles River Editors

    Mount Athos, the easternmost finger of the Halkidiki peninsula is a mountainous sliver of land about 150 square miles in all, often extolled as the most peaceful and private corner of Greece, if not all of Europe.

    Entering this hallowed peninsula is like setting foot into a living time capsule, because life here has not changed in well over 1,000 years. Known to the locals as Agion Oros, or the "Holy Mountain," the peninsula today is most famed for its exclusivity, a place that continues to bar all women and their daughters from entry. The fortress-like monasteries scattered amongst the slopes and the clusters of cells clinging to the cliffs are occupied by monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church. With pictures depicting important people, places, and events, this book sheds light to life in Mount Athos like never before.

    Available in Amazon, and in our e-store.

  • Sacred Architecture and Art of Four Byzantine Capitals by Nicholas Patricios

    The book is an invaluable visual and written account of sixty-nine Byzantine churches, richly illustrated with color photographs many full-page, a total of 391 in color out of the 476 illustrations in the book.

Greek readings: Poetry, literature, humor, etc.

The Axion Esti,
by Odysseus Elytis, translated by Edmund Keeley and George Savidis

The Axion Esti. Axion esti - worthy it is - is a phrase of praise and gratitude which occurs often in Greek Orthodox liturgy, but Elytis uses it not to evoke Christianity but to generate an ecstasy of laudation in his extremely complex, book-length poem on the eternal struggle man has with good and evil, both within and without himself.

Odysseus Elytis was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1979.

No, I am a Stork! by Arkas

A little sparrow vehemently rejects his own species because there's no future in being a little sparrow. The most you can hope for is to become a big sparrow -- which is exactly what his father is, and that's the last thing in the world he wants to end up being!

The Last Temptation of Christ,
by Nikos Kazantzakis

Hailed as a masterpiece by critics worldwide, The Last Temptation of Christ is a monumental reinterpretation of the Gospels that brilliantly fleshes out Christ’s Passion. This literary rendering of the life of Jesus Christ has courted controversy since its
publication in 1952 by depicting a Christ far more human than the one seen in the Bible. He is a figure who is gloriously divine but earthy and human, a man like any other—subject to fear, doubt, and pain.