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As this page was becoming somewhat enormous, I have divided divided into two separate pages. Maps of Crete and walking books for the great island can now be found here:
Cretan Guide books
Please be patient, this page might take a few secs to download. SJ
This banner indicates that I have written a review on that book for explorecrete.com
This one indicates that I have written a review on that book for west-crete.com
***** denotes books specially recommended by me. SJ
Titles arranged alphabetically by author.
Anglim, Tony Takako, The travellers adventure guide to Crete. Fun though somewhat quirky guidebook/travelogue. I read this on a balcony in Rethymnon and thoroughly enjoyed it, though that may have had something to do with the ambience and the alcohol involved. The book is published in Greece and is therefore cheaper over there and the spirit(s) of place may well help too! SJ
de Bakker, Johan (with extracts from the writings of Edward Lear, Captain Spratt, Richard Pococke and Robert Pashley), Illustrated by Yannis Samatas et al. Across Crete - Part 1 :From Khania (Chania) to Herakleion ***** Each one of the nine chapters within receive a synopsis of the area they deal with, geographically and historically, before extracts from travel writers Richard Pococke (1739), Robert Pashley (1834) Edward Lear (1864) and Captain Thomas Spratt (1853) are interwoven, giving the reader an idea of what it was like travelling the "megali Nissi" in the days before mass tourism. The final 3 chapters of miscellany include extracts of the poets Homer, Hesiod, Callimachus and Ovid with a last chapter on the Atlantis link - namely the eruption of Santorini (Thera) in the 16th century BC, as described 1200 years later by Plato in the Timaeus and Critias dialogues. Of the 4 authors that Johan de Bakker has used extracts of, only Edward Lear's "Cretan Journal" is currently in print (though Spratt was reprinted by Adolf Haakert in the 80's and Pashley was reproduced in a 2 vol paperback format in Greece 15 years ago) and the price of the originals can run into £1,000s, so this is a very welcome series from that perspective too. Absolutely superb For a list of chapters see our webpage: Across Crete SJ A review that I wrote and was originally published in "The Anglo Hellenic Review" can be found on explorecrete.com by clicking on the banner below:
Cameron, Pat Blue Guide to Crete, The. *****The archeaological guidebook to the island. Superb on all historical periods, though especially so on "Minoan". This latest edition is far better than it used to be for niceties such as accommodation, though I would really recommend that you take another general guidebook as well, as this books strengths are more historical than practical.
Click on the logo to go to my review of 'The Blue Guide to Crete', on west-crete.com.
Coughlan, Stephanie A Birdwatching Guide to Crete. 5th edition of the birding book which is divided into areas of Crete. Some very nice colour photos of some of the areas accompany the book and line drawings of some of the birds with a checklist appear at the rear.
Desypris, Y et Al. Chania: A Guide to the towns, the countryside, the villages. A nice pictorial guidebook to the Chania nomos, includes all the usual suspects: Samarian Gorge, Akrotiri, Elafonissos, Georgioupoli, Sfakia, Kastelli (Kissamos) and Paleachora in an 184 page guide with maps and diagrams.
Desypris, Y et Al. Crete: The Crossroads of 3 continents "17 Recommended excursions and full tour of the island -guided visits to museums and archaeological sites" A very nice 270 page (inc index) pictorial guide to Crete.
Desypris, Y et Al. Crete Today and Yesterday: A complete guide for travellers Smaller format than the above but no less colourful with 303 pages (no index) of colour photos and text.
Doren. David
MacNeil Winds
of Crete
Athens: PAPERBACK. Splendid travelogue written by an American who spent 6 years on
the island of Crete with his Swedish wife, Inga. A few b/w illustrations at the rear.
Facaros, Dana Crete Back in the early '80s when I was young enough and brave enough to go island hopping each year, Dana Facaros' "Greek Island Hopping" was my bible. Nowadays she writes a number of guides on the Greek islands and this one on Crete is a neat (large) pocket sized example.
Fennymore, Tony. ***** Fenny's Hania Tony Fennymore runs guided tours of the city of Chania. As a totla know-it-all, I am not into guided tours, however, I absolutely adored this one and would recommend it very highly to anybody visiting the beautiful Venetian city of Chania.. Click on the book, to go to Tony's site, which has more details.
John Fisher and Geoff Garvie The Rough Guide to Crete. ***** The usual expertise associated with the mother of all modern-day guide books (the first Rough Guide was written in 1982 and was to Greece). An effort is evidently being made by the RG team to spice up the colour within the series and there are now a number of attractive photos within. As always, the contexts pages are invaluable, though the edition after edition insists on calling Stalis "Stalidha" which hardly anybody going there would know it as. Saying that, you can't go far wrong with this book and this is a new edition - 2004. I have written a comparative look between this and the "Lonely Planet Guide to Crete" for explore.crete.com, which can be found by clicking on the banner below, though this is for both previous editions of these books:
Ivanovas, Sabine. Where Zeus became a Man A very nice book indeed, large format and photographic, in English Greek and German. This is an anthropolical look at Cretan shepherds and has chapters on: Women, Shearing Sheep, Misithra etc. Absolutely amazing value too
Lear, Edward. The Cretan Journal Fabulous reprint of Lear's sketchings and paintings of Crete during the 19th century. Price Only (and I mean only!)
MacLean, Rory Falling for Icarus: A Journey among the Cretans. *****An absolutely splendid book. Who could say anything more? Well, me in a rather long review which can be found by clicking the west-crete.com banner, below.
Oliver, Jeanne Lonely Planet Crete A very nice looking book with a number of colour photos and some maps. An alternative to the Rough Guide to Crete, rather than an additional weight in the back pack. Well written with a number of useful"facts for the visitor" and a bit on the language at the back. A new edition is due out in 2002 which I am promised is a vast improvement on an already very useful guide book . SJ I have written a comparative look between this and the "Rough Guide to Crete" for explore.crete.com, which can be found by clicking on the banner below:
Pashley, Robert esq. s Travels in Crete ***** 1989 reprint of Pashley's travels to Crete in 2 paperback volumes. Black and white reprints of the plans and prints and a fold out map at the rear; the pages are bound together at the top in what I'd like to say is traditional 19th century fashion but is more 20th century Greek style! Still these are very nice reprints and very welcome. See also Across Crete
Stephanos Psemenos Unexplored Crete A 575 page book written primarily as a motorcyclists guide this is a very useful book for anybody who wishes to explore the island. A good contexts section at the front includes Mythology, Geology, When to Come to Crete, etc and there are plenty colour photographs within to whet the appetite of anybody planning to go to Crete. A very nice book. Out of Print
Oliver Rackham and
Jennifer Moody Making of the Cretan
Landscape *****
An absolutely fantastic book and essential for those
interested in topography, geography and anything that goes with creation and formation of
the landscape. If you love Crete this book is for you. Walking, Flora and Fauna.
Sorry about the scan this book deserves better.
Possibly my all-time favourite book to Crete; A
veritable treasure trove of useful information. SJ
For a full review please look at the page I wrote for Explore Crete Stelios Jackson
Paperback only; Hardback Out of Print.
Kiki Santorinaiou
Crete:
A tour of the towns and villages
Paperback A nice pictorial guide to Crete.
George Sfikas
Wild
Flowers of Crete
Paperback The best of Sfikas' efforts on flora and fauna to
various parts of Greece. This is succinct guide with good photos for the amateur
enthusiast. Not as thorough as Turland's Flora of the Cretan Area.
For a full review by Lance Chilton and myself, for
explorecrete.com, click on the banner below: SJ
Christopher Somerville Explorer Crete (pack including map) ***** "A pictorial book with information on all aspects of Crete" would have been my only comments on this book if I hadn't sat down and decided to read it, pretty much from cover to cover. This is an excellent read, the pictures are lovely and the "in focus" sections within each of the nomoi (areas) of Crete are wonderful. The book starts of with a "Crete is" and a "Crete was" section, looking at present day and historical Crete and moves on to describe each of the nomoi in detail. The map which comes with the book does not mention a scale (nor does it have an index grrrr!), but I'd guess that it is around 1-250,000. A thoroughly good book, ideal for the first time traveller and I would recommend buying this a month or so before you head-off; it is that detailed. SJ
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All the Cretan pages and opinions herein are copyright of me, Stelios Jackson and reflect my views; if you'd like to add anything or know of a book that you believe should be on these pages, or a link that would be worth adding, e-mail me: Jackson All links are placed entirely free of charge but in the unlikely event of any resulting problems they will be removed at my discretion.
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Thanks
alot. S.J.
