Customer Reviews

One Mykonos: Being Ancient, Being Islands, Being Giants, Being Gay

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I wanted to love this book. Like so many others I long to experience the magic of Mykonos and opted for this book as a surrogate. It is well written, but it is more for the reader interested in Greek history than those who expect to discover the essence of an island, a haven, a fantasy. Highly recommended as a suitcase tuck if you're planning a vacation to the Greek Islands, but if you crave the flavor of the place this is a disappointingly dry read.

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book, but I'm now convinced I loved it. James Davidson, that handsome, brilliant young classical scholar from London has given us a small book (5 ½ in.by 7 ½, & 151 Pages). However, this book may be small in size and page number but is full of great information. It's part travelogue, classical history, mythology, and personal essay about the island of Mykonos. Mykonos is among the top 10 gay vacation spots today. Davidson gives us his impressions and feelings, as well as a wonderful history of this beautiful island.

This is a fascinating read, and now I know I definitely want to visit this Greek island of Mykonos. Reading Mr. Davidson's wonderful book made me feel as if I actually had visited there already. It's nice to know the history of a place, and this book gives you that, but you also get his feelings about life there, too. Make sure you read this one; highly recommended.

James Davidson has written two books both aimed at a general readership, not only the academic world ("Courtesans and Fishcakes" 1999, "The Greeks and Greek Love" 2009). The former received good reviews, and the latter some mixed reactions. This shorter book defies classification. It reads as a series of meditations on the landscape of the Aigean Sea from the beaches of Mykonos. He seamlessly combines the the history of the neighboring Greek isles and the mainland with the myths of creation and the holiday of a knowledgeable, vacationing traveler. The subtitle "Being Ancient, Being Islands, Being Giants, Being Gay" is either a sort of table of contents or a else a kind of abstract for the rest of the book. One part travelogue, one part guidebook, one part stream of consciousness and two parts history makes for a nice diversion. Sit on the beach and read about better ones a long time ago and a world away.