The Peloponnese: A Traveller's Guide to the Sites, Monuments and History [Paperback]

E. Karpodini-Dimitriadi (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: E P Dutton (January 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883323060
• ISBN-13: 978-0883323069
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,958,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tourist friendly look at the Peloponnese of Greece, March 23, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Peloponnese: A Traveller's Guide to the Sites, Monuments and History (Paperback)

"The Peloponnese," by archaeologist E. Karpodini-Dimitriadi was the volume that our tour guide, Poupi, recommended for the first two days of our tour of Greece. This was when traveled from Athens down to the Peloponnese, crossing the Corinth canal on our way to visiting Old Corinth, Mycenea, Epidaurus, Nauplion, and Olympia. The book is actually organized pretty much along similar lines, starting in the northeast corner and working around the Peloponnese in a general circle, clockwise. Consequently, as you look over any given section there is a good chance that the next one is a place that you are heading towards.

If you are traveling around Greece by bus this is ideal, because you are talking about a half-dozen pages on a particular location, which you can readily read on the bus. There is an introductory section on the general history of the Peloponnese, which is basically a history of Greece as well. For each particular location there is an initial description of the geographic location, a history of the region, and descriptions of the sites. If there is a local museum that is given its own subsection detailing the key treasures you can see there. The goal is clearly to provide a better appreciation for these sites rather than to substitute for the experience of visiting them. You can also use this information to decide what it is you want to see: if you check out Ancient Corinth then you can decide if you want to go up and check out Acrocorinth. There are flaps on both the front and back cover that you can use as bookmarks to mark places. Taking the book with you as you tour the sites is not rally going to work, especially if you are also carting around a camera. But reading it before and after your visit is really not a big effort.

Copies of "The Peloponnese" are literally available all over the southern part of Greece, at every ancient site, hotel, and most stores. Additionally, the book is available in most major languages, again solidifying its reputation as a tourist friendly volume. No wonder it won the 1982 Prize of the Union of Greek Journalists and Writers on Tourism. Of course, this becomes the only serious complaint with the book, that it was written in 1981 (and there is no indication that it has been updated). This is a richly illustrated volume, with color photographs of the site, along with pictures of key artifacts discovered at each (even if they are in museums in Athens), and maps of the archaeological ruins you will be visiting. There are also some reconstructions of ancient locations, to give you an idea of what a place like Olympia looked like in its glory days. Like all traveler's guides you will find in Greece, "The Peloponnese" is affordably priced (amazingly so). You can pick up volumes on key individual locations (e.g., Mycenae, Olympia), but "The Peloponnese" is the best single volume for sites, monuments and history in this part of Greece.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you want to pack up and move to Greece!, May 20, 2007

By 

Sylviastel - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Greece: A Traveller's Guide to the Sites, Monuments and History (Paperback)

I would love to visit Greece and explore the country's rich history. It's contributions to architecture and it's beauty. This book is worth the price because the colored photographs and pictures are first class. There is a large fold out map that details Greece in full. Also, it's written by a Greek archaelogist who knows the islands and Greece very well. He provides a service to tourists and visitors who seek to know Greece very well. It just makes me want to Greek lessons and move to Greece. The beauty of Greece is unsurpassed as you look at the pictures of this book. The shear beauty of Greece is that Greeks appreciate their country and are proud of it's magnificient history and contributions to today's world. I would love to visit Greece and spend enough time there. I don't think a week or two would be enough to savor Greek hospitality, cuisine, culture, etc. I think it would takes months and years to fully explore Greece in all majestic glory.