A Traveller's History of Greece [Paperback]

Tim Boatswain (Author), Colin Nicolson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Traveller's History | Publication Date: August 2000

In A Traveller's History of Greece, the reader is provided with an authoritative general history of Greece from its earliest beginnings down to the present day. It covers in a clear and comprehensive manner the classical past, the conflict with Persia, the conquest by the Romans, the Byzantine era and the occupation by the Turks; the struggle for independence and the turbulence of recent years, right up to current events.

This history will help the visitor make sense of modern Greece against the background of its diverse heritage. Illustrated with maps and line drawings, A Traveller's History of Greece is an invaluable companion for your vacation.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tim Boatswain is Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Luton in England. Colin Nicolson teaches Modern European History at the University of North London. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Pub Group Inc; 4th Rev&Up edition (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566563666
• ISBN-13: 978-1566563666
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An lucid and balanced summary of Greek history, November 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Traveller's History of Greece (Paperback)

Just the thing for those who want to find out more about the Greek past than can be got from the usual bland guidebook account. This is an excellent summary of Greek history, particularly interesting on the period after 1453 usually glossed over in standard 'patriotic' accounts. The authors plot a course through the political minefields with great skill, dealing with hot-potatoes like the War of Independence and the Civil War with admirable detachment and clarity. No doubt some Greeks will be offended by the de-mythologising of the Greek independence struggle, and will balk at the notion that Turkish rule was not unreservedly evil, but for the intelligent traveller this book will provide an informative and stimulating beach-side read.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful for the traveler, July 2, 2001

By 

Alekos (Cancun, Quintana Roo Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Traveller's History of Greece (Paperback)

This book should prove quite useful for those traveling to Greece, whether the trip is still in the planning stage or even if it has already been done and the traveler wants to enrich his or her experience with some background information. It is clearly intended for the non-specialist but contains a few insights I had not found in more learned volumes. The style and tone are crisp and fast-paced throughout. The first part, by Boatswain (120 pages), goes from very early Greek civilization to the fall of Constantinople. Normally, this would be too few pages for so much material, but the author does an adequate job, considering his purpose. The second part, by Nicolson, takes us to the end of the twentieth century. I must admit to a bit of disappointment with Boatswain's treatment of the world of Hellenism. He gets all the facts right but wobbles on the spirit of the Hellenistic -- as distinct from the Hellenic. But this is not a real flaw since few historians bother to elaborate on the distinction. Recommended for travelers and for general readers.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A concise history lesson perfect for travellers, December 5, 1999

By 

Matthew Tomich (Basel, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Traveller's History of Greece (Traveller's Histories Series) (Paperback)

This was the first Greek history book that I read and was interesting enough to both be read in a single sitting and spur my interest to further study Greek history. It's format is of a general, sweeping political overview with the more dramatic points (Pelo. War, War of Independence, the Greek Civil War) covered in detail, while other eras are glossed over in just a handful of pages (Byzantium, Roman occupation).

There's a detectable populist-sympathetic slant that is detectible especially in the last third of the book, but such sentiment probably more accurately reflects the Greece that the traveller will find today than Ancient Athens.

More academic treatments can be found by Richard Clogg in 'A Concise History of Greece' and the sadly out-of-print 'Modern Greece' by C.M. Woodhouse.