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Italy & the Mediterranean Cruise

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXMED486. Buy these 5 items as a set for $70 including shipping, 20% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Mediterranean by Cruise Ship

Mediterranean by Cruise Ship

by Anne Vipond

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES

The best-selling, compact guide, featuring excellent local maps, hundreds of color photographs, concise background information and recommended excursions for ports-of-call throughout the Mediterranean. (MED34, $21.95)

La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

by Beppe Severgnini

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses the apparently never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. Severgnini opens the book with a snapshot of the hubbub at Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia. (ITL718, $14.00)

The Search for Ancient Egypt

The Search for Ancient Egypt

by Jean Vercoutter

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 207 PAGES

This pocket encyclopedia, packed with illustrations, tells the tale of Greek travelers, buried treasure, international intrigue and scholarship in understanding Egypt. (EGY02, $15.95)

Greece, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Greece, A Traveler's Literary Companion

by Artemis Leontis

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

In this terrific anthology, 24 modern Greek writers introduce Greek culture, people and landscapes. (GRE190, $14.95)

Mediterranean Explorer

Mediterranean Explorer

by Ocean Explorer Maps

  • 2006
  • MAP
  • BEST SELLER

This handy color map of the Mediterranean from Spain to the Black Sea and the Levant puts ancient sites and historic ports into context. With notable people, a timeline and descriptions of dozens of places across the classical world, this map serves equally well for Mediterranean and Black Sea cruises. (MED89, $11.95)

 
Alexandria Illustrated

Alexandria Illustrated


by Michael Haag

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 80 PAGES

A warm, richly illustrated portrait of the city, featuring 125 color photographs of the people, monuments and attractions of Alexandria alongside Michael Haag's insightful commentary. (EGY142, $22.95)

Eyewitness Guide Cyprus

Eyewitness Guide Cyprus


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

This wonderfully organized and visually rich guide features outstanding maps, essays on culture, history and geography and a guide to attractions. (CYP11, $20.00)

Eyewitness Guide Greek Islands

Eyewitness Guide Greek Islands


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 408 PAGES

Color photography, excellent local maps and an island-by-island synopsis of attractions make this book the one to carry with you. (GRE37, $28.00)

Eyewitness Guide Italy

Eyewitness Guide Italy


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • FLEXI-BOUND
  • 720 PAGES

This superb guide features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country's attractions. (ITL32, $30.00)

Fodor's Milan's 25 Best

Fodor's Milan's 25 Best


by Fodor's Travel Publications

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

A handy, shirt-pocket guide to Milan with a map and essential information on its highlights. (ITL608, $11.99)

Fodor's Rome's 25 Best

Fodor's Rome's 25 Best


by Fodor's

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

This shirt-pocket guide includes a map of the city and essential information on its highlights. (ITL112, $11.99)

Biba's Italy

Biba's Italy


by Biba Caggiano

  • FOOD
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

Caggiano focuses on regional, seasonal food in this omnibus cookbook (featuring 100 recipes), menu planner and travel guide to Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan and Venice. Nicely produced, this handsome sepia-toned book includes recommended restaurants, cafes and markets in each city. (ITL777, $29.95)

The Foods of the Greek Islands, Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean

The Foods of the Greek Islands, Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean


by Aglaia Kremezi

  • FOOD
  • 2000
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

Kremezi spent eight years collecting the recipes in this cookbook. Filled with lively histories of the islands, cultural asides and stunning photographs, the book is perfect for anyone interested in Greek island life. (GRE120, $40.00)

Ancient Turkey, A Traveller's History

Ancient Turkey, A Traveller's History


by Seton Lloyd

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

Turkey's archaeology and early history for the traveler by the former head of the British Archaeological Institute in Ankara. (TKY43, $28.95)

Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Why the Greeks Matter

Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Why the Greeks Matter


by Thomas Cahill

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Cahill sketches ancient Greek society and civilization through the lives and words of politicians, playwrights, a poet, philosopher and artist in this eloquent and absorbing tribute. (GRE182, $16.00)

The Ancient Mediterranean

The Ancient Mediterranean


by Michael Grant

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 374 PAGES

Grant explores the realms of archaeology, geography, art and economics to sketch this classic portrait of the ancient world, from prehistory through the Roman Imperium, and the influence on western civilization. (MED10, $20.00)

The Egyptians

The Egyptians


by Cyril Aldred

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A volume in the "Ancient Peoples and Places" series, this classic book is an outstanding account of the history and culture of ancient Egypt. With hundreds of illustrations and maps. (EGY26, $18.95)

The Middle Sea

The Middle Sea


by John Julius Norwich

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 720 PAGES

A marvelous writer who has already tackled Byzantium, the Normans in Sicily and Venice, Norwich spins his magic in this story of culture, trade and politics, royalty and rulers, wars and religion in the Mediterranean. (MED98, $21.00)

Ephesos, Metropolis of Asia: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Its Archaeology, Religion, and Culture

Ephesos, Metropolis of Asia: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Its Archaeology, Religion, and Culture


by Helmut Koester

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

A comprehensive scholarly portrait of the city with contributions by 12 scholars of archaeology, classics, art, history and religion. (TKY49, $30.00)

Sites of Antiquity, From Ancient Egypt to the Fall of Rome

Sites of Antiquity, From Ancient Egypt to the Fall of Rome


by Charles Freeman

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 248 PAGES

Enticing aerial shots, detailed site plans, glorious modern photographs and illustrations illuminate 50 key monuments, cities or sites of the Mediterranean world, from Giza, Luxor and Karnak to the Parthenon, Ephesus, Pergamon, Petra and Constantinople. (MED150, $50.00)

The Parthenon

The Parthenon


by Mary Beard

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 204 PAGES

A lively tale of the construction, significance and many uses of the 2,500-year-old marvel. (GRE195, $14.95)

The Search for Ancient Greece

The Search for Ancient Greece


by Roland Etienne | Francoise Etienne

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES

Lavishly illustrated, this pocket encyclopedia covers the archaeology and meaning of ancient Greece, quite an accomplishment for such a slim book. (GRE01, $15.95)

A Year in the World, Journeys of a Passionate Traveler

A Year in the World, Journeys of a Passionate Traveler


by Frances Mayes

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 420 PAGES

A warm account of mostly Mediterranean travels -- Spain, Portugal, Greece, Sicily, Capri, Sardinia, the Turkish Coast, Naples, Burgundy, Scotland -- arranged by season. (TVL109, $15.00)

Dinner with Persephone

Dinner with Persephone


by Patricia Storace

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 398 PAGES

The pleasures and complexities of contemporary Greece, marvelously described by an American poet spending a year there. Storace intertwines her own perceptions with the history of the country and the influence of pop culture on the classical landscape. (GRE28, $15.95)

Reflections on a Marine Venus

Reflections on a Marine Venus


by Lawrence Durrell

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 198 PAGES

The great novelist writes of the warmth of the people and the intoxicating beauty of Rhodes in this classic ode, originally published in 1953. Also out in new editions are Durrell's books on Corfu (GRE48), Cyprus (MED13) and Sicily (ITL08). (GRE29, $12.00)

The Colossus of Maroussi

The Colossus of Maroussi


by Henry Miller

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 223 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Miller captures the spirit and warmth of the resilient Greek people in this inspired tale of a wartime journey from Athens to Crete, Corfu and Delphi with his friend Lawrence Durrell. (GRE05, $12.95)

Turkish Reflections, A Biography of a Place

Turkish Reflections, A Biography of a Place


by Mary Lee Settle

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 253 PAGES

Settle's travelogue is a richly detailed portrait of Turkey, its people, myths, treasures and traditions. (TKY08, $16.99)

Death in Cyprus

Death in Cyprus


by M. M. Kaye

  • MYSTERY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 211 PAGES

When a murder disrupts their Mediterranean cruise, Amanda Derrington and her uncle must go ashore in Cyprus. But has the murderer followed them? (MED66, $17.99)

Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile


by Agatha Christie

  • MYSTERY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 333 PAGES

How could we resist? Christie wrote Egypt's most famous murder mystery on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. (EGY09, $12.99)

The Egyptologist, A Novel

The Egyptologist, A Novel


by Arthur Phillips

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

A playful and clever novel convincingly set in the milieu of 1920s Egyptian archaeology. Phillips deftly combines historical personages and events with wild invention. (EGY128, $15.00)

The Odyssey

The Odyssey


by Homer | Robert Fagles

  • LITERATURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 541 PAGES

Translator Robert Fagles captures the poetry and power of The Odyssey in this translation, celebrated for its clarity and expressiveness. (GRE45, $17.00)

The Smiles of Rome, A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers

The Smiles of Rome, A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers


by Susan Cahill

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 332 PAGES

A wonderfully inspired anthology featuring excerpts from 29 writers and artists interspersed with practical suggestions for travelers. (ITL573, $14.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.