The Aeneid  •  Virgil  •  Robert Fagles LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES Robert Fagles tackles Virgil's epic poem of Aeneas and his Mediterranean wanderings with the same fluid verse and narrative flair as in his translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Written in the first century B.C., The Aeneid is at turns an adventure story to rival those of Homer and a piece of propaganda commissioned by Augustus to celebrate the birth of the Roman Empire. (ITL798, $16.00)
After the Divorce  •  Grazia Deledda  •  Susan Ashe LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 174 PAGES In 1926 Grazia Deledda won the Nobel Prize for literature, making her, at the time, only the second woman to receive such an honor. This powerful and tragic tale of murder and infidelity is set, like many of her novels, on her native Sardinia. Evocative of the pre-Christian era in the Mediterranean, it tells of what happens when a suspected murderer learns from prison that his wife is remarrying. (ITL196, $17.00)
Ancient Art from Cyprus, The Cesnola Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art  •  Metropolitan Museum of Art  •  Vassos Karageorghis  •  Marice Rose ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 400 PAGES Published in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this book features 500 objects from the museum's Cesnola Collection, the best outside of Cyprus. It showcases glass and stone sculptures, terra-cotta figurines, lamps, pottery and jewelry. (CYP04, $60.00)
The Ancient Greece of Odysseus  •  Peter Connolly ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS An illustrated retracing of the legendary hero's journey through the ancient Mediterranean world, much enhanced by site reconstructions and photographs depicting archaeological discoveries. Written for ages 12 to 14, the book includes detailed asides about Trojan history, Greek costume, the Greek art of war and other relevant topics. (GRE33, $15.95)
The Ancient Mediterranean World, from the Stone Age to A.D. 600  •  Robin Winks  •  Susan Mattern-Parkes HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A concise history of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Rome from the Paleolithic through the seventh century A.D., geared for university students. With 50 illustrations and 10 maps. (MED92, $39.95)
Battle Over Malta, Aircraft Losses and Crash Sites 1940-42  •  Anthony Rogers HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 244 PAGES Between 1940 and 1942, more than a thousand aircraft crashed in and around the island of Malta. By interviewing eyewitnesses and survivors, Malta native Rogers creates a unique, researched narrative that tragically recounts the air battle for Malta. (MLT07, $16.95)
Blue Guide Cyprus  •  Bernard McDonagh  •  Ian Robertson  •  Lorna Bernard GUIDEBOOK •  1998 •  PAPER  • 255 PAGES Now in its fourth edition, this Blue Guide covers in detail the art, history, culture and architecture of Cyprus and offers practical travel information. It's a comprehensive, no-nonsense overview of the country. (CYP01, $19.95)
Bread and Oil, Majorcan Culture's Last Stand  •  Tomas Graves CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES An appreciative account of peasant traditions, especially food, in rural Majorca. Author Tomas Graves, the son of Robert Graves, was raised on the Spanish island. (SPN179, $24.95)
Carmen and Other Stories  •  Prosper Merimee  •  Nicholas Jotcham LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 361 PAGES A sophisticated Parisian, Merimee preferred tales of high drama, banditry, outlaws and outcasts set in exotic locales, preferably in the past. This collection of nine stories includes: Carmen, the source for the opera; Columba, set in Corsica; the Etruscan Vase, one of his Parisian tales; The Storming of the Redoubt, involving Napoleon's 1812 Russian campaign; and Lokis, set in the forests of Medieval Lithuania. (FRN201, $13.95)
Cyprus Map  •  GeoCenter MAP A colorful map of the island of Cyprus, at a scale of 1:250,000. (CYP06, $11.95)
Death in Cyprus  •  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? By the much-loved author of "The Far Pavilions." (MED66, $14.95)
The Eternal Darkness, A Personal History of Deep-Sea Exploration  •  Robert D. Ballard  •  Will Hively ARCHAEOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 408 PAGES A memoir, account of scientific expeditions, and history of oceanography rolled into one, this personal tour of the undersea world comes from a titan in the field, Titanic discover Robert Ballard. (OCE74, $24.95)
European Cruises & Ports of Call  •  Frommer's GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 402 PAGES A practical guide to choosing, booking and preparing for a cruise in the Mediterranean, Baltic, British Isles and Northern Europe. With chapters on popular ports of call. (EUR230, $21.99)
Eyewitness Guide Corsica  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 216 PAGES Gorgeous, well illustrated and filled with excellent maps, this compact book is a thorough overview of Corsica, its history, traditions, cultures and sights. With hundreds of color photographs and illustrations. (MED77, $20.00)
Eyewitness Guide Sardinia  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A comprehensive guide to the island of Sardinia, featuring color photography, dozens of excellent maps and a synopsis of the island's attractions. (ITL183, $20.00)
Eyewitness Top Ten Cyprus  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions in Cyprus. (CYP09, $10.00)
Figs, Dates, Laurel, and Myrrh: Plants of the Bible and the Quran  •  Lytton John Musselman NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES From acacia, the wood of the tabernacle, to wormwood, whose bitter leaves, as absinthe, flavor alcoholic drinks of ancient times, this richly illustrated ecumenical botany covers the more than 100 plants. (MDE126, $24.95)
A Handbook of Greek Art: A Survey of the Visual Arts  •  Gisela M. A. Richter ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES Arranged by subject, this illustrated handbook covers in depth the whole range of Hellenic art, from architecture to sculpture, furniture, ornament and pottery. With 520 black-and-white illustrations. (GRE16, $22.95)
Hippocrates in a World of Pagans and Christians  •  Owsei Temkin HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER Throughout history, Hippocratic practice has been adopted by physicians of numerous religious persuasions. This scholarly book looks at the practice's pagan origins, as well as the issues surrounding the adoption of Hippocratic thinking into the dogmatic world of the early Christian Church. (MED69, $25.95)
The Histories  •  Herodotus HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 656 PAGES In what may be the first travel book, Herodotus records the heroic struggle between Europe and Asia that culminated in the invasion of Greece by Xerxes. (MED15, $10.00)
The Hundred Days  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES In the second to last of O'Brian's wildly popular "Aubrey and Maturin" novels, the seafaring duo are hot on the trail of Napoleon Bonaparte, who has escaped from exile on Elba and is threatening to invade Europe. The plot hinges on a shipment of Islamic gold that must be intercepted at all costs. (MED38, $14.95)
In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great  •  Michael Wood HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES Historian Michael Wood recreates the epic journey of Alexander the Great across Asia in this companion volume to the documentary television series. With a good selection of maps, photographs and illustrations of Hellenic art and artifacts from the region. (MED23, $21.95)
The Ionian Mission  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1994 •  HARD COVER Captain Jack at large in the Mediterranean in an ancient man-of-war, this volume in the rousing Aubrey and Maturin series takes the commander and his naturalist sidekick into the eponymous Ionian Isles, getting them mixed up not only with the French navy but also in Ottoman affairs. (MED60, $24.00)
The Ionian Mission  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1991 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES Captain Jack at large in the Mediterranean in an ancient man-of-war. This, the eighth volume in the rousing Aubrey and Maturin series, takes the commander and his naturalist sidekick into the eponymous Ionian Isles, getting them mixed up not only with the French navy but also in Ottoman affairs. (MED26, $14.95)
The Jew of Malta  •  David Bevington  •  Christopher Marlowe LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 150 PAGES Marlowe's play, written around 1590, of Barabas, a rich Maltese Jew whose land is confiscated -- and whose plans for revenge prove his undoing. (MLT14, $12.95)
Lonely Planet Cyprus  •  Paul Hellander GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES Featuring 30 maps and archaeological sites, this Lonely Planet guide offers information on attractions, activities, traditional cuisine and tips for traveling between North and South Cyprus. (CYP02, $19.99)
Lonely Planet Malta & Gozo  •  Neil Wilson GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 204 PAGES In Lonely Planet's hallmark style, this practical guide to Malta features maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature, and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With 41 maps, top swimming spots, a language guide and glossary and an insider's guide to the island's cuisine. It also covers the islands of Gozo and Comino. (MLT09, $16.99)
Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe  •  Steve Fallon GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 776 PAGES The Lonely Planet treatment of Mediterranean Europe, including Albania, Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Malta, Portugal, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey, plus Tunisia and Morocco. 140 Maps. Hefty! (MED37, $28.99)
Malta and Gozo Map  •  World Mapping Project MAP A topographic map of the islands of Malta and Gozo at a detailed scale of 1:50,000, with contour lines, distance markers and ferry routes. (MLT15, $6.95)
Malta Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP A travel map of Malta at a scale of 1:30,000. (MLT06, $11.95)
The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Phillip II  •  Fernand Braudel HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 642 PAGES Volume I in the classic history of the Mediterranean, this book by the great Braudel is a richly detailed tour of the Mediterranean in the 1500s, a time of discovery and empire building. Not for the faint of heart, avid readers of history will devour this book. (MED18, $45.00)
Mediterranean Summer, A Season on France's Cote D'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella  •  David Shalleck TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A young American chef recounts his alluring, evocative summer voyage on the Mediterranean and into the enchanting seaside towns of France's Cote d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella aboard an Italian billionaire couple's spectacular yacht. (MED111, $12.95)
Mystery of the Ancient Seafarers. Early Maritime Civilizations  •  Robert D. Ballard HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 256 PAGES This beautifully illustrated overview of ancient shipwrecks and civilizations in and around the Mediterranean features the pioneering work of Bob Ballard. With chapters on the Black Sea, Phoenicians, Minoans, Greeks and Romans, the book covers the sweep the ancient Mediterranean. Santorini, Crete and Homer all get special attention. (MED91, $35.00)
Nelles Guide Cyprus  •  Nelles GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This handsome guide, notable for its first-rate photography and outstanding maps, covers the history, culture and contemporary life of Cyprus. (MED14, $15.95)
The Odyssey  •  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, $16.00)
The Olive, Tree of Civilization  •  John Train  •  Mark E. Smith HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 128 PAGES A history of the celebrated vegetable and the mythology behind it. (NAT72, $25.00)
The Origins of Christian Morality: The First Two Centuries  •  Wayne A. Meeks RELIGION •  1995 •  PAPER  • 275 PAGES A scholarly, closely examined study of early Christian discourse on the subject of morality. (MED52, $22.00)
Pagan Holiday, On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists  •  Tony Perrottet TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES This eccentric pilgrimage by Perrottet and his pregnant wife takes the couple in the footsteps of the ancient Romans, who -- way back when -- enjoyed too a tour of their empire from Rome to Naples to Sparta to Cairo culminating, naturally, with a cruise on the Nile. Has anything changed in the intervening millennia? Off the couple went to the Mediterranean to find out, our modern travelers, armed with a backpack, sense of humor, guide to Greece (written for the Romans by Pausanias in the 2nd century), and an ancient Roman map transcribed onto a 20-foot-roll. Perrottet's travelogue mixes up his modern adventures with ancient accounts and history. (MED72, $13.95)
The Phoenicians and the West, Politics, Colonies and Trade  •  Maria Eugenia Aubet HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 348 PAGES In this insightful study, in its second edition, Aubet presents a new understanding of the Phoenicians and the Phoenician system of trade based on recent research and archaeology. With maps, tables and black-and-white illustrations. This book provides a scholarly background to Carthage and Palermo, two important Phoenician trading cities. (MED12, $39.99)
Pomponius Mela's Description of the World  •  F. E. Romer  •  Pomponius Mela EXPLORATION •  1998 •  PAPER  • 165 PAGES Pomponius Mela traveled throughout Europe, Africa and Asia in the first century A.D. These are his observations of the geography, history and culture of near and then distant lands of the Roman Empire. A modern English version by F. E. Romer, who also provides helpful commentary. (MED53, $30.00)
Race of Scorpions  •  Dorothy Dunnett LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 534 PAGES An absorbing tale of political intrigue set in the 15th-century Ottoman empire and throughout the Mediterranean. It's volume three of Dunnett's masterful "House of Niccolo" series, the story of Nicholas vander Poele of Bruges, a young dyer's apprentice who gets caught up in the rivalry for the throne of Cyprus. The characters may be fictitious but the historical footing is solid and the setting credible. (MED33, $15.95)
The Religion of Paul the Apostle  •  John Ashton RELIGION •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 261 PAGES Ashton, a New Testament scholar, focuses on the religious experience of Paul in this provocative study of the origins of Christianity. A revised and expanded version of a series of eight lectures given at Oxford. Ashton considers Paul in turn as shaman, mystic, apostle, prophet and possessed. Anyone who calls Jesus a Shaman is bound to stir up discussion. (MED54, $40.00)
The Rise of Christianity  •  Rodney Stark RELIGION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES The subtitle to this book says it all: "How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries." More a sociological study than a religious history, the book delves into what compelled so many people to convert to the then infant religion. (MED64, $14.95)
Rough Guide Corsica  •  David Abram GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 496 PAGES A no-nonsense, comprehensive travel guide with region-by-region descriptions and a good overview of history and culture. The outstanding British Rough Guide series provides an insider's sense of local life. (MED31, $17.99)
Rough Guide Cyprus  •  Marc Dubin  •  Damien Morris GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 522 PAGES A no-nonsense, comprehensive travel guide to Cyprus with region-by-region descriptions and a good overview of history and culture. The outstanding British Rough Guide series provides an insider's sense of local life. (CYP10, $18.99)
Sardinia Map  •  Touring Club Italiano MAP A colorful map of the island of Sardinia, at a scale of 1:200,000. (ITL259, $12.95)
Saving the Oceans  •  Joseph MacInnis NATURAL HISTORY •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 180 PAGES • COMING IN An illustrated and up-to-date summary of threats to oceans around the world by a panel of experts, including Sylvia Earle. Deep Sea diving pioneer Joseph MacInnis edited the book, which features 120 superb photographs, maps and illustrations. The book takes us to the ice-covered Arctic Ocean, beleaguered Mediterranean and 13,000 feet down to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. It is an articulate, beautiful overview of our oceans. A portion of the royalties from the sale of this book are donated to the World Wildlife Fund. (OCE04, $40.00)
The Sicilian Vespers, A History of the Mediterranean World in the Later Thirteenth Century  •  Steven Runciman HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 355 PAGES A spellbinding history of the 13th-century Kingdom of Sicily. The massacre of the French at Palermo, known as the Sicilian Vespers, is the springboard for the author's sweeping depiction of the Mediterranean in the late 1200's. It's a classic history in the excellent "Canto" series by Cambridge University Press, originally published in 1958. (ITL295, $19.99)
Sicily and Sardinia Map  •  Touring Club Italiano MAP A map of the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, along with the Aeolian Islands and Malta, at a scale of 1:400,000. (ITL223, $12.95)
South Wind Through the Kitchen, The Best of Elizabeth David  •  Elizabeth David FOOD •  2006 •  PAPER  • 383 PAGES A selection of recipes and essays, chosen judiciously by Jill Norman, from David's nine influential books, including Book of Mediterranean Food and French Country Cooking. With 200 recipes. David writes equally as well and insightfully about culture and society as about the food itself. Julian Barnes provides the introduction to this edition. First published in the 1950s. (MED30, $18.95)
Splendor of Malta  •  Marquis Anthony Cassar de Sain  •  Shirley Jackewicz Johnston ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 228 PAGES A handsomely illustrated celebration of the island, featuring color photographs of the grand palaces of the Knights of St. John, who in the 16th century built the island into a showcase for Renaissance and Baroque architecture. (MLT10, $85.00)
Sunflower Guide Corsica  •  Noel Rochford GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 136 PAGES A pocket guide to walks and driving tours in Corsica with practical travel information, fold-out maps and color photographs. (MED96, $15.99)
Tourmaline, A Novel  •  Joanna Scott LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES In this absorbing novel, narrated 50 years after the main action by the youngest son, an eccentric geologist decamps for Elba with his family in 1956, convinced that the island's mineral wealth will turn around his own personal fortune. Much transpires. Scott interweaves her wholly fictitious tale of a family in trouble with plenty of detail about Elba and Napoleon's exile. (FRN368, $13.95)
A Traveller's History of Cyprus  •  Timothy Boatswain HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 231 PAGES A brief history of Cyprus from ancient times to today -- accessible and necessarily condensed. With a chronology and historical gazetteer. (CYP08, $14.95)
Treason's Harbour  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 334 PAGES Stephen Maturin, Jack Aubrey and the crew of the H.M.S. Surprise contend with pirates and Napoleon's spies in this splendid novel set on and around Malta. This is the ninth book in O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series, which pits a British sea captain and his surgeon/naturalist sidekick against Napoleonic forces around the globe. The series is as laudable for its attention to geographical and natural detail as for its historically accurate, high-adventure plots. (MLT16, $13.95)
Underwater Archaeology, Exploring the World Beneath the Sea  •  Jean-Yves Blot  •  Alexandra Campbell EXPLORATION •  1996 •  PAPER  • 175 PAGES An illustrated introduction to the science and art of underwater archaeology, including a history of exploration, methods, artifacts, key shipwrecks and other underwater sites. Part of the "Discoveries" series, it features 200 color and black-and-white illustrations. (OCE39, $12.95)