Alexander of Macedon, 356-323 B.C.  •  Peter Green BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  PAPER  • 617 PAGES An outstanding biography of the complex ruler, this book combines great storytelling, adventure, romance, brutish violence, historical accuracy -- and vivid character sketches of Darius, Aristotle and other famous personalities. With his commanding knowledge and his way with words, Alexander of Macedon is a scholarly book that you can't put down. (GRE56, $22.95)
Alexander the Great  •  Robin Lane Fox BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  PAPER  • 568 PAGES A popular biography of Alexander the Great, noteworthy for its scholarship, great descriptions and psychological insight. This enormously readable book succeeds in bringing the man and his era to life. (GRE17, $16.00)
Alexander's Path  •  Freya Stark TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1990 •  PAPER  • 283 PAGES Classic travel writing, well researched and evocative. Stark journeyed throughout the Near East in the 1950s, producing a series of classic travelogues. In this book, she retraces the route of Alexander the Great along the shores of western and southern Turkey including Xanthus, Myra and Miletus. It's an excellent companion for anyone sailing from Kusadasi to Antalya. (TKY32, $15.95)
Ancient Greece, A Concise History  •  Peter Green HISTORY •  1979 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES • COMING IN A lively, illustrated history of Greece from the Stone Age to the death of Alexander the Great in under 200 pages. With good maps, a bibliography for further reading and hundreds of black-and-white photos of sites and objects. (GRE04, $18.95)
The Ancient Mediterranean  •  Michael Grant CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1990 •  PAPER  • 374 PAGES Grant, a well known classical scholar, draws on archaeology, geography, art, and economics to paint a vivid picture of ancient cultures, from prehistory through the Roman Imperium, and their influence on western civilization. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, and 19 maps of the region. (MED10, $18.00)
The Arabian Diaries, 1913-1914  •  Gertrude Bell  •  Rosemary O'Brien BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 224 PAGES In the days before she began molding British foreign policy in the Middle East, Gertrude Bell kept herself busy crossing the Arabian desert alone (or sometimes in company with bandits). As a travel and adventure writer, she has the very great advantage of literary talent: her diaries are neither fusty nor musty. Her book is a candid portrait of Arabia, and her accounts of encounters with sheikhs and Bedouins are markedly unexotic. They were her companions or her enemies, and she writes of them as a more domestic author might have written about the parish curate or the town lout. (ARB52, $29.95)
The Argonautika, The Story of Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece  •  Apollonius of Rhodes  •  Peter Green LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER The story, in verse, by Apollonius of Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece, here retold. A noted classicist, Peter Green retranslates the original into readable modern verse. With a helpful glossary and maps that show the route of the journey. (GRE92, $24.95)
Ataturk, The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey  •  Andrew Mango BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 666 PAGES Mango (who was born in Istanbul and has written extensively on modern Turkey) expertly traces Ataturk's rise to power after World War I, when this complex leader created the modern Turkish state and redefined the relationship between Europe and the Middle East. He shows Ataturk's influence on the role of Islam in the modern nation. (TKY52, $24.95)
Birds of the Middle East  •  R.F. Porter  •  P. Schiermacker-Hansen  •  S. Christensen FIELD GUIDE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 460 PAGES An outstanding guide to 700 species of the birds in the region from the Arabian peninsula to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Cyprus. With concise descriptions, range maps and 26 excellent color plates by a team of four artists. (MDE17, $40.00)
Black Sea  •  Neal Ascherson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  PAPER  • 306 PAGES A vivid and entertaining exploration of the Black Sea, with its unique mingling of cultures. Ascherson skillfully interweaves nature, politics, and culture as he describes both the history of the region and the current state of affairs. (RUS46, $18.00)
A Book of Mediterranean Food  •  Elizabeth David FOOD •  2002 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A classic mix of lore, literary asides, recipes and enthusiasm for the food and culture of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and the Middle East. Published in the gloom of post-WWII Britain, David's tribute brims with affection for the strongly flavored food of the Mediterranean. This is the art -- not the science -- of cooking, and her evocative recipes are inspiring. You might, however, have some trouble with this pretty little paperback in the kitchen. You'll have to wrestle it open on the counter. (MED71, $14.95)
Byzantine Art  •  Robin Cormack ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES A scholarly introduction and survey of the art of the Byzantine empire in the Oxford History of Art. With 127 illustrations, 82 in full color. The author contends that, contrary to popular belief, the Byzantines were fully as ambitious -- and their art as constantly evolving -- as their Roman precursors. Illustrated. (MDE64, $27.95)
Byzantine Art and Architecture, An Introduction  •  Lyn Rodley ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 394 PAGES A compendium of articles and essays about Byzantine art, many first published in scholarly international journals. (MDE63, $55.00)
The Byzantines  •  Guglielmo Cavallo  •  Thomas Dunlap HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 294 PAGES A collection of essays from scholars worldwide focusing on the people of the Byzantine empire. (TKY66, $26.00)
Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests  •  Walter Kaegi HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 313 PAGES A classic history, painstakingly researched and utterly absorbing, of the seventh-century conqest of the eastern roman world. Insights on the great campaigns, political alliances and economics of the empire are accompanied by copious charts, maps, graphs and back-and-white illustrations. This book explores the evolution of the 1100-year-old Constantinople into the powerful capital of the Ottoman sultans, an essential reference to the Medieval east including Syria, Armenia and Palestine. (TKY19, $43.00)
Byzantium and the Slavs, In Letters and in Culture  •  Ihor Sevcenko HISTORY •  1985 •  HARD COVER A scholarly collection of essays on the realtionship between the Byzantine Empire and Slavic culture, focusing on political and religious interactions. (TKY73, $52.50)
Byzantium, The Apogee  •  John Julius Norwich HISTORY •  1992 •  HARD COVER Part Two in Norwich's three part history of the Byzantine Empire, this thoroughly researched and surprisingly entertaining volume covers the period from 800 AD to 1000 AD, telling of the empire at its most powerful -- and most cruel. With 32 pages of photographs. (TKY70, $49.95)
The Colossus of Maroussi  •  Henry Miller TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1958 •  PAPER  • 249 PAGES • FAVORITE The soul of Greece circa 1939. Miller captures the spirit and warmth of the resilient Greek people in this tale of a wartime journey from Athens to Crete, Corfu and Delphi with his friend Lawrence Durrell. Miller at his most inspired. (GRE05, $14.95)
Companion Guide Istanbul  •  John Freely GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 428 PAGES A remarkably comprehensive, old-fashioned guide to the culture, art and antiquities of Istanbul and the Marmara by a long-time resident with sites plans, maps and a few black-and-white photographs. (TKY62, $34.95)
A Concise History of Byzanitum  •  Warren T. Treadgold HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A quick, readable survey of the Byzantine Empire, focusing on the spread of cultural and religious ideas. (TKY69, $29.95)
Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture  •  Slobodan Curcic  •  Richard Krautheimer ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 357 PAGES Now in its fourth edition, this is classic, well-illustrated history covers the Eastern Mediterranean from the age of Constantine to the era of Justinian. A volume in the Pelican History of Art published by Yale. (TKY72, $37.00)
Early Christian and Byzantine Art  •  John Lowden ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES An illustrated guide to the architectural heritage of the early Christian period (860-1453), including a survey of the philosophy, ideas and intellectual climate of the time. With hundreds of photographs of Byzantine art, decorated churches and illuminated manuscripts. (EUR23, $24.95)
Eastward to Tartary  •  Robert D. Kaplan TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 364 PAGES A loosely organized travelogue by the author of the acclaimed "Balkan Ghosts," Kaplan connects his travels and experience in the Balkans, the Middle East, Turkey and the Caucasus to the history and culture of Central Asia. (CAS45, $14.95)
The Emergence of Modern Turkey  •  Bernard Lewis HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 524 PAGES The classic history of Turkey from the decline of the Ottoman Empire to 1950 with a focus on the Ataturk revolution. It's authoritative balanced and engaging. This third edition includes new preface by Lewis with reflections on developments in the 1990s. (TKY56, $37.95)
Eothen  •  Alexander William Kinglake TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 242 PAGES Originally published in 1844, this classic travelogue of journeys throughout the Middle East and Asia Minor takes the form and tone of a letter to a good friend: conversational, ironic and personal. Included are ramblings in Constantinople, Palestine, Syria and the Dead Sea. (MDE24, $21.00)
Eyewitness Guide Greek Islands  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES This guide features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and an island-by-island synopsis of attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this compact book provides an essential overview of the Greek Islands (with a chapter on Athens and a section on practicalities). (GRE37, $25.00)
Formation of Islamic Art  •  Oleg Grabar ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 232 PAGES A classic on the art and architecture of the Islamic World by a prominent authority. (ARB28, $29.00)
Greece and Western Turkey Map  •  Hallwag MAP A detailed map of Greece, includes Western Turkey, imported from Switzerland, on a scale of 1:1,000,000. (GRE39, $12.95)
Greece Map  •  World Mapping Project 2003 •  MAP A colorful shaded map of Greece, the Greek Islands, and the west coast of Turkey, at a scale of 1:650,000. Printed on both sides for ease of use, the full color map features good shaded relief, roads and index. If you want the region on one sheet, you might want to consider the Michelin map` of Greece, which also includes Istanbul and more of the Turkish coast (along with better shaded relief). Using the latest cartography from the World Mapping Project, the map is printed on rip-proof and waterproof paper. Water depths are indicated by contour lines in shades of blue and white. (GRE24, $9.99)
Greek Art  •  John Boardman ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A standard brief survey of classical Greek art and architecture, revised to reflect recent archaeology, this book presents hundreds of paintings, frescoes and other objects from antiquity, each in its spiritual and cultural context. A volume in the "World of Art" series. With 300 illustrations, 73 in color. (GRE12, $21.95)
Greek Art  •  Nigel Spivey ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES Geared towards art history students, this concise survey of Greek art is also an excellent overview of the subject for the traveler. Divided thematically, it covers major artists, myths and plays in addition to temple sculpture and architecture. With 200 photographs and mostly color illustrations. A volume in the Art & Ideas series. (GRE68, $24.95)
Hagia Sophia, Architecture, Structure and Liturgy of Justinian's Great Church  •  Rowland Mainstone ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES • COMING IN With 300 illustrations and 56 site plans, this authoritative book will delight any traveler to Istanbul interested in history and architecture. (TKY24, $39.95)
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 Hittites and Their Contemporaries in Asia Minor  •  J. G. MacQueen HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES A solid introduction to the Hittites, an ancient culture of modern-day Turkey. MacQueen surveys the rise and fall of this Anatolian people, their relations with other ancient populations such as the Babylonians and Mycenaean Greeks, and recent archaeological findings. With 149 illustrations, maps and plans. (TKY46, $22.50)
The Iliad  •  Homer  •  Robert Fagles LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 704 PAGES In the excellent Fagles translation -- here presented in a deluxe paper edition -- Homer's Trojan epic hasn't aged a bit in the last 2,700 years. It's as exciting and engrossing as ever. Take it along to Troy and the Aegean. (GRE173, $17.00)
In Search of the Trojan War  •  Michael Wood ARCHAEOLOGY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES This handsomely illustrated book examines the archaeology, history and legends of Troy -- a vivid analysis of the ancient world by the peripatetic anthropologist and documentary filmmaker Michael Wood. With the remarkable Heinrich Schliemann (who discovered Troy in 1873) as his point of departure, Wood takes the reader along on a remarkable story of archaeological adventure. (GRE52, $22.95)
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)
In the Steps of St. Paul  •  H.V. Morton TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES Travels throughout the Mediterranean in search of St. Paul, bible in hand. A pilgrim as much as a traveler, Morton journeys through Syria, Cyprus, Turkey, Macedonia, Greece and Rhodes in this classic account. Fittingly, his appreciative journey ends at the Tomb of St. Paul. As in all his many travel books, Morton charmingly mixing history with offhand humor, anecdote and keen observation. (MED70, $22.00)
Insight Guide Mediterranean Cruises  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 300 PAGES Covering 120 ports of call throughout the Mediterranean from the Canary Islands to Egypt. (MED94, $22.95)
Insight Guide Turkey  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 439 PAGES An outstanding overview of the country from the reliable Insight crew, featuring hundreds of photographs and observant essays on history, culture and nature. With separate chapters on Istanbul, Ephesus, the Aegean Coast, Lycia, and Cappadocia. (TKY38, $22.95)
Insight Pocket Guide Istanbul  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 122 PAGES A brief guide with suggested itineraries and a handy pull-out map. (TKY63, $12.95)
Islam, The Straight Path  •  John L. Esposito RELIGION •  2004 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES A well-written survey of the faith, practice and beliefs of Islam. It's a balanced tome intended for an undergraduate audience, yet it also functions as an excellent overview for the general reader. (MDE22, $39.95)
Islamic Art and Architecture  •  Robert Hillenbrand ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Covering one thousand years and the geographic scope of Islam, this book is a wide-ranging guide to the arts of Islam, including architecture, calligraphy, ceramics, and textiles. A marvelously compact synthesis, it focuses on major styles associated with Muslim dynasties including the Ottomans. With a useful glossary of Islamic terms, time line, maps and 270 illustrations, many in color. (CAS17, $18.95)
Islamic Arts  •  Jonathan Bloom  •  Sheila Blair ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 445 PAGES A comprehensive survey of 1,000 years of Islamic architecture, design and decoration. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, maps and site plans. For anyone with an interest in art, this book is a wonderfully illuminating, stimulating introduction to the subject. (ISL01, $24.95)
Istanbul and the Civilization of the Ottoman Empire  •  Bernard Lewis HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER  • 187 PAGES • FAVORITE In this slim volume the great Islamic scholar describes the invasion of Constantinople by the OttomanTurks on May 29, 1453, evoking the city at this pivotal moment in its long history. It is a fascinating, highly readable look at the people and architecture of the city with a superb discussion of the conquest and its cultural aftermath. Highly recommended for an understanding of the long, complex history of the city. (TKY17, $19.95)
Istanbul Map  •  Borch Maps MAP A laminated, folded map of Istanbul at a scale of 1:11,000. (TKY65, $8.95)
Istanbul, the Imperial City  •  John Freely HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES A lively, anecdotal history of the city geared for the traveler. With historic and modern photographs and neighborhood maps. Freely concludes with a helpful, 60-page section on monuments and museums. (TKY23, $17.00)
The King Must Die  •  Mary Renault LITERATURE •  1988 •  PAPER  • 330 PAGES The tale of Theseus, slayer of the Minotaur and king of Athens, including his Cretan adventures. Known for her exhaustive research, Renault is an acknowledged master of historical fiction. (GRE23, $14.95)
Leo Africanus  •  Amin Maalouf LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 360 PAGES A fictional memoir documenting the first 40 years in the life of Leo Africanus (or Leo the African), a Muslim scholar whose travels lead him throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Based on a real-life figure, Leo is witness to many of the revolutionary changes and figures in the Western world of the period. (MED55, $16.95)
Life in the Ancient Near East, 3100-332 B.C.  •  Daniel C. Snell HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES From the dawn of the written word to conquest by Alexander the Great, the history of the ancient Middle East is traced in this readable, thoroughly researched overview of economic, social and cultural development in the world of the Bible. It's a concise and intriguing study from a professor of history. (MDE56, $22.00)
Lonely Planet Middle East  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 816 PAGES A practical guide to the North African and Mediterranean countries of the Middle East from Libya, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey to Iraq and Iran. With detailed maps, and separate sections on mosques, music and cuisine. (MDE30, $27.99)
Lonely Planet Turkey  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 724 PAGES A comprehensive, practical travel guide to Turkey in the hallmark Lonely Planet Style. It's the most oft-sighted guidebook in the hands of independent travelers to Turkey, jammed with detail on where to go, what to do and where to stay, eat and explore. With a section of color photographs, maps and a good overview of culture and history. (TKY50, $25.99)
Lords of the Horizons, A History of the Ottoman Empire  •  Jason Goodwin TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 351 PAGES An entertaining history of the Ottomans, rich in anecdote and personality. A wonderful writer and journalist, Goodwin artfully combines his modern travels with scholarship, history and reflection, capturing the outrageous personalities, events and vagaries of the 600-year-old Ottoman empire. Goodwin has also written an account of his adventures on foot in the Golden Horn. (TKY44, $16.95)
Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World  •  Peter Weir LITERATURE •  2003 •  DVD Peter Weir's exciting adaptation of two of Patrick O'Brian's popular novels, "Master and Commander" and "The Far Side of the World," starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. Crowe is Captain Jack Aubrey, whose British ship, the HMS Surprise, is battling a mysterious French ship off the coast of Cape Horn during the Napoleonic Wars of 1805. An extended sequenced filmed on the Galapagos marks one of the first times the islands have been depicted in a feature film. (GPS66, $39.98)
Mediterranean Sea Map  •  Freytag & Berndt 2005 •  MAP • BEST SELLER A double-sided, full-color map of the Mediterranean, including the Iberian Peninsula and Black Sea, North Africa and the Levant, at a scale of 1:2,000,000. (MED36, $12.95)
Memory and the Mediterranean  •  Fernand Braudel  •  Sian Reynolds  •  Roselyne de Ayala HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A fascinating scholarly history of the Mediterranean by Fernand Braudel, who specialized in the region. He covers the history of the Mediterranean from its geologic beginnings to the Roman Empire. (MED51, $16.00)
The Middle Sea, A History of the Mediterranean  •  John Julius Norwich HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 720 PAGES • NEW 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 from antiquity to the end of the First World War. (MED98, $20.00)
Minoan and Mycenaean Art  •  Reynold Higgins ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A survey of the ancient art of Crete, Mycenae and the Cyclades in its cultural context, revised to include recent archaeology. With maps and 241 illustrations. (GRE61, $18.95)
Murder on the Orient Express  •  Agatha Christie MYSTERY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES Christie's bestseller is sure to keep train passengers awake long into the night. (EUR118, $6.99)
My Name Is Red  •  Orhan Pamuk  •  Erdag Goknar LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES Set in sixteenth-century Istanbul, this charmingly digressive novel combines a murder mystery, artistic debate and a love story. It will also pique your interest in Islamic illuminated manuscripts. (TKY68, $14.95)
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)
Odyssey of Homer  •  Robert Fagles LITERATURE •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 560 PAGES Translator Robert Fagles captures the poetry and power of The Odyssey in this new translation, celebrated for its clarity and expressiveness. We also carry the Fagles translation of The Iliad. (GRE30, $35.00)
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)
On Foot to the Golden Horn: A Walk to Istanbul  •  Jason Goodwin TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 278 PAGES An outstanding travel writer and journalist, Goodwin interweaves history, incident and reflection in this excellent portrait of Central Europe. With chapters on Cracow, Slovakia, Budapest, Transylvania, Brasov and Bulgaria. (EUR81, $15.00)
On the Shores of the Mediterranean  •  Eric Newby TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 486 PAGES A sparkling observer and famously entertaining writer, Newby tackles the Mediterranean in these merry essays. He finds himself in North Africa, the Adriatic, Venice, Naples, the Greek Islands, Turkey, Cairo and Jerusalem. (MED25, $14.95)
The Ottoman Centuries  •  Lord Kinross HISTORY •  1988 •  PAPER  • 638 PAGES A richly detailed, engrossing history of the Ottoman empire from its dawn in 1300 through its zenith under Suleiman the magnificent and up to the foundation of the modern republic in 1923. With maps and black-and-white photographs throughout. (ITL54, $18.95)
Ottoman Turkey, Islamic Architecture  •  Godfrey Goodwin ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1977 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES An extended photo-essay on Islamic architecture focusing on the magnificent buildings constructed during the Ottoman period in Turkey. (TKY31, $20.00)
The Ottoman Turks: An Introductory History to 1923  •  Justin McCarthy HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 406 PAGES Written by a historian who has a way with words, this book is a vivid overview of the history, customs and traditions of Ottoman Turkey for the curious general reader. It covers not only the history of the Ottoman Empire but also society, environment and everyday life. With many helpful maps and illustrations. (TKY36, $62.40)
Passionate Nomad, the Life of Freya Stark  •  Jane Fletcher Geniesse BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES Dame Freya Stark, called the "last of the Romantic travelers" by The Times of London, ventured into the forbidden territory of Druze, became the first woman to explore Luristan in western Iran and was credited with reducing sabotage against the Allies on the eastern front with her knowledge of Middle Eastern languages and life. Before she was knighted by the Queen of England at the age of 82, Stark had documented her adventures in 30 books and was honored by the Royal Geographical Society for her cartographic achievements, among other accomplishments. In addition to depicting Stark's journeys, the biographer (a former "New York Times" reporter) sensitively unveils details of the complex, personal life of this "poet of travel." (MDE28, $15.95)
Plant Life in the World's Mediterranean Climates  •  Paul Dallman NATURAL HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 210 PAGES Richly illustrated, clearly written and engaging, this book is an ecological overview of the landscapes, plants and vegetation types found in Mediterranean climates. It's an eye-opening guide to California, Chile, South Africa, Australia and -- naturally -- the Mediterranean. (MED21, $35.95)
Portrait of a Turkish Family  •  Irfan Orga BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 332 PAGES This splendid memoir of life in Istanbul in the years surrounding World War I captures the spirit and flavor of the city in the last days of the Ottoman empire. It is also a poignant account of struggling to get along under very difficult circumstances. Born into a privileged family, Orga's fate changed radically with the defeat of the Ottomans and the changes brought about by Atatürk and the founding of the Turkish republic in 1923. With chapters entitled Introducing the Family, Disillusionment of an Autocrat, and The End of The Story. Orga's son supplies an illuminating forward for this edition, filling in biographical details. (TKY83, $32.95)
The Private World of Ottoman Women  •  Godfrey Goodwin CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 263 PAGES For those particularly interested in the role of women in the Ottoman empire, this far-ranging book explores the world of women from all levels of society during six centuries of rule, including harem life, court ceremony, travel and domestic affairs. (TKY34, $24.95)
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 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 Turkey  •  Rosie Ayliffe  •  Mark Dubin  •  John Gawthrop GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 1072 PAGES A comprehensive guide to the history culture and attractions of Trurkey for the visitor. (TKY48, $24.99)
Secret History  •  G. A. Williamson  •  Procopius HISTORY •  1982 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES A classic and compulsively readable account of the mores and manners of elite society at the court of Emperor Justinian. This is historical mudslinging only a Byzantine could devise, a withering expose of the scandals, intrigues and infidelities of the splendid empire and its rulers by none other than its official historian. This guy had a major ax to grind, which translator G.A. Williamson considers in the long introduction to the author and book. (TKY11, $14.00)
A Short History of Byzantium  •  John Julius Norwich HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES A richly detailed and evocative narrative history of the tumultuous span of the great empire from the fourth century to the fifteenth, brimming with intrigue, skullduggery, palace revolution and other treachery. Norwich has also published a definitive three-volume history of Byzantium. (TKY18, $17.95)
A Traveller's History of Turkey  •  Richard Stoneman HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 247 PAGES A well-written, accessible overview of Turkish history from the Paleolithic to the present. This text will assist you in parsing the complicated history of the land which is modern Turkey. It includes a chronology of major events, a list of native rulers, further recommended reading, and a gazetteer. (TKY13, $14.95)
Turkey Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP A double-sided, shaded relief map of all of Turkey, including the entire Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, at a scale of 1:800,000. Fully indexed. (TKY29, $12.95)
Turkey Unveiled: A History of Modern Turkey  •  Hugh Pope HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 395 PAGES Written by a husband and wife team based in Istanbul, this engaging popular history focuses on the many paradoxes of Turkey since World War I. It's an opinionated, revealing portrait of the nation by two knowledgeable journalists. (TKY33, $22.95)
Turkey, A Modern History  •  Erik Zurcher HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 245 PAGES A lively historical account of the Turkish state from 1780 to the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923. Special attention is given to the "Young Turk" movement and Kemil Ataturk in this comprehensive volume. It's the best single guide to the complex history of modern Turkey, well written and opinionated. Revised. (TKY10, $28.95)
Turkish Traditional Art Today  •  Henry Glassie ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1993 •  HARD COVER  • 947 PAGES A scholarly, well illustrated survey of the artisans, rugmakers, potters and craftsmen, and the diversity of arts and crafts. With photographs by the author, this huge book documents the diversity of wares throughout Turkey. (TKY60, $89.95)
The Voyage of Argo  •  Apollonius of Rhodes  •  Emil V. Rieu LITERATURE •  1977 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES The story of the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Aided by a map and a glossary, Emil V. Rieu's translation of the original epic by Apollonius of Rhodes, is readable and informative. A classic in the works of Greek mythology. (GRE91, $14.00)
Walking the Bible, A Journey by Land through the Five Books of Moses  •  Bruce Feiler TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES This illuminating account of a 10,000-mile odyssey across the Biblical lands of the Middle East is part travelogue, part pilgrimage, and part quest for religious meaning. Feiler is accompanied by Israeli archaeologist Avner Goren. (MDE50, $14.95)
Zorba the Greek  •  Nikos Kazantzakis LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 311 PAGES A modern classic. Set in rural Crete in the early 20th-century, this moving tale is the most accessible of Kazantzakis' novels -- and very different from the Anthony Quinn movie version. It's a tale of adventure and philosophy that captures the exuberance of the Greek people. (GRE22, $14.00)