Books on Santorini, Santorini Guides & maps for Greek Island Hopping

For some great books on Santorini, including Santorini guides and Santorini themed novels...

This Books on Santorini Page is from the Simply Santorini website – an insiders guide to getting the most from Thira - the honeymoon island. Santorini hotels, resorts, romantic locations, beaches, history, sunsets & much more…

If you are visiting Santorini soon or are Greek Island hopping and you want a good read for the ferry, aeroplane, beach or pool, then here's some suggestions.

There are plenty of good Santorini guides so you can plan your trip. Maps of Santorini to help you get around and the Greek Islands guidebooks. There's also some good books on Santorini or Santorini and Greek Islands themed novels to read lounging and relaxing – that's what a holiday in Santorini's all about isn't it?

SANTORINI (HotSpots)
by Thomas Cook

"Hotspots Santorini" highlights all you need to know about a country of diverse landscapes, excellent cuisine and amazing beaches.This book delivers: summaries of the best beaches and resorts, including Kamari, Perissa and Thira; an excursions section that lists the many activities on offer, including places to visit such as ancient Thira and Pygros; advice on the wide range of water sports and leisure activities; lists of local restaurants, bars, nightclubs and places of interest; maps of the local area showing the location of restaurants and places of interest; and, lifestyle section, including a summary of the types of food available, a menu decoder, festivals, sports and activities on offer.

THE A-Z GUIDE TO SANTORINI
by Tony Oswin

Review from Amazon Reader "Last year I bought the 'A to Z Guide to Thassos' and found it incredibly useful before and during our visit to that island. So when we decided to go to Santorini this year I had no hesitation in buying the 'A to Z Guide to Santorini'. Once again the author has written a book that is so helpful and packed full of information on the island, its history, the volcano, where to go, what to see, eating out and so many useful tips and insider knowledge. The 'A to Z Guides' are amongst the best guide books I have ever seen, written with the reader in mind and covering everything you will need to know to have a great holiday."

SANTORINI HOLIDAY MAP
by GeoCenter Holiday Maps

A GeoCenter Holiday Map of Santorini, featuring a map on one side and top sights with colour photographs and tourist information the other.

GUIDE TO SANTORINI
by John Bowman

This guide gives detailed information of archaeological and historical sites. Guides to museums and exhibitions and practical information for the tourist combine to make this guide the most suitable companion for visitors to this popular holiday destination. It is a lively and colourful book illustrated with more than 180 pictures.

FIRE IN THE SEA: THE SANTORINI VOLCANO: NATURAL HISTORY AND THE LEGEND OF ATLANTIS
by Walter L. Friedrich, Alexander R. McBirney

It used to be thought that, around 3,600 years ago, the flourishing Bronze Age (Minoan) civilisation and culture of the eastern Mediterranean was wiped out by the volcanic eruption of the island of Santorini. The eruption also became linked with the Old Testament story of the darkness that beset Egypt as one of the seven plagues and with Plato's description of the fabled island of Atlantis.

Amazingly, the Minoan civilisation was not wiped out. Detailed dating has shown that the eruption happened well before the Minoan civilisation declined. Friedrich sets the detailed story in the wider geological evolution of the whole region.

As the continental plate of Africa pushes north, the whole of the eastern Mediterranean has become dangerously active. Today, tourists blithely sail into the bay of Thera, the 5km wide crater left by the eruption, before wandering around the still gently active volcano. It is anyone's guess when Santorini will next explode, but one thing is sure--it will. Fascinating reading, especially for those taking holidays in the Aegean!

THE CYCLADES
by John Freely

The Cyclades are the quintessential Greek isles, renowned for the beauty of their seascapes, their historical monuments and a unique way of life deeply rooted in the remote past of the Aegean. Over the course of more than 7,000 years the Cyclades have seen a succession of civilizations, the earliest of them perpetuated in legends such as that of Atlantis, which has been identified with volcanic Santorini.

The islands are arrayed around their sacred centre on Delos, where Leto was said to have given birth to the divine twins Apollo and Artemis, children of Zeus.

Dionysos was born on olive-embowered Naxos, where he fell in love with Ariadne, and myths relate that Poseidon was the protector of Tinos, whose mid-summer festival of the Virgin is celebrated with the folk-dances and songs for which the Cyclades are famous. In this comprehensive guide to the Cyclades, John Freely describes the immemorial past and timeless present of these enchanting islands, which still await discovery.

VOLCANO SANTORINI
by James Frew

Given shifting tectonic plates, the volcano erupts once again in the 21st. Century to threaten the Mediterranean. This trilogy of an American U-2 pilot sponsored by the UN, brings an exciting bird's eye view of the pending catastrophe. Frew excels as a 'you are there' storyteller in his latest 'white knuckle' thriller. With three storylines established, Frew skilfully draws the analogy of a Greek heiress bride, her occult nature seeded from Minoan times. High level espionage, a revengeful murder...the horrendous aftermath when the volcano blew its guts to the Aegean Sea; the tragedy of the pilot searching for his wife in the highlands of the mysterious Crete, are all captured in this epic story of espionage and action in the troubled Middle East.

GREEK ISLAND HOPPING
by Thomas Cook

Now in its 18th edition, the 'island hopper's bible' returns, fully updated, to give the most comprehensive coverage of the Greek islands ever. With its inimitable tell-it-how-it-is commentary and its accurate and reliable information on all the islands and how best to travel to and between them, "Greek Island Hopping" is perfect for both seasoned and new hoppers alike.

"Greek Island Hopping" sets the standard for independent travellers guidebooks to the Greek islands thanks to its unique mix of island and ferry information, coupled with the most comprehensive collection of port town and sightseeing maps yet published in a single volume.

Much of its content just simply isn't available anywhere else. It is annually updated. It features 56 colour pages, 100 photographs. It includes descriptive island ratings and colour 3D-view sightseeing maps. It contains street maps of major towns and ports for the top 60 islands.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE GREEK ISLANDS
by Various Authors

The Rough Guide to The Greek Islands is the essential guide to the varied and beautiful archipelagos of the Aegean and Ionian seas. From hiking in the Samarian Gorge and windsurfing off Vassiliki to the Acropolis of Lindos and the view over Fira, the 24-page, full-colour introduction highlights all the 'things-not-to-miss'.

In addition, there are two brand-new, 4-page, full-colour inserts: 'Orthodox Festivals', 'Wild Greek Islands' and 'Beaches'. The guide includes listings of all the very best hotels and restaurants, plus information on all the top bars, shops and clubs, to suit every budget.

There is plenty of practical advice to help you get the most from the many activities available throughout the islands, plus there is comprehensive information on inter-island ferries and maps and plans for every island group.

THE ISLAND
by Victoria Hislop

On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her she will learn more. Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone's throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga - Greece's former leper colony. Then she finds Fortini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, war and passion...

FALLING FOR ICARUS
by Rory MacLean

On a windy spring morning in an ancient village surrounded by mountains on Crete, Rory MacLean fell to Earth. His mother had died a few months earlier and a single obsession had risen from his grief: the notion to build a feather-light machine. And so, on the island where Daedalus and Icarus had made man's maiden flight, MacLean journeyed back to beginnings, back into Greek myths, and – with the help of effusive but irrepressible neighbours and plenty of wine – built a plane and tried to fly…

"An extraordinary work, curious and entertaining, tantalizing, often moving and above all entirely original…" Jan Morris

LEARN GREEK IN 25 YEARS
by Brian Church

A tongue in cheek look at learning the Greek language. Perfect Greek in 25 years. Trying to learn Greek but finding it far too hard? Just arrived and wondering where your suitcase has gone?

Brian Church, cult journalist at the Athens News, has chosen 25 of the best lessons from his world-famous weekly column, Learn Greek in 25 Years, to help you understand even less of this beautiful language.

Each lesson ends with a helpful table of "words I really must learn though I know I won't".

For music lovers:

The Ultimate Collection
Nana Mouskouri

1. Everybody Hurts 2. Only Love 3. Try To Remember 4. On My Own 5. Why Worry 6. A Place In My Heart 7. Return To Love - Nana Mouskouri, Julio Iglesias 8. Bridge Over Troubled Water 9. Habanera (De L'Opéra "Carmen") 10. The Three Bells 11. The White Rose Of Athens 12. Love Changes Everything 13. Scarborough Fair Canticle 14. Amazing Grace 15. Only Time Will Tell 16. Plaisir D'Amour 17. Turn On The Sun 18. Morning Has Broken 19. Song For Liberty 20. Ave Maria

If you love Santorini then you'll love the wonderful Greek island of Crete. Visit our sister site of Completely Crete .Com for all you'll need to know about Crete.

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